Nolan Saumure, a 28-year-old CanadianYouTuber, walked into Afghanistan from Pakistan last summer.
At one point he meets some girls playing outside.
They’re mostly men sometimes traveling in groups on boys' trips.
(He had previously visitedChernobyl.)
When he returned in 2023, he was imprisoned by the Taliban for several months.
He claims he was treated well, watching movies and playing Xbox with members.
“It was a good setup,” he says in a video.
“Basically, I was chilling.”
Routledge didn’t respond to a request for comment.
“F*@K the Media: I Went to AFGHANISTAN!”
one traveler titled his video; another clip is called “Afghanistan is NOT What You Think!”
Some show beautiful mountains and mosques and detail warm interactions with locals.
“He didn’t respond to a request for an interview.
In January, two Americans were freed in a prisoner swap for a Taliban member.
But he still witnessed the country’s deep-rooted issues.
“It’s a delicate subject.
That figure jumped to 37% for respondents under 30.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture didn’t respond to my request for comment.
Several tourism companies and travel agencies have popped up to help eager travelers navigate the country.
Some researchers worried at the time that the content could help soften the group’s image.
She thinks travel vloggers should show both the country’s beauty and its oppression.
Patsalis tells me she made a point to seek out women on her trip.
He tells me he’s traveling toNorth Koreanext month.
“To be the best, you sometimes have to push the boundaries,” he says.
“Everyone wants to see it, and not many people go there.”
(He says he learned to tell by looking at their clothing and asking his guide.)
He says that while he was apprehensive, he found the Taliban members to be shockingly friendly.
“They’re outwardly very kind that’s how they gain your trust,” he tells me.
He says it’s a reminder that “a government and its people are two different things.”
The videos also fill a gap in traditional travel journalism.
“I see nothing wrong with videos about less visited parts of the world,” Frommer tells me.
“I find value in looking at what daily life is like.”
For now, Afghanistan isn’t overrun with selfie sticks at landmarks and TikTokers crowding local restaurants.
But then how many eager backpackers will follow in their footsteps to make their own content?
Amanda Hooveris a senior correspondent at Business Insider covering the tech industry.
She writes about the biggest tech companies and trends.
