Yemen Things to Do

  SOCOTRA ISLAND
by Ekahau
 
  • SOCOTRA ISLAND
      SOCOTRA ISLAND
    by Ekahau
  • Qalansiyah
      Qalansiyah
    by Ekahau
  • Diksam Plateau
      Diksam Plateau
    by Ekahau
  • Socotri girl
      Socotri girl
    by Ekahau
  • SOCOTRA ISLAND
      SOCOTRA ISLAND
    by Ekahau
 
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Socotra

by MichaelFalk1969

Socotra is a beautiful, sparsely populated island off the Yemeni coast with great beaches, lots of marine life, rugged landscapes, very unusual vegetation (the mushroom-like dragonblood trees), and plenty of vultures. We only had a week there, so the highlights of our itinerary are meant just a suggestion, but you should see: - the Diksam Plateau- the Homhill Plateau- Arher Beach- the giant dunes near Shona- Qualanisya Beach & Detwah Lagoon- Shoab BeachThere are two Yemenia flights a week going to Socotra (to the airport near the main village of Hadibo). Hadibo has a few small hotels and enough shops to provide you with the basic tourist necessities. Apart from Hadibo, there are practically no hotels, so a tent and sleeping bag are necessary equipment. It is necessary to hire a 4WD + driver via an agency, which can be rather cheap if the costs are shared (roughly 10.000 Rial per day per...

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Aden

by MichaelFalk1969

I must admit Aden was only a stopover for half a day and we only got a superficial impression at best. What we saw was not spectacular, though. The setting against the backdrop of volcanic mountains looks great (as a friend of mine put it: "Aden is like Cape Town without the sights & without the crime"), but the socialist architecture doesn`t, few real "sights", rather boring all in all. In the Tawhila quarter "Littler Ben" (a clock tower from colonial times) makes a good viewing point.

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"Little Ben" in Aden-Tawhila

by MichaelFalk1969

While Aden is decidedly unspectacular, this little clock tower - ironically called "Little Ben" - was built in 1890 by the British, destroyed in the Civil Wars, and then rebuilt in 2002. It is on a hill in the Tawhila Quarter in Aden and the site also offers a great view on the harbour and the Tawhila district against the backdrop of volcanic