Your experiences living/traveling to Afghanistan?

[کیش]

We plan on going to Islamabad first, then Peshawer. From Peshawer, to Jalalabad then Kabul. Then vice-versa on my way home.

Since you just went, how much do you think it will cost me in total w/o being a cheapo? Will it be cheaper to reserve the tickets months in advance, or it doesn't make a difference?

[IamDZJ]

i have no idea. i was there for two months and the only thing i paid for were my tickets and my stay in london. it depends on how many people you will be taking with you and how you like to spend your money...also using public transportation is cheaper than driving from one corner of the country to the other...
if i was a guy and i was going for vacation only, i would survive just fine with 1500-2000. i am not too excited on shopping when i go that far.

[MohannaD]

Read some interesting stuff here , I want to go to Afghanistan .

[afgpower]

been a few times there,,, yea really like it. i was there a few weeks ago and it was very nice. went to family there and was really fun. and about the tribal pashtun, i always see them when i travel from dubai to kabul or kabul to dubai. anyway we were flying back to europe and at the airport i saw around 100 pashtuns flying to karachi very fun 2 see.

[faye]

i remember the first hotel i stayed at in herat. i booked in and paid for the night and a man helped me with my luggage up to my room. he came in and put my bags down then started telling me how he can give me a very good massage, would i like a massage? i'm like, no thank you, but he kept trying to induce me to have one of his very good massages. i had to push him out of the room. when i closed the door, i found that there was no lock. i had to put furniture against the door that first night then moved to a room with a lock on the door next day, lol.
i was about 30,single female, travelling alone. the afghan men were very flirtatious.

[MohannaD]

There was a majlis almost every day in Sharan, but much less in Bermal, but we still had "sobaat".

Sounds like fun . Relaxing too I guess .

[Janana]

I've never been to Afghanistan, though I'm considering going on my next trip over.

[faye]

in kandahar, i did many portrait sketches of men there, for money. at the time my pics were cheaper than photographs and i had a lot of customers. one man, funny guy, 'cowboy' was his nickname due to his cowboy hat, took control of looking after me and would round up customers. i really enjoyed doing this work through many countries as it was a good way to interact with the locals and get to know them. i remember one man was high up in police or army and he was telling me how the muslim religion has protection for women.
every cafe i went to, i would be the only woman but no-one harrassed me. on the bus trip from kandahar to pakistan, the only seat available was next to this boy about 12 years old. i could see that he wasn't real impressed to have me sit next to him and some men at the back appeared to be having a good laugh about it.

[IamDZJ]

^ unfortunately our people were 10 times more civilized 30 years ago than they are now.
my next vacation is in africa.

[randolph85]

saving up for a new trip!

[Tjanaparh]

Dear friends , one information how difficult is it(safety personal safety, getting visa) to visit Afghanistan for Armenian, Russian and Georgian citizens? I know some groop of Armenians that are interested to go but , have different citizenships - for that I am asking for all the three .

They have sure no agressive ideas but interest in culture and nature, but knowing the sad Soviet past I am asking, what advice can I give? people are 2-3 boys and one girl in the age of arround 25-30. Can you help with some advices?

[MohannaD]

Dear friends , one information how difficult is it(safety personal safety, getting visa) to visit Afghanistan for Armenian, Russian and Georgian citizens? I know some groop of Armenians that are interested to go but , have different citizenships - for that I am asking for all the three .

They have sure no agressive ideas but interest in culture and nature, but knowing the sad Soviet past I am asking, what advice can I give? people are 2-3 boys and one girl in the age of arround 25-30. Can you help with some advices?

I'm not from Afghanistan , nor I have the information you're looking for , but my advice is that you visit the embassy and apply for the visas and see what happens .

[Tjanaparh]

Thank you my friend , but here there is no Afghan embassy unfortunately!

[Haris]

I have very fond but very distant memories of Afghanistan.
Summer 2012 inshaAllah.


The road from Pekhawar to Kabul, bribing the Pakistani police every few metres and to get on the plane home, the mosquitos and heat of Pekhawar, the traditional Wardag-style village weddings, seeing my young calf grown into a strong bull, abandoned soviet tanks on the side of the road, seeing my cousins after many years all changed, seeing my grandfather again, riding through the country with my uncle on his motorbike, the overly sweet versions of capri-sun juice, the smell of the countryside, the apple juice cartons that made you sick, flying kites in Kabul, the smell of the pharmacies, hamburgers in Kabul, ice cream from the local parlour...many many more


There is so much of Afghanistan that I would love to see, the mountains of Kunar, the Bala Hisar, Mazar i Sharif etc etc.



One of my regrets was spending more time with family in Kabul than I did with family in Wardag. Now that no-one from the village still lives there it looks unlikely that i'll see it next year. Seeing my family still alive will be good enough though.

Dear friends , one information how difficult is it(safety personal safety, getting visa) to visit Afghanistan for Armenian, Russian and Georgian citizens? I know some groop of Armenians that are interested to go but , have different citizenships - for that I am asking for all the three .

They have sure no agressive ideas but interest in culture and nature, but knowing the sad Soviet past I am asking, what advice can I give? people are 2-3 boys and one girl in the age of arround 25-30. Can you help with some advices?

An Azeri from Azerbaijan went to Afghanistan not too long ago, perhaps this may be helpful: http://www.pashtunforums.com/new-mem...friends-17879/

[Tjanaparh]

Thank you a lot Haris! I think only the situation is a bit different. He was there for work, so surely there was bit more organited. My friends wwant to travel and see the country, I cannot tell You the exact route, but I think the do not want to stay only in Kabul. They are mostly interested in traditional music, nature, traditions.
Also Azeri are Muslims, my friends are not, they re of tribal belief, so hopefully this isn't a problem. They are driven mostly by cultural interest, to find friends see nature. Surely many things are similar as we both have rules of hospitality and and respect and we also had to taste war and occupation bay different powers and to fight. But surely there are differences as well. But mostly the question is how it is with getting permit to enter the country, could they have problems due to their passports? Surely there will be also some other questions i do not remember now.