For many centuries Yemen has been a magnet for travelers from all over the world, but its gates remained resolutely locked. Isolated from the outside world by its rulers, the Zaidi Imams, and by the reserve and pride of its mountain tribes, the severeign territory of Yemen kept foreigners at bay.

After the revolution and a prolonged civil was, the North relied on its own strength for development. The south, which a few years later threw off the yoke of the British empire, contained to keep its gates locked. Only selected groups were all allowed to travel in South Yemen and then only under strict official supervision.

But suddenly, in May 1990, the situation changed with the long waited but the nevertheless abrupt unification of the consequences of the spectacular development is that whole new areas of Yemen have now been opened up to the tourism, presenting even the more seasoned of Yemen travelers with news and fascinating routes and destination.

How getting there?

By Air: A number of international airlines, in addition to the yemeni airline "Yemenia", fly to Sanaa. The most important ones, apart from Yemenia, are KLM, Lufthansa, Air Egypt, and Indian Airlines. Most flights from Europe are via Paris with Air France, or via Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines, or via Moscow with Aeroflot or with a combined ticket via Sanaa or Aden with Yemenia or Alyemda airlines.

By Sea: Although there is not direct passenger service by boat to Yemen, it is sometimes possible to get a cargo boat from Djibouti to Yemen. Most of the ships dock at either Aden or Hodiedah. While much of the shipping for the northern part of Yemen was traditionally concentrated at Hodiedah, it is now certain that Aden, particularly since it was declared a free trade zone, will become the leading port in the new Republic of Yemen.

By Road: The only overland possibility of entering Yemen is via Saudi Arabia. While this is without problems for Yemenis and those holding Arabic passports, travelers from Europe and the united States often encounter considerable difficulties.

What are travel Essentials?

Visas and passports: The unification of the two Yemens has made things much easier for visitors. Nearly all areas of the country are now accessible. Southern Yemen, to which access was once so restricted, can now be freely explored. Travelers to the Republic of Yemen require a passport that is valid for three months and which does not have an entry stamp for Israel or South Africa. The visa is valid for three months and can be extended, if necessary, in Sanaa. The processing of visa applications is relatively quick and uncomplicated. An application must be submitted in the triplicate and with three passport photos to the relevant consulate or embassy.

Airport transfer:

What other essential information to travelers?

Money matters: There are exchange bureaus in the arrival halls in both Aden and Sanaa. The rates in banks and hotels used to used to bellow those offered by the money exchangers in market. At the time of writing this article the exchange rate is 140 to 1 US$. Up until the end of two months civil war in Yemen between South/North Yemen, there used to be two currencies. Rials in the north and Dinnar in the south Yemen. Traveler's cheque and credit cards are accepted in the major hotels in Sanaa, Taiz, and Aden.

Health: The are not particular immunization requirements for entry. It is necessary to have a yellow fever injection if one has been in an infected area in the previous six days. Malaria pills and a hepatitis injection (e.g. gamma-globulin) are advisable. One should not understatement the effect of the altitude and the strong sun in Yemen;slow acclimatization and a protective sun lotion will help. As many countries the rule for nay raw fruit, vegetables and salad is:peel it, cook it, or leave it alone, This rule should also be observed in the restaurants. The drinking water is not always of the best quality; in some places, for instance, in Sharhara, it occasionally taken from cisterns. It is advisable to purify the water with sterilizing tablets or a filter. Even simpler is buying the bottled mineral water which is available in sufficient quantities and is of good quality.

Customs and culture: Yemen is a strict Islamic country very conscious of its traditions. Culture and customs are today still guided by this tradition. Most noticeable for foreigner is undoubtedly the daily use of the natural stimulate qat. It determines the entire day, and even the traveler is not immune from its effects. The best recommendation is that, while not chewing it oneself, it is best to adjust to this habit. TO try and persuade a Yemeni to give up qat, to postpone taking it or to reduce it, would certainly be a wasted effort.

The Yemenis have a concept of time which is a completely alien to a Western visitors. The fact that there are no clock anywhere in public places indicates that one won't get very far with western nations. The day is not divided into hours and minutes, but into mornings, lunchtimes, and evenings. Arrangements for meeting such as "around 2pm in the hotel lobby" mean in effect sometime between lunch and dinner. Most wrist-watches work by Arabic not European time.

Eating manners in Yemen are clear: the left hand is considered unclean and taboo, one eats only with the right hand. The left can be used for breaking off bread of meat pieces. One washes one's hands before and after a meal. No cutlery is used except in the hotels.A foreigner or friend is often given the best pieces of meat at a meal. It would be an insult to the hot to refuse these. If one is really full-up, one gets up saying "all hamdulli lah", goes to the tap and washes one's hands. In one is seated on the floor while eating, one doesn't show the soles of one's feet to the person opposite. Dress should confirm to the moral sensitive of the Yemenis. Shorts for men are just as ridiculous as wearing the country's traditional clothes.

Alcohol: Since the unification as well as the two months civil war of 1994, there has been certain amount of confusion concerning the consumption of liquor in Yemen. In the south, the sale of liquor was allowed, and in Aden there was the Serra Brewery, whose beer used to be sold/purchased quite normally in the hotels in Aden and the Hadramout. There was even a duty-free shop in Aden which sells all kinds of liquor for hard currency. However, the struct Moslem force of North Yemen closed down the beer factory in Aden. However, in Sanaa, alcohol can be purchased only at bars of the Sheraton and Hadda Ramada Hotels. Basically, the visitor should remember that drinking alcohol in public is not the done thing and should be avoided.

Climate: Yemen has basically thre climatic zones.In the mountain region there are steep tempreture diference of as much as 20 dgree. In the winter months especially, the tempreture can reach clost to zero when ther is a strong wind. Stong rain during the small monsoon (March/April) and the summer mansoon (July-Spetember) makes walks and drivers away from the tarmac roads almost impossible. The climate in the desert area around Marib and in the Hadramout is dry and hot. During the rainy season especaially, the rivers from the mountain region run underground in the sand sesert.

Where to stay hotels:

In Sanaa-

Sheraton hotel telephone 237-500/1/2/3

Taj Shbahotel tekephone 272-372

Hadah Ramada 215-214/5

Al-Rawdah Palace 340-226/7

Dar Al-Hamd telephone 74864/5

AL-Mukha telephone 72242

Al Iskandar telephone 72330

 

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