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…
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“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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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“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…
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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 –…
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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…
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Masar e-Sharif is Afghanistan’s third biggest city. It boasts an estimated population of around 1 million people and sits shyly, unknown to most backpackers, in a country less ventured. On my tour of Central Asia, I made sure I got this place on my list. Masar e Sharif is home of the famous Blue Mosque and Shrine…
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