An Indian solo traveller and content creator, Ankita Kumar, has captured widespread attention after sharing her journey through Afghanistan on Instagram. Her videos, documenting experiences from Taliban checkpoints to conversations with local women, have gone viral.
A Journey Years in the Making
Kumar undertook the trip between May 11 and May 23 after four failed attempts, multiple visa applications, and months of setbacks. She finally entered Afghanistan through a remote land border from Tajikistan, embarking on a solo adventure that took her through Kunduz, Kabul, Bamyan, Band-e-Amir, Ghor, Minaret-e-Jam, Herat, Kandahar, and Mazar-e-Sharif.
“One trip was cancelled because of a family health emergency. Another fell through after my flight was cancelled. The third and fourth attempts were derailed by regional tensions and airspace closures,” Kumar told The Tribune. “By the time I finally got the opportunity, I had only 13 days left on my visa.”
Fifth Time Lucky
Determined not to let another opportunity slip away, she crossed into Afghanistan via a land border from Tajikistan, describing it as being “fifth time lucky.” She recalled, “My heart was in my mouth. If they didn’t allow me into Afghanistan, then what? I couldn’t enter back into Tajikistan either, and I couldn’t even be deported because deported to what?”
Upon crossing, she was met by Mohammad, one of the guides who accompanied her throughout much of the journey. Alongside him, guides Noor and driver Naveed provided support. In Herat, 23-year-old guide Faiqa offered a rare glimpse into the lives of Afghan women.
Encounters with Taliban Officials
Despite traveling through a region often viewed through the lens of conflict, Kumar said she rarely felt abandoned to uncertainty. “I was very well taken care of,” she said. “I had this gut feeling that I’d be okay.”
One memorable moment occurred shortly after she entered Afghanistan. While having lunch, an elderly man joined her table and struck up a conversation. She assumed he was another traveler until she took out her phone to photograph her food. “He suddenly ducked out of the frame. That’s when I realised he was a Talib,” she said. The official appeared curious rather than suspicious, repeatedly asking whether anyone had taken a bribe from her and why she was traveling alone.
Later, she shared tea with around 15 Taliban members. “We had chai, discussed geopolitics, India-Pakistan relations and India-Afghanistan relations,” she recounted.
Conversations with Afghan Women
It was her interactions with Afghan women that left the deepest impression. Among them were women working as guides, educators, and entrepreneurs, including a 21-year-old running an online university serving approximately 12,000 girls.
“They want women to study beyond a certain limit. They want online universities. They want to work as guides. They want to drive,” Kumar said. “These big changes people talk about aren’t where they are right now. They want independence in the ways they can get it.”
Family Secret and Emotional Reunion
Only Kumar’s brother knew of her travel plans. Her parents believed she was extending her stay in Tajikistan. The secret became a recurring theme in her Instagram videos, including one where she held a handwritten placard reading: “Mummy, Papa, I am fine.”
When her parents eventually watched the videos after her return, the reaction was emotional. “They couldn’t talk for almost an hour,” Kumar recalled. “There were tears. My dad came to me and said, ‘You don’t know what you’ve done.’”
Challenging Assumptions
Reflecting on the journey, Kumar said Afghanistan challenged many of her assumptions. “Afghan women are not one entity,” she said. “They’re living a reality we know nothing about. We can empathise, but we can never really feel what it’s like.”
