What happens when a traveller, that too a solo female traveller from India, decides to visit one of the world’s most controversial countries? Indian travel content creator Sharanya Iyer (@trulynomadly) travelled solo through Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, documenting her fascinating journey. She just not explored the country’s dramatic mountains, she also met locals to understand their culture, tradition and ancient heritage. Her journey has since sparked a debate online. While many praised her for the brave nuance, others questioned whether tourism in Afghanistan indirectly legitimises the Taliban regime.The video “Do ordinary people deserve to be punished?” Iyer wrote in an emotional post along with her travel reel. The question resonated with thousands of people. In another reel she shared on her profile, she says, “This is no country for women”.She asks another hard-hitting question, “If a country’s government is fundamentally broken, do its citizens deserve to be economically starved by the rest of the world?”Though she acknowledged that boycotting a country may appear to be taking a rational decision, now after spending time in the country she believes the reality is far more complex.As per Iyer, while governments make policies, it is often ordinary citizens like tour guides, drivers, restaurant owners and artisans bear the economic consequences. Such bans hurt local economies.A country beyond the headlines Iyer made it clear that her trip was not meant to romanticise Afghanistan or overlook its ongoing human rights crisis. In interviews after returning to India, she emphasised that Afghanistan’s treatment of women remains heartbreaking and that Afghan women continue to face several restrictions like on education and employment, which is a basic human right. But she says that she met some awesome people who opened their house doors and welcomed her. She was invited for meals. Others asked for help obtaining visas or finding opportunities abroad.Visiting one of the world’s most difficult destinationsHer journey was not an ordinary trip.
@trulynomadly
She flew from New Delhi to Kabul in November 2025. She reached Kabul on Kam Air, an Afghan airline, alongside a cabin filled mostly with Afghan locals. Because of strict rules and regulations on foreign visitors, tourists are required to travel with an authorised local guide. The person is responsible for arranging permits and everything.Her itinerary mostly had architectural landmarks and archaeological heritage. She went on exploring the valley of Bamiyan in the Hindu Kush mountains and then went to see the empty niches where the world’s tallest Buddha statues once stood. The statue was destroyed by the Taliban in 2021. She also visited Panjshir Valley, Ghazni and Kandahar.The 12-13-day trip cost her approximately ₹2.1 lakh, an amount that covered flights, accommodation, meals, fuel, and entry tickets. Because she was filming her journey, she hired a private guide and driver.The whole journey required multiple security checkpoints and showing of documents. As per Iyer, these challenges make Afghanistan ideal only for experienced travellers who understand the risks.“This isn’t about defending the regime. Acknowledging the deep hypocrisy in global travel habits does not minimise, excuse or ignore the severe, heartbreaking daily oppression that Afghan women are facing,” she wrote.Ethical tourism
After returning from her Afghanistan journey, she asks one question: “should travellers completely avoid countries with oppressive governments, or can responsible tourism help ordinary citizens?”“I was there. I saw. I spoke. I learnt,” she wrote. But clearly, there’s no definitive answer to the question.Sources: Sharanya Iyer (@trulynomadly) Instagram post; UN reports and international coverage on women’s rights in Afghanistan.
