A Winter Day in Kabul: Life Under Taliban Rule

Let’s set the stage: this isn’t going to be your typical travel guide for Afghanistan.

The internet is already flooded with those.

Instead, this post will delve into my personal impressions and viewpoints on the country under Taliban governance.

When I told my friends that I was going to visit Afghanistan, they said I was nuts. “There are terrorists,” some of them said. “You will not be safe,” others remarked.

In my mind, I thought: “This will be an incredible experience.

Not many people can say they’ve visited a country governed by a terrorist regime.”

Despite my outward optimism, I must admit I felt a bit anxious.

Preparing for Afghanistan

Before you pack your bags for Afghanistan, there’s one crucial thing to remember: you can’t just show up at the border and expect to get a visa.

You’ll need to plan ahead and secure a visa from one of the embassies or consulates that issue them. It’s important to do your homework since the locations where you can get a visa tend to shift every year.

My own journey took me to Pakistan, where I found two places that could issue the necessary paperwork.

When you start digging into the process online, you’ll quickly see that experiences vary widely.

And that’s totally okay – the process isn’t one-size-fits-all. For me, it took 2 days and $90 to get my visa squared away.

Remember, your passport is essential throughout this process, as they’ll need to make a copy of it.

Does Your Nationality Matter?

The Taliban regime claims to welcome everyone, but don’t be misled by the propaganda.

Israeli passport holders should reconsider visiting.

The atmosphere has been tense since the start of Israel’s conflict with Gaza, leading to a less than favorable view of Israeli visitors.

Another significant consideration is for women travelers.

Local laws mandate that women cannot travel alone and must be accompanied by a male family member.

My observation suggests that it’s best for women to avoid traveling here under these restrictions.

For those planning to visit multiple regions, be aware that you must obtain separate permits for each area.

Each permit costs $10.

The permit application process can be cumbersome to handle alone.

Thankfully, there are local fixers who can assist with the process for a fee. It’s advisable to arrange for their services before arriving in Afghanistan.

Although not required, hiring a local guide is strongly recommended for those wishing to explore the country more extensively.

A guide can greatly simplify your journey, particularly in obtaining permits to visit areas that might be new to you.

A local guide will also offer advice on where photography is allowed, recommend places to eat, and highlight areas to avoid, among other tips. 

For those who prefer to handle the permit application process on their own, this blog post offers essential advice and support.

The Road to the Border

From the outset, I want to clarify that I did not follow the usual route for entering Afghanistan, which typically involves flying directly to Kabul.

Instead, I traveled to Peshawar, a Pakistani city near the Afghanistan border.

As you continue reading, you will discover why this decision was a mistake.

When I mention that Peshawar is near the border, I may be stretching the truth slightly. The distance to the Torkham border crossing is approximately 25 miles (40 km).

I paid 4,100 Pakistani Rupees, roughly $15 including a tip, for a cab ride to this location.

Unfortunately, my driver’s English was limited, but I was fond of his jacket, which had “Jeep” written on it.

Naturally, his car was a Toyota.

More precisely, a Toyota Corolla with a cracked windshield.

The driver explained the cracked windshield: “Kids… Ball.”

When I began asking questions about Afghanistan, my driver assured me, “Afghanistan very good now… very good.” 

I expected the trip to the border to take about half an hour, but that was far from reality.

It took two hours, partly due to the poor condition of the road and partly because traffic intensified as we approached the border.

The road was cluttered with dilapidated cars moving at a snail’s pace and other vehicles that generously merit the term “vehicles.” At one point, I considered abandoning the car and walking, as it seemed faster.

One important piece of advice: Do not dare to use the toilets at the border crossing. I will not elaborate further on this topic.

I mentioned earlier that crossing the border on foot was a mistake, and not just because of the restroom facilities. The border had been closed for a week prior to my arrival.

Speaking with locals, I realized I was fortunate. The timing and duration of border closures are unpredictable, occurring without notice.

You could find yourself waiting for days for it to reopen.

So do yourself a favor and choose to fly directly to Kabul International Airport if you want to travel to Afghanistan.

The Border Crossing

I could easily write a book about the border crossing. Imagine 50,000 people, some carrying goats, chickens, and various kinds of produce.

Despite the temperature being close to freezing, the smell was far from pleasant. One can only imagine the intensity of the odor in the summer.

I abstained from snapping photos at the border, thanks to a “No Photography” sign that had seen better days, and the persuasive presence of some “gentlemen” sporting AKs.

Between you and me, nothing says “please respect this sign” quite like a couple of AK-47s.

