The videos document my pilgrimage from Indonesia to the African continent by land (no airplane!). The route: 1.) Indonesia: Traveling through Sumatran Mountains and Prehistoric Sites 2.) Malaysia: Meeting with the Aborigines of the Malay Peninsula 3.) Thailand: Tracing the Southeast Asian Ancient Empires 4.) Laos: Experiencing the Lao-China Railway 5.) China: Backpacking the Tibetan Plateau to the Edge of the Silk Road 6.) Kazakhstan: First Contact with the Central Asians 7.) Uzbekistan: Pilgrimage in the Land of the Timurids 8.) Tajikistan: Lost in the Fenn Mountains 9.) Afghanistan: Visiting Afghanistan after the Taliban Takeover 10.) Iran: Surrounded by the Ancient Civilization of Persia 11.) UAE: Short Transit in Futuristic Cities 12.) Saudi Arabia: Pilgrimage in the Holy Land of the Muslims 13.) Jordan: Catching a Glimpse of Jerusalem 14.) Egypt: Ending in the Land of Pharaohs
Curated by: Bang Jago (174 videos)
On the 142nd day, I applied for a permit that I'll need to travel independently (without guide) in Afghanistan. Backpackers like me need to have this permit to pass checkpoints and to enter tourist destinations. This was the procedure to get the permit: 1.) Write and submit a letter to Ministry of Info and Culture (near Dawoodzai shoppong mall): https://maps.app.goo.gl/uHYYcERd2w8Tnb8G8) Building A, 2nd floor room 813. The room number is very important. I was led to a different room by one of the staff and wasted almost 3 hours for nothing. So be sure you enter room 813. The letter is as simple as mentioning your names and the provinces you want to go to. It seems too simple for me but I just followed the example of the previous applicant. As long as it works. The process took almost an hour then you received their signature. 2.) Bring that letter to the next building, 1st floor, I think room 711 (anyway they will direct you this time). And then you will have the letter stamped and registered. 3.) Take a taxi (80-100 Afghani) to Tourism Department to submit that stamped letter. This is the location of the Tourism Department: https://maps.app.goo.gl/PYLG5xYSYAHEhZRw5 Then they will issue you the permit It took me an hour because it was lunch time and needed to wait for the director to come back. So if all the processes were done correctly, I think you can get the permit in just 2 hours Please note that even with this permit, they still suggest me to go to Info and Culture in the provinces we visit, even though they claim it's unnecessary. This is where we have discussion about the 1000 Afghani local permit. They said it's wrong and tourists should not pay. If local provincial officers ask for money, just contact the number on the bottom left corner of the permit. Disclaimer: This was the procedure I did in September 2023. The rules and procedures might have changed and is often does in Afghanistan. Tomorrow I planned to continue my Afghanistan adventure by traveling west to Bamiyan. ___ Stage 1 Route - Sumatra (DONE!): Jakarta - Bandar Lampung - Baturaja - Lahat - Pagar Alam - Bengkulu - Lebong Tandai - Kerinci - Jambi - Kuala Tungkal - Batam - Johor Bahru Stage 2 Route - ASEAN Mainland (DONE!): Johor Bahru - Kuala Tahan - Kota Bharu - Su-Ngai Kolok - Nakhon Si Thammarat - Chaiya - Nakhon Pathom - Bangkok - Nakhon Ratchasima - Phimai - Nong Khai - Vientiane - Vang Vieng - Luang Prabang - Chiang Rai - Chiang Mai - Pai - Chiang Mai - Chiang Rai - Boten - Kunming, China Stage 3 Route - China (DONE!): Kunming - Dali - Lijiang - Shangri-La - Shambala - Litang - Chengdu - Leshan - Chengdu - Xi'an - Zhangye - Jiayuguan - Dunhuang - Turpan - Urumqi - Almaty, Kazakhstan Stage 4 Route - Central Asia (DONE!): Almaty - Shymkent - Tashkent - Nukus - Muynak - Turtkul - Khiva - Bukhara - Samarkand - Tashkent - Khujand - Fann Mountains - Dushanbe - Kunduz, Afghanistan Stage 5 Route - Afghanistan: Kunduz - Samangan - Mazar-i-Sharif - Balkh - Kabul - Bamiyan - Band-e Amir - Yakawlang - Lal - Chagcharan - Herat - Mashhad, Iran *Follow my Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/obeysianipar/) for direct messages **Message me for sponsorship --- Music Credits: And Awaken - Stings by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.