‘I will never regret coming': Amid Israel's devastating strikes on Iran, a woman traveling solo had to find her way out

CNN

a day ago

When 24-year-old Ariel Kang Chengxuan went to bed on June 12, she did not expect to wake up in the heart of the latest global conflict. It was the 11th day of her journey through Iran, and Kang, a seasoned Taiwanese traveler, had fallen asleep on a thick dark-red Persian carpet at a homestay in Isfahan, a historic city known for its majestic Persian blue-tiled domes.
While she slept, Israel was carrying out an attack on the heart of Iran's nuclear, missile and military complex, beginning 12 days of intense strikes across the country.
The next day, Kang heard about the airstrikes through online messages from concerned friends. However, life carried on as usual in Isfahan; she says shops and supermarkets were still open, though there were fewer people out on the streets and less traffic. It wasn't until the morning of June 14 that she became fully aware of the severity of the conflict, when she and her host family were sitting on a gigantic mat, watching TV.
'We were so shocked to see the scene of the missile attack. The family who hosted me said that they experienced similar military conflicts last year so there might be a closure of the airport,' she tells CNN.
'I was quite helpless at first hearing about the attack. I was there alone.'
The US, which operates sanctions against Iran, is among several countries that have long warned their citizens to steer clear.
'Do not travel to Iran for any reason,' says the US State Department's Iran travel advisory, citing the risk of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping or arbitrary arrest. But Kang, a Taiwanese passport holder and a dedicated world traveler, was drawn by the beauty and heritage to make Iran the 51st country she'd visited in the past three years.
Since Taiwan does not have formal diplomatic relations with Iran, strangers online suggested she contact the embassy of China, which claims sovereignty over the self-ruled island.
After initially getting no answer, Kang was able to reach the embassy eventually, but the staff there told her an evacuation bus was not yet available.
Logistics aside, Kang says that the military action didn't rattle her.
'I had heard that the target was the Iranian government, instead of the civilians, so I wasn't too worried about my safety,' she says.
Nonetheless, she needed to figure out an exit plan, and fast.
Kang began her solo travels in 2022 when she was a university student. With a part-time job providing the funds, she traveled the world during school breaks.
She says visits to countries like India and Egypt, which she describes as 'unorganized,' helped prepare her for her journey in Iran.
'I love challenges. They create unforgettable and deeply etched memories — ones I will never forget for the rest of my life,' she says.
For her trip to Iran, Kang says she applied for a 15-day visa from a travel agency online, for $15. After seven days she received her visa and paid another $134 when entering the country.
Iran is short on tourist infrastructure, she says, and the public transportation is unreliable.
'Traveling in Iran can be daunting,' she says. 'You need strong nerves to handle everything thrown at you.'
She booked homestays through a couch-surfing website, and in moments of difficulty, she overcame the lack of tourist support by turning to the people around her.
'You need to have the courage to ask others for help,' she says. 'Paradoxically, it was because of the locals who guided me that the experience became profoundly memorable, and the warmth of human connection felt so special.'
Strangers often approached Kang on the street, but she says traveling in similarly challenging countries helped hone her instincts, allowing her to sense who was genuinely friendly.
She says people who didn't speak English would show her the words 'you are my guest' on their phone's translation apps, which she enjoyed.
'Everyone, no matter the young or the old, men or women, they all looked at me on the street … They called me someone from the 'Far East',' she laughs.
An architecture fan, Kang notes it was the beautiful domes that lured her to Isfahan in the first place.
Once one of the most important cities in Central Asia, it was a major stop on the Silk Road, a network of Asian trade routes linking China with the West that was active until the mid-15th century.
Today, Isfahan is home to several UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Masjed-e Jāmé, or Friday Mosque, which the global organization says is the oldest preserved edifice of its type in Iran and a prototype for later mosque designs throughout Central Asia.
'I am in love with the unique color of Persian blue that is used in the mosques,' says Kang. 'I was very touched when I first saw them.'
On June 14, finding the roads blocked, Kang canceled her plans to travel to northern Iran and stayed home playing card games and cooking with her host family. While seated on the carpets woven with Isfahan patterns, they served her bread, tea and traditional Iranian foods, while she treated them to Chinese spicy hotpot, known as malatang, and to milk tea.
That was the last homestay before her long journey out of the country.
In the early morning of June 15, she set off to Tehran by bus. On the way, Kang says a police officer stopped the vehicle for a security check, and she was asked to put on a headscarf.
'Approaching Tehran, I saw black smoke, which scared me,' she says.
Arriving in the Iranian capital at 2 p.m., she jumped from one bus stop to another, seeking help from locals for tickets to the northwestern city of Tabriz.
'I heard sounds of gunfire, and then a lady at the bus stop screamed. I was pretty calm though… I heard gunfire from far away every 10 minutes,' she says.
Although some residents looked frustrated, she says the city was quite calm. During a visit to one restaurant, everyone appeared to be carrying on as normal. However, she says her inability to speak Farsi made it difficult to get a real sense of how people truly felt about the situation.
'Around 50 years ago, this place was known as the 'Little Paris of the Middle East',' she says. 'Now, most people seem to carry a sense of gloom, complaining about the government. Some strike me as highly talented and speak excellent English, yet they feel suppressed by the government and lack the means to travel abroad.'
Kang finally got on a bus departing from Tehran at 10 p.m. and fell asleep. The next morning, she awoke to discover the bus had traveled less than 100 kilometers, caught in congested traffic with masses of people leaving the capital. In total, it took her around 15 hours to arrive in Tabriz.
'I was tired and hungry,' she says, adding that there was no bathroom on board the bus. After a few more struggles due to language barriers, she eventually found another bus to Maku. From there, she was able to take a taxi to the Turkish border. Crossing into Turkey at midnight, it then took another 22 hours to get to Istanbul, where she was able to catch a flight to Taiwan.
'I had never expected to run into a war,' Kang tells CNN. Many of the local Iranians she spoke with during her time in the country, she says, had a negative view of their government and wished to leave, blaming it for the poor economy, which has left ordinary citizens struggling.
In total, her escape from Iran took 104 hours, but she says she wouldn't do things differently. In fact, she says she considers it one of her five top countries.
'I will never regret coming to Iran, despite the conflict,' Kang says. 'The people there are amazing, with great hospitality.'