I waited for about 50 minutes to cross the border, which was fortunate since the usual wait time is 6 hours for locals.

All I had to do to speed this up was hold my passport high in the air, and the local police picked me out.

When they found out I was a tourist, they escorted me to the border crossing.

The crossing took 10 minutes, and the questioning lasted 70 minutes. The first question was about the amount of money I had on me. I told them I had $1,600.

They informed me that this was not acceptable. I would be allowed to enter Afghanistan with a maximum of $1,000.

I was escorted to an exchange office to convert $600 into the local currency.

From what I could tell, I could enter Afghanistan with tons of their local currency but only 1,000 in dollars or euros, as dollars and euros are considered equivalent in their view.

It seems their money laundering laws need an update—if they have any.

After that, they started to verify every document I had. Verification meant visually inspecting them to decide if they were fake.

They also examined my camera and mentioned that if it was smaller, i wouldn’t be allowed in the country. It seems small cameras are not allowed because they can be concealed. This didn’t make any sense to me.

The Taliban regime is not recognized, so they don’t have access to any kind of database in order to run checks on you.

After this checkpoint, I was stopped again at another checkpoint, and then again, and again.

Interestingly, most of their questions were what I had been asked at the previous checkpoint. It seems there’s not much trust among them here.

At every checkpoint, I was kept in a “waiting room” until they figured out if my papers were real or not. This waiting room is basically a stable, although calling it a stable would greatly elevate its status.

At the border crossing, I also saw a 10-year-old being beaten by the guards because he was trying to smuggle contraband from Afghanistan into Pakistan.

After a couple more checkpoints, it became clear that trust is a scarce commodity here.

At the last checkpoint, no one cared who I was or why I was there.

They just wanted to know which checkpoint personnel I had bribed and how much I had given them.

I must admit that after all this, I was welcomed into the country by a Taliban representative who was very well-dressed and spoke flawless English.

Stupid Questions Asked at Checkpoints

Keep in mind that the majority of the Taliban you will encounter at the checkpoints are not educated or have a very limited education. So, being asked strange questions is normal. Here are a few of those:

  • Why are you a tourist when there is nothing to see in this country?
  • Why are you a Christian?
  • Is Obama your president?

Kabul

After crossing into Afghanistan, I met with my guide who drove me to Kabul.

I arrived in Kabul at night and checked into the “Central Hotel.”

I paid about 50 dollars for the room in the local currency.

This hotel was advertised as a 4-star establishment, but it felt more like a 2-star hotel.

What I found intriguing was the hotel’s main entrance. In fact, there are two doors, both constructed from reinforced metal.

Between the two doors stands an armed guard, and the second door is equipped with a bulletproof window.

In the hotel lobby, I engaged in small talk with a Bulgarian man who, like myself, was visiting the country for the first time. He was unnerved by an encounter with the Taliban police on the street.

He mentioned that he was speaking to his wife on the phone in Bulgarian when he was stopped and questioned about why he was speaking “the language of the infidels.” It took him 20 minutes to explain that Bulgarian is not the language of infidels.

Note to self: Avoid speaking unfamiliar languages on the street to prevent being mistaken for an infidel.

The first place I visited in Kabul was the “Bird Market,” historically known for, as you might guess, selling birds among other items.

At first glance, there seemed to be no birds for sale. When I inquired about the absence of birds, I received a brief response: “Winter.”

However, I did find chicken in the form of nuggets, so I guess that counts.

A word of advice: Always have your permits at hand wherever you go. Don’t leave them at the hotel, as you may encounter local police who will request to see them.

Just when I wasn’t expecting to see any birds for sale, I turned into a street that was all about birds.

So, I began taking pictures here and there.

While photographing a random house, my guide informed me that taking pictures of this particular house was not allowed.

He explained that there are no explicit rules about where you can take photos.

However, he mentioned that the Taliban prohibit tourists from photographing houses and businesses previously owned by the Hazara population.

When I inquired why, my guide explained that the Hazara practice a different kind of Islam, a softer version where women have more freedom.

The Taliban do not allow this and try to erase every mention of them, including banning photographs of such places.

How a tourist is supposed to know where photography is allowed and where it is not is beyond me.

I was expecting the market to be filled with chickens and the like, but instead, there were many parrots and pigeons.

My guide explained that Afghan people use parrots as a way to decorate their homes.

This made sense to me; when you cannot display paintings inside your house because depicting living beings is forbidden in Islam, the next best thing is to have the actual beings inside your house.

Birds are beautiful, small, and do not require many resources since you can feed them almost anything, making them a practical option.

This was surprising to me.

