A Guide – Afghanistan

Executive Summary: Want adventure but don’t want to summit Everest or hunt for lost tribes in the Amazon? Going to Afghanistan is an amazing experience that gets you off the beaten path in to a truely immersive adventure. First of all, it is safe. More detail below but know that it is. Second, it is pricey for the shoestring traveler. A breakdown is below to help budgeting. Third, it is incredible. You’ll get to visit places with no tourist shops nor buses nor nightclubs. The natural beauty is stunning, the culture unmatched, and the destination unspoiled. This guide provides info on entry/exit from Tajikistan at the Ishkashim crossing. Consider tacking on an overnight in the border town, a week in the Wahkan, or a two week escapade into the Little Pamirs. If you’ve got the time and money it is highly recommended. Here is my synopsis for 5 days and about $1,000 – a reasonable amount of time and money for what you get in return.

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Full Overview: The Badakhshan is a stretch of Afghanistan in the North East corner that, due to obvious reasons, hasn’t developed much in the past 100 years. It has beautiful mountains and a culture that is welcoming of outsiders though not rundown by them. Traditions here are authentic and many practices here look as if you are watching a historical film for example farmers use tools you’ve only seen on TV or in museums. Quite frankly, it’s amazing and adventure seekers of all caliber should visit. I saw adventurers because of the situation in the country more broadly. Certainly tea lovers or livestock nerds can enjoy as well but it does require a certain kind of “spirit” to cross the border. Spend one night in Ishkashim, the border town, or spend multiple weeks deep in the Wahkan Corridor (Wahkan Valley is along Tajik border while corridor starts when road turns away from border) and Little Pamirs. The safety situation is always changing but it’s overall a very safe destination. Stay at Welcome Inn in Khorog where the owner often leads expositions into the little Pamirs. Asking her questions is free and she’ll give you all the safety info you need. Blogs and travel guides will never keep up with the experts on the ground.

Safety – A couple things to remember: the border will not let you cross unless it is safe in Sultan-Ishkashim (SI) for tourists. Once in SI, you will be unable to leave the city limits unless it is safe and you get authorization to travel outside. Lastly keep in mind this region has never been in control of Taliban. A few years the Taliban made a big push toward Ishkashim to which the government defended strongly. The Taliban took heavy losses and have not tried since. For better or worse the region is important (and appropriately protected) due to the tourist interests and economic significants with China – the new Silk Road. The government will know where you are at all times which is good because if things change they’ll get you out. With all that said it’s normal to be nervous and doubtful when there, that’s the adventurous part. But meeting the people you’ll quickly feel safe. They hate the Taliban more than you.

The one safety concern worth noting is the robbery of an armored truck that occurred a couple years ago. Security personal were killed and millions stolen. This is in the Wahkan and still leaves more questions than answers. The penalty for harming tourists is high in this government controlled area so I doubt the risk is worth any potential reward for these bandits but needs mentioning.

Costs – let’s break it down, not cheap but depends what you want.

• Afghan Visa: $220 for US Citizens, $150 for everyone else. Embassy in Khorog, takes about an hour. Somoni or USD accepted (USD preferred). In the high season you might need a $50 same day charge if you want it expedited.
• Tajik Visa: $70 each. You’ll need one to enter Tajik the first time and you’ll need a second single entry evisa to get back in after Afghan. You can apply for both at the same time via their online portal. Tajik border guard will check that you have everything you need.
• Tajikistan Transportation: About $35 from Dushanbe to Khorog. Then another $5 to the border (50 somoni).
• Afghanistan Transportation: You’ll be quoted $20 from border to guesthouse in Sultan-Ishkashim. Can probably talk down to $10 or less. Outside Ishkashim it gets expensive, $200 one way to Sargaz (Wahkan Corridor), $300 to Sarhad (Little Pamirs). Both ways, double it.
• Guesthouses – In Sultan Ishkashim, $35 a night but all meals included. It gets cheaper as you get further away. As low as $15.
• Guide – Market rate seems to be $40 a day.
• Animal rentals – Fairly cheap with donkeys $10 a day and horses yaks up from there.
• Afghan handkerchief – $2 or $3 dollars

