I backpacked in Afghanistan in 2016 and loved it. From my border crossing (after a night in the southernmost Soviet Union Hotel) to the tour of Masar e Sharif, it was amazing. Especially when I got to play football (and score the only “goal” of a 0-0 draw (come on VAR – it was OVER Read more about Backpacking in Afghanistan: Travel With Authentic Afghanistan[…]
“It’s all too beautiful” – Small Faces. When you are backpacking in Afghanistan, be sure to visit the country’s holiest shrine and arguably the coolest looking Islamic complex in Central Asia. This one is a stunner. Despite my previous visits to the Middle East’s largest Mosque in Adana, Turkey and my trip to the world’s Read more about Backpacking in Afghanistan: Visiting Hazrat Ali’s Tomb and Blue Mosque in Masar e Sharif[…]
While backpacking in Afghanistan, I was delighted to be offered the chance of a homestay with a local family in the city of Masar e Sharif. In the years I’ve been travelling, I’ve had homestays in places like Israel, Iran, Uruguay, Nagorno Karabakh, Hungary, Tunisia and Transnistria. However Afghanistan was a whole new experience. The Read more about Backpacking in Afghanistan: My Homestay Experience in Masar e Sharif[…]
This is probably the first hotel review I ever do where I won’t mention the actual name of the hotel. There are security reasons for this of course and I was there on tour with a cool company and they sorted out my accommodation. I didn’t go online and book any hotels or hostels. In Read more about Backpacking in Afghanistan: My Hotel Stay in Masar e Sharif[…]
If you’re ever backpacking in Afghanistan, make sure to get a trip to a local stadium to watch the national sport – Buzkashi! It’s the iconical backpacking in Afghanistan experience, and I had to get a visit to a Buzkashi game sorted during my time in the country! This was such an exciting experience! After crossing Read more about Watching Buzkashi🐎In Masar e Sharif: Afghanistan’s🇦🇫National Sport[…]
“Altogether now, in no mans land.” – The Farm. In life as it happens, it’s going to be quite hard to describe the sheer adrenalin rush and magic of the winter day when I backpacked it alone into Afghanistan. It’s just another day in my life but as a heated ball beat down on my Northern Read more about World Borders: My Journey From Uzbekistan🇺🇿to Afghanistan🇦🇫on Friendship Bridge to Hayratan[…]
It was a real treat and a major league feast when I tried Mantoo for the first time after securing a visa for Afghanistan. Mantoo is Afghanistan’s National dish and my guide Noor opts to take me to Sunatala Restaurant – the best Mantoo restaurant in Masar e Sharif. This place is boomingly popular – Read more about Friday’s Featured Food: Eating the National Dish Mantoo in Sunatala Restaurant, Masar e Sharif, Afghanistan[…]
I love a good old Saturday night out with the lads down the pub, and it’s the same world everywhere we go in that respect. It’s just that in some countries the entertainment and choice of drinks differs. Here in Afghanistan, the lads invited me for an Afghani style Saturday night out in downtown Masar Read more about Thirsty Thursdays: Saturday Night out in Afghanistan – Shisha and Tea in Abshar Shisha Lounge, Masar e Sharif[…]