“You should not travel to Afghanistan,” says the UK government. “The security situation is volatile.
“If you are a British national and you are detained, you could face months or years of imprisonment.”
But Anthony Macfarlane is a man on a mission, eager to distance himself from the stigma attached to some of the world’s most hostile countries.
Following a five-day excursion to North Korea in March, the 31-year-old from Dover took arguably an even bolder step by travelling to the Middle Eastern country for eight days earlier this month.
His voyage came despite a UN report in May finding Afghan women are being denied the opportunity to work, unable to access services without a male relative, while girls are being deprived of an education.
Afghanistan was also ranked the world’s third worst country when it comes to enforcing the rule of law – sitting behind only Venezuela and Cambodia – following a study by the World Justice Project in 2024.
Such issues have been said to have worsened since the Taliban regained control in August 2021, following the withdrawal of US and Nato forces.
However, keen to “see through the headlines”, former Canterbury College pupil Anthony says the trip was “the best experience of my life”.
After flying from Heathrow to Dubai, he landed at Kabul International Airport after receiving his solo visa from tour company Let’s Go Afghanistan.
The social media content creator said: “I was super nervous about going because I was on my own and, of course, there are stories about detainment.
“But the main reason I went was to see through the headlines and discover what it was about.
“The best way to travel is to go to countries without having preconceptions.
“There’s a lot of history in Afghanistan which people don’t realise because of the war.
“Things like the Silk Road went through Afghanistan while Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great went there, so I knew there was a lot to see and find out about.”
The holidaymaker says he was joined by one tour guide and one car driver throughout his eight days, including trips to Herat, Bamyan and Mazar-i-Sharif.
Commuting in a Toyota Corolla – of which Anthony insists there are thousands across the country – he says the trip cost him about £1,200 and saw him faced with temperatures as high as 42C.
The keen skateboarder – who only saw a handful of Westerners during his stay – says the culture difference remains vast.
He said: “The country lives under Sharia law so women can’t go into parks, for example.
“One thing at the forefront of our minds from the outside is women not being educated and that is something which is going on.
“You also see a lot of men working rather than women, which is something which wouldn’t happen in the UK.
“Most roles are performed by men from cabin crew to airport check-in, so your daily interaction is with them.
“But there were a few shops where you can buy trinkets and they’re run by women who you can speak to.
“Some are fully covered up, whereas others have their face showing, so it’s very conservative, but that’s why I chose not to disturb them.
“So I did feel as though I wasn’t in a Western country and in a completely different world at times.”
However, despite the differing culture, Anthony says his conversations with the Taliban were both engaging and well-intentioned from both sides.
He added: “I interacted with the Taliban because there are checkpoints everywhere, but I didn’t have any fear of being detained – I was a tourist who stuck to the rules and had a good time.
“The Taliban I met were courteous and kind, while the people were friendly.
“My guide and driver were really casual, spoke perfect English and were lovely guys.
“My first interaction at a mosque was with someone from the Taliban, but we sat and had tea and had a laidback conversation – and that happened a lot.
“My confidence grew as the days went on. I made sure I didn’t film women or the military.
“But I genuinely could not have felt safer and had next to no issues.”
During his trip, Anthony was surprised to discover some of the food habits across Afghanistan – which sees a majority of residents follow the Sunni interpretation of Islam.
“The food was amazing and some of the best I have had in any country”, he explained. “They eat very big portions and I actually struggled to keep up as a lot was lamb, kebabs, bread and yoghurt.
“They have an abundance of fresh fruit though like melons, cherries and apricots.
“Obviously there’s no alcohol there, so it was mainly water, chai tea and coffee. But people do like energy drinks a lot.
“There was a Pizza Hut and a place called London Pizza, but there were no McDonald’s.
“I had no idea they were super into cricket either as they played it a lot.”
The popularity of homegrown family markets instead of a reliance on supermarkets was something the Folkestone Road resident says he thinks the UK could learn a lot from.
Anthony, who has visited 25 countries in total, continued: “In terms of day-to-day, the people are very into farming and everyone seems to have some sort of business going on – even things we don’t have anymore like shoe repairing in the markets.
“Things like that which we seem to have left behind here were interesting as you could buy custom-made sandals on the side of the street.
“I also bought full Afghan clothing out of respect and had it custom-made, which was done within a couple of hours and was super cheap.
“So when you think of Afghanistan, you picture all the news reports of soldiers being there with it being dusty but it’s not like that.
“Regardless of beliefs, government or region, it’s the social interactions you have with ordinary people which make a trip special.
“And this was probably the best experience of my life.”
Although, of course, if Anthony were a woman, it would have been a very different trip.
About 691 tourists visited Afghanistan in 2021, rising to 2,300 the following year and 7,000 in 2023, according to the Associated Press.
Anthony says he has no doubt this rise is due to the country wanting to improve its global image.
“As far as I’m aware, they want tourism and to promote the country as being safe,” he said.
“So whilst I can’t speak for the Taliban, I do think they want to be recognised on the world stage.
“Of course, when you land there are American helicopters and Humvees, so you can still see evidence America was there, but after many years of war I believe Afghanistan wants peace.”
