My Afghanistan Trip Plan
Okay, so planning this trip felt like trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces, honestly. Everyone I told just looked at me like I’d grown a second head. “Afghanistan? You sure?” was basically the reaction from everyone, including my mom. But I’d done some reading, spoke to a few people who actually went before everything went sideways again recently, and figured hey, let’s try it properly.
Step one was the tough bit: figuring out if I even could go. Visas are a nightmare. Forget applying online or through an embassy easy-peasy. I had to find a fixer in Kabul. Went through three contacts before one finally answered and sounded halfway reliable. Sent passport copies back and forth for weeks. The paperwork felt endless. Then finally, a shaky thumbs-up. It cost way more than I expected too.
Next up: flights. Forget hopping on a direct flight from London or New York. Ended up booking:
- Flight to Dubai (easy part).
- Then a connecting flight to Kabul on Kam Air. That flight was… an experience. Old plane, packed full. Nerve-wracking landing.
Landing in Kabul airport is something else. Chaos, guys, total chaos. Checkpoints everywhere. Got waved through after what felt like hours showing my papers again and again. Met my fixer finally, holding a sign with my name misspelled. Felt like a movie cliché.
What We Actually Did Over There
My fixer was key. Wouldn’t have dared try half this stuff without him arranging drivers, guides, and smoothing things over. Everything needs permission now, local Taliban admin guys everywhere. Had to be careful, respectful.
Day one: Kabul.
Drove straight to the Babur Gardens. Heard it was bombed years ago but rebuilt. It was surprisingly peaceful inside, green against all the dust outside. Walked around slowly, saw families actually picnicking. Then tried the National Museum. Place felt hollow, so much missing after decades of war. Guards everywhere though. Ended the day walking Chicken Street – crowded, dusty, full of carpets and spices. Bargained hard for a rug.
Hitting the road: Bamiyan.
Long, rough drive. Mountains getting bigger, villages sparse. Checkpoints every hour, guys with big guns checking papers. Got to Bamiyan Valley feeling shaken. Standing in front of those giant empty niches where the Buddhas used to be… man, that hits different. Explosions blew them apart years ago, just hollowed-out cliffs now. Stood there just staring. Nearby caves still have old paintings though. Local kids followed us around grinning.
Band-e-Amir Lakes.
Another brutal drive on worse roads. Thought the car might shake apart. Totally worth it. Those lakes! Bright, bright blue against the brown mountains, like jewels. Absolutely stunning. Hiked a bit around the first lake. Local guys renting little paddle boats – tried it, felt ridiculous but fun. Water icy cold. Camped nearby with fixer’s cousins, ate rice and stew cooked over a fire under the stars. Quietest night sky I’ve ever seen.
Reality Checks and Getting Out
Look, it’s not easy traveling there.
- Security changes daily. Got turned back from one road trip because some commander said no.
- Always felt watched. Pictures? Had to ask every single time.
- Food was simple, lots of bread and rice. Finding a clean toilet? Forget it.
- Constant noise of helicopters flying over Kabul.
Leaving felt weird. Saw some incredibly beautiful things and met genuinely friendly folks (mostly shopkeepers and kids), but also saw serious poverty and tension. Walking back into Dubai airport felt like stepping onto another planet. Clean, bright, quiet.
So yeah, best things? The landscapes are unreal in places. The history, even ruined, is heavy. The people who are just trying to live? So resilient. But it’s exhausting. Felt like holding my breath for two weeks straight. Would I tell everyone to go? Nope. It’s difficult, expensive, risky. But seeing Bamiyan and Band-e-Amir? Yeah, that sticks with you. Got my rug home, though. It’s pretty nice.