Had you asked me about the Afghan people, I wouldn’t have guessed they were so fond of birds, especially parrots.

After a while, I realized what was missing: women. There were no women in the market, not a single one. Usually, in Muslim countries, women are rarely seen in markets, but they are present.

Here, they were absent. When I asked my guide about it, he made the universal gesture for silence. So, I listened.

Exploring More of Kabul

Like any tourist, I decided to visit the Gardens of Babur. My guide assured me that the gardens are exceptionally beautiful in the summer.

However, during winter, their charm diminishes, and the lack of visitors can make one feel as if they are exploring a vast mausoleum.

My guide shared that the garden has been destroyed several times, the last being in 1996 when the Taliban set fire to the entirety of the gardens. Fortunately, the Afghan people have rebuilt it each time.

It’s worth noting that my guide, who belongs to the Hazara population, holds no fondness for the Taliban and never misses an opportunity to criticize them.

Since the gardens offered little to see, we decided to grab a bite.

My guide took me to Barg Fast Food, where everything on the menu was promoted as a “Big Deal.”

For context, 70 AFN is approximately 1 USD.

The experience felt like any other fast-food joint worldwide, except for the moment when a man casually entered and slid an AK-47 under the table before proceeding to order some kebab. Understandably, I ceased taking photos.

After our meal, I visited the Tomb of King Zahir Shah, which appeared very appealing in online photos. In person, however, it didn’t live up to expectations.

It seems the Taliban regime is not interested in spending money to preserve this site, but I still found it to be a visit worthy of note.

Are the Taliban Friendly?

You might wonder, “Are the Taliban friendly towards tourists?”

Surprisingly, the answer leans towards yes, but it’s not exactly by choice. My guide shared some interesting insights on this.

He mentioned that the higher-ups, or the big boss of the Talibans, have ordered their members to show friendliness towards foreigners.

The reason?

It’s all part of a strategy.

The Taliban want their regime to be recognized by other countries, and treating every foreign visitor well is seen as a step towards achieving that goal.

Are Afghan People Happy Under the Taliban Regime?

The short answer?

No.

But the long answer is a bit more nuanced.

My guide shed some light on this complex issue. Since the 1970s, much of Afghanistan has been engulfed in constant warfare.

For some Afghans, war is all they’ve ever known. Interestingly, the only period of peace they’ve experienced began when the Taliban reclaimed power.

So, while the majority of Afghans may not support the Taliban regime, there’s a certain appreciation for the peace it has brought to their daily lives.

It’s a complicated situation.

Did I Feel Safe in Kabul?

Absolutely, yes. It might be hard to believe, but the streets of Kabul felt safer to me than those in almost all the capitals of the so-called civilized world.

There’s a sense of order that might not be immediately apparent, but it’s definitely there, making one’s stay surprisingly secure.

What’s the Opinion of Regular Afghan People About Americans?

You might think that regular Afghan people harbor animosity towards Americans.

However, that assumption is not accurate. The majority of individuals I have spoken to share a common sentiment: profound disappointment.

They are perplexed by the Americans’ actions—building commendable roads only to abruptly depart.

Most Afghans do not view the departure itself as negative; rather, it’s the manner in which it was executed that bothers them.

An Afghan individual suggested, “They should have negotiated first with the Taliban, then gradually withdrawn over a five-year period.”

It seems the term “shitshow” is not part of the Afghan lexicon.

Attempting to visit other regions proved to be impossible

No, I wasn’t stopped by the Taliban, but as soon as we ventured outside the city, the weather worsened significantly.

In case you’re unaware, more than 75% of Afghanistan is mountainous.

The roads turned into a vast ice rink, making further travel impossible. When I inquired about how long it would take for an ice removal crew to clear the roads and make them safer, my guide burst into laughter.

There aren’t any.

To make matters worse, the snow chains on the car broke. Naturally, the car was equipped with summer tires.

We decided to quit and head back to Kabul. The risk was just too high.

Being stuck in the Afghan mountains was no laughing matter.

Final Words

Avoid visiting Afghanistan during the winter. It’s challenging to truly experience the country under those conditions. I had arranged with my guide to return in the summer.

However, a few days ago, I received a message from him.

He informed me that the Taliban had prohibited him from guiding foreigners.

Therefore, if I decide to visit, I’ll have to find a new guide.

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Author
Sorin Susanu
Sorin, the primary writer for this site, launched it in 2019 as a hobby and a means to refine his English. With a passion for travel ignited by a trip to Italy at age twelve, Sorin has been exploring the world and sharing his adventures ever since.