How to plan – Obviously your desires matter but some important things to consider: The small villages outside Sultan-Ishkashim are like rolling back the clock and are worth a visit. Also the drive out into the Wahkan is fantastic looking at the valley walls from the bottom. That being said no one will bat an eyelash at staying in SI, they have a bazaar that’s good enough to fill an afternoon. The Wahkan Corridor is stunning and the Little Pamirs are the end of the road, where treks can see (maybe the last true) Kyrgyz nomads that have little integration with the outside world. Once you are out hiking life gets cheap so the more time out there the lower your dollar per day costs get.

An important question is guides. You don’t need one, it is helpful for the documentation and getting police signatures for authorizations but not required. They just make life easier.

A guide recommendation – I used Safi, find him on Facebook Safi Usmani or WhatsApp +93798999062. He handles a lot of tours and I felt safe with him. He’s also got the added benefit of having his own car and guesthouse which is handy.

The documentation – If you are going to leave SI and do not have a guide (they’ll do this as well but if you don’t have one you need to) visit tourist office. They’ll have a series of requirements: Passport photos, police signatures (they’ll tell you where to go), approvals, what not, to get docs.

What to expect – Warm greetings. Be polite and ask to take photos. Women often passed but the kids and farm workers loved posing. Sultan Ishkashim gets enough tourists that you won’t turn everyone’s head but kids will stop and stare or maybe even invite you to play football.

How to make it better – The predominant religion in this region is Ishmaili Islam. Their mosques more closely resemble our community centers than religious edifices which showcases the high value this region places on education and development. Bringing school supplies is greatly appreciated and will sometimes be rewarded with elaborate dinners at no extra cost. Also, western medications don’t reach this region unless hand delivered so paracetamol or other store bought remedies are greatly appreciated. Again you may receive a thank you in many forms. Books also go a long way but leave the more advanced literature for yourself. English is not widely spoken but children books would do the trick. Aga Khan is an Ishmaili development organization operating in the area, get in touch with them if you really want to make a splash.

Food/Drink – Tea and bread are common for a meal. Breakfast you can probably score eggs. Dinner, you’ll get potatoes and rice with maybe some meat. The mountain streams are fresh, locals drink direct from them but boiling the water will cut down on the chances of encountering stomach issues.

Travel Infrastructure – the road is bumpy and long but fun to watch this foreign world pass by. It took about eight hours to get to Sargaz. You have to arrange travel through the tourism office and they have a spreadsheet for costs, guides will arrange but it’s transparent.

History – Marco Polo traveled through the Wahkan and there is history aplenty. That being said Tajikistan Wahkan has more intact ruins so stick to that side if that’s your fancy.

Cultural Uniqueness – High. Afghans have a proud unique way of life that is very engaging. The war torn nature of the country has more to do with outside interests e.g. British vs Russian colonization, than an inherent barbaric tendency.

Pro Tips:

• Caravanistan.com is an essential guide for this region. They have a forum with up to date information and suggestions.
• No need to book guesthouses ahead of time. You’ll be taken care of. They don’t have websites anyway.
• Stock up on USD, you can easily get from ATMs in big central Asian cities. Khorog you can withdraw somoni and exchange for USD in banks or at guesthouses.
• You can rent tents and sleeping bags from locals if you don’t have your own.
• No alcohol but one of the guesthouses had mariajuana growing in the compound, so there’s that.
• The Chinese are investing in roads to connect the modern Silk Road so villages will become more connected as time goes on. Good for the locals to access goods but will modernize the region slowly.
• Getting to Sultan Ishkashim first then arranging everything from there can be advantageous. You aren’t pre-committed to costs and allows for you to assess your comfort level. Leave in the morning if you aren’t feeling it or meet with a guide and embark further the next day. Max you lose one day and the nightly charge of the guesthouse, a small loss for gauging your commitment.
• Do it: