Women in the Wakhan Valley!

[Johanna Higgs]

Hi there guys!


So I am an anthropologist and a writer and I am wanting to travel to the Wakhan Valley to try and so some interviews with Wakhan women, Im interested in writing about how life is for women living in the Wakhan.

Does anyone have any thoughts or ideas about where I might be able to find someone, preferably a female, that speaks english and would be able to help me meet women and be able to translate?

Also, any tips on the current security situation would be very welcome and also what would be the cheapest and safest way to get from the Wakhan valley to Kabul?


Thanks!

[bwv812]

Are you talking about the Tajik side, or the Afghan side? Experiences on each side will be quite different, and the Wakhan Valley extend substantially further on the Afghan side.

[Johanna Higgs]

Are you talking about the Tajik side, or the Afghan side? Experiences on each side will be quite different, and the Wakhan Valley extend substantially further on the Afghan side.

Hi there!

So I would be interested in both, though I was specifically talking about on the Afghan side. Though any thoughts on the Tajik side would be very welcome as well.

[steven]

Hi Johanna,

I posted your question on Twitter - no reply sadly. One person I know who really knows the Wakhan is Matthieu Paley. I think the Afghan Analysts Network might also be a good place for you to start asking. Someone recently posted a recommendation for a guide (he is a man, though) that they liked - you can contact him.

http://caravanistan.com/forum/viewtopic ... 273#p12124

Good luck!

[Johanna Higgs]

Thank you very much for your thoughts and advice!

[Johanna Higgs]

Also, any thoughts on getting between the Wakhan and Kabul?

[steven]

I would not want to advise on that. You need an expert opinion. From what I hear, I personally would not attempt any overland travel in Afghanistan atm.

[seysearles]

Hi there guys!


So I am an anthropologist and a writer and I am wanting to travel to the Wakhan Valley to try and so some interviews with Wakhan women, Im interested in writing about how life is for women living in the Wakhan.

Does anyone have any thoughts or ideas about where I might be able to find someone, preferably a female, that speaks english and would be able to help me meet women and be able to translate?

Also, any tips on the current security situation would be very welcome and also what would be the cheapest and safest way to get from the Wakhan valley to Kabul?


Thanks!

Hi Johanna, we were recently in the Wakhan Valley and befriended the family running Hanis Guest House in Ishkashim. The daughter - Anisa - speaks pretty good English and I am sure would be able to help you. They are very nice people. We had no problem whatsoever with safety. It felt very safe to me.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Rev ... vince.html

[Johanna Higgs]

Thank you very much for the tip, it is much appreciated!

[bwv812]

Things should be fairly easy on the Tajik side. Thanks to the Aga Khan, the AKDN, and the University of Central Asia, there are lots of educated, English-speaking Pamiris in the Tajik pamir. You could probably arrange the hire of an interpreter through PECTA or the University, and I suspect you might be able to find someone willing to join you in Afghanistan through those avenues as well.