Before coming to Afghanistan, I’d already met a lot of different people from many different cultures around the…
Times visited: 1
Cities visited: Sultan Eshkashim
Villages visited: Khirmani
While traveling along the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan, my friend and I heard whispers of an opportunity to cross the border into a peaceful part of Afghanistan. Until that moment, visiting Afghanistan had never crossed my mind. Like many others, I had been influenced by media portrayals and assumed the entire country was too dangerous to enter.
But before the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, there was a region known to be safe for tourists: the Wakhan Valley. Nestled in the far north of the country, along the border with Tajikistan, this remote area offered a rare glimpse into a lesser-known side of Afghanistan.
Pressed for time due to an upcoming flight out of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, we still managed to carve out two days for a brief visit across the border. Surprisingly, obtaining a visa was straightforward – though not cheap – and before long, we found ourselves crossing into a world that felt completely untouched by modern life. Just a river separates the Tajik town of Ishkashim from the Afghan village of Sultan Eshkashim, but the contrast in culture and daily life was striking.
We were greeted with warmth and hospitality. A kind local invited us to stay in his guesthouse and even offered to guide us during our visit. Over the next two days, we explored the town and nearby village of Khirmani, chatted with local men and children, and filled our bags with handmade souvenirs. Not once did we feel unsafe.
Though our visit was brief, it gave us a rare and meaningful glimpse into a side of Afghanistan that few people know exists.