Written by Emma Saletta for Dailymail.Com 22 May 2024 19:33, updated 22 May 2024 19:39
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An American tourist who visited Taliban-controlled Afghanistan shares insight about his experience and also shares three tips for others looking to plan their own visit.
Eli Snyder, 25, from Kansas City, posted a video on TikTok after spending 10 days in Afghanistan in January revealing what tourists need to do to visit the country safely.
In an interview with DailyMail.com, the University of Michigan graduate, who quit his US-based job to travel full-time, explained his motivation for the trip.
“There are several reasons why I wanted to visit Afghanistan. I live for visiting places as different as possible from the environment I grew up in, in suburban America outside of Kansas City. “For some, this means visiting dangerous places, but I’d rather visit Pyongyang than Winnipeg, so that’s true,” he said.
“Afghanistan is repeatedly ranked in the top 10 favorite countries of travelers who have visited every country. I have heard the best things about the hospitality, nature, and food. I plan to visit every country in the world is.”
Backpacker and content creator Eli Snyder, 25, posted a TikTok video on May 20 about the steps travelers need to take to visit Afghanistan. Snyder has created a series of videos about traveling to Afghanistan.
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Snyder wrote in the video’s caption that her trip was “scary” but definitely worth it.
His May 20 video has been viewed more than 1 million times and commented on by more than 75,000 TikTokers.
The backpacker, known for his travel videos, posted three other TikToks this month about his trip to Afghanistan, giving viewers a glimpse of what he saw.
Snyder began documenting his adventures in Afghanistan shortly after entering the country with 22-year-old German tourist Valentin Eckle. He says he’s one of the closest friends he’s made since he started traveling full-time.
During his stay, he visited Kabul, Bamiyan & Band-e-Amir, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Balkh.
The TikTok user, who called his Afghanistan adventure his “most ambitious trip yet” in an Instagram post, wanted to visit the country for multiple reasons.
“Afghanistan is repeatedly in the top 10 favorite countries of travelers everywhere. I’ve heard the best things about the hospitality, nature and food,” he told DailyMail.com.
“Afghanistan is not a country that you visit as a tourist attraction in itself, but a country where you can be immediately inspired by the ups and downs of everyday life that follow you as soon as you step out the door.”
The backpacker revealed that his most memorable moment was crossing the Torkham border with Oeckle.
“We were ordered to leave Afghanistan, walked through a long hallway of barbed wire, and found ourselves alone at the Afghan immigration office,” Snyder wrote.
“We handed our passports over to the Taliban officials, who stamped us in. There was an eerie silence and stillness in that moment, and those three simple words will stay with me forever.”
Snyder spent 10 days in Afghanistan in January with 22-year-old German tourist Valentin Eckl. Baluch Snyder visited Kabul, Bamiyan & Band-e-Amir and Mazar-i-Sharif and described Afghanistan as “a country where you can step out of your front door and be immediately inspired by the ebb and flow of everyday life.”
Snyder generally felt safe during the trip, but there were some “dangerous moments” in Kabul.
“We didn’t have permits, so we were walking to the Ministry of Information and Culture,” he wrote.
“We were arrested and they were severely reprimanded for not having permits, but most of them saw two tourists walking through the streets of Kabul without a guide. I was just curious.”
Although Snyder enjoyed his vacation, he said navigating Afghanistan without a tour guide was difficult.
“The problem is that due to low demand and people willing to pay anything to be safe, guiding fees can run into the thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the budget, so Valentin and I went on our own. ” he wrote.
Despite the fee for a tour guide, Snyder suggested that tourists entering Afghanistan be accompanied by a tour guide.
According to Snyder, “Traveling with a guide opens the door to visiting Afghanistan for women, gays, POC, everyone.” Only the most experienced travelers choose to explore the country without a guide. You should consider traveling. ”
Although Snyder generally felt safe during his trip, he faced challenges during his time in Kabul because he was traveling without a tour guide.
The backpacker, who hasn’t returned to Afghanistan since a 10-day stay in January, would offer up some key tips for anyone planning to visit the country.
One tip Snyder mentioned in a May 20 TikTok is that travelers will need to obtain a visa before leaving the country.
“When the government changed, most Afghan embassies were closed. But there are some Taliban consulates general,” he said in the video.
“The most expensive visa is over $300, while the cheapest is in Peshawar, Pakistan, for just $1,900.”
Once a traveller has a visa, they can fly into Kabul or cross the border overland.
He went on to encourage tourists to cross the Torkham border into the country.
Snyder said in the video that the “most important step” when entering Afghanistan is to make sure they have all their permits, and that if a traveler does not have a permit, he will go to jail. He said it could be sent to.
Snyder has made it clear that he has no plans to slow down on his travels, and that Oeckle will continue to accompany him on future trips.
Travelers can enter Kabul by air or by crossing the border by land. He encouraged tourists to cross the Torkham border.
“We became very close on that trip and I wouldn’t have been comfortable traveling without him,” Snyder wrote.
“We now FaceTime once a week and have trips planned to Germany, Liechtenstein and Syria before the end of the year.”
