Afghanistan Adventure: Dust, Mountains and Buzkashi

Article by James Merriman

Travelling with Lupine Travel means stepping far beyond the usual tourist trail, and my recent trip through Afghanistan was one of the most eye-opening trips I have ever taken.

The moment we touched down in Kabul, the mountains surrounding the city really stood out. Ahad, our guide, was waiting at arrivals and made us feel at home straight away. Not long after, we were already dressed in Afghan clothes and heading out to see the city.

The trip took us across several very different regions of the country. In Herat, we walked through busy bazaars and visited the spectacular Blue Mosque with its dazzling mosaics. At the ancient citadel, we ended up kicking a football around with one of the armed guards, which was probably not something any of us expected before arriving in Afghanistan.

From there, we travelled deep into the mountains towards Bamiyan. The drive itself was incredible, with huge river valleys and snow-covered peaks extending into the distance. One of the highlights was visiting Band-e Amir National Park, where frozen blue lakes meet towering cliffs in complete silence. Standing beneath the empty niches of the destroyed Bamiyan Buddhas was also a powerful moment and a sign of the country’s complex recent history.

When our internal flight north was cancelled, things became even more adventurous. Instead of flying, we went on a fourteen-hour overland drive to Mazar-e-Sharif across rough mountain roads and through multiple checkpoints. It was tiring, but it also gave us a far deeper look at daily life across the country.

The absolute highlight of the trip came in Mazar-e-Sharif, where we attended a traditional Buzkashi match. Hundreds of locals packed into the stadium while over a hundred horsemen battled below on a grassless pitch.

The game itself was total chaos in the best possible way. Riders fought to grab a heavy leather sack before racing through huge clouds of dust to score points inside a painted circle. Horses crashed together while the crowd yelled from the stands. At times, it looked more like a medieval battle than a sporting event.

Beyond the landscapes and the adrenaline, what stayed with me most was the kindness of the Afghan people. Everywhere we travelled, locals stopped to shake hands, ask questions and welcome us into their country. On our final evening in Kabul, a stranger quietly paid for our entire group dinner before disappearing back into the crowd with a smile. Afghanistan is certainly not an easy destination, but travelling there with experienced local guides offered an unforgettable insight into a country that most people only ever see through headlines. For me, it was the combination of rugged scenery, deep history and true human warmth which made the journey so rewarding.

—

Read the full itinerary and join Lupine on our next departure: Afghanistan Tours

James Merriman is a travel writer, photojournalist, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and traveller to over 150 countries, who lives in Devon. He loves exploring and writing about the world’s landscapes, cuisines and cultures.
Visit www.jamesmerriman.co.uk and follow James on Instagram: @mezzarino