Bangladesh Trip Report I was exploring the Sundarbans years ago in 2011 and, across the mangrove delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges was the country of Bangladesh. We returned to Calcutta, a city which I had grown to love, and a part of me always longed to return to Bengal and explore that […]
Destinations
Afghanistan – 2024 Independent Travel Guide
Want to go deeper in Afghanistan? See below NothingDeclared individual city guides and specialty resources: Money ATMs will most likely not work with any foreign debit cards in Afghanistan. Therefore most travelers rely on the old fashioned method – money exchanges. AFN is the currency in Afghanistan and its necessary to change dollars to this […]
Afghanistan – Reflections
Afghanistan is on a heartbreaking journey to stability though the price is often freedom. People showered unimaginable kindness during my travels through a county oversaturated with incredible sights yet overshadowed by decades of war and violence. Despite this troubled past and years spent living under a cloud of fear, stress and uncertainty they rise above to exude a palpable warmth and love on a traveler they have just met.
It completely breaks my heart imagining what changes will come in the next ten years as the world chooses to mostly ignore Afghanistan. A time when the country will fight its most important fight – the struggle to come to terms with a generational and ideological crossroads which will define success or set a path towards failure for future generations.
Afghanistan – Exploring Kabul
Kabul Think of Kabul and a range of thoughts and emotions flood through, in a similar way the city affects travelers arriving for the first time. We arrived in Kabul exhausted from an overnight bus journey over the beautiful Khaosan Mountain Pass, along a beautiful nameless river, and through the Panjshir Valley. After a short […]
Afghanistan – Torkham border crossing to Pakistan. Independent travel
It’s a beautiful windy road through canyons along the river to the border crossing with Pakistan, and I was about to cross the most chaotic stretch of land between two countries in all my travels.
Afghanistan – The Ancient City of Herat
I walked alone across the long bridge over the Panj River between Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Military vehicles and watchtowers on both ends reminded me that I wasn’t really alone. At the end of the bridge there is a large gate controlling the entrance into Afghanistan. I had a long walk to ponder the wisdom of my decision to travel through Afghanistan, but I was eager to witness the current state of affairs, learn more about Afghani daily life, and see some of the amazingly beautiful sights we hear far too little about.
Afghanistan – Mazar i Sharif & Balkh Independent travel
Mazar – i – Sharif Mazar is an ancient city of over 500,000 inhabitants known for the magnificent and expansive blue mosque complex The cities name translates to “tomb of the saint” which is a reference to the tomb of Ali, the famed cousin, son-in-law and companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Miraculously, the mosque […]
Afghanistan – Bamyan. The Buddhas and the City of Screams
As we drove from Kabul to Bamyan, the road was new and perfect….except for every quarter mile or so there are small sections missing, or torn up. These are where roadside bombs, IEDs, or missiles hit the road during the war. Its crazy to see, and there are so many. A sad reminder of where you are visiting what daily life must have been like.
Afghanistan – Crossing the border from Tajikistan
Afghanistan – Crossing the border from Tajikistan Traveling to Dushanbe, Tajikistan The morning of my travels to Afghanistan begin with a jarring message – my local contact who was supposed to meet me at the border was no longer available due to some sort of emergency. This was an interesting mental twist in a journey […]
Afghanistan – Safety & Checkpoints, Checkpoints, SO many Checkpoints
Afghanistan – Safety & Checkpoints, Checkpoints, SO many Checkpoints Safety is naturally one of the top concerns for many when they think about traveling in Afghanistan. The country has seen decades upon decades of war and for most of our lives every time Afghanistan is in the news, or in a movie – its for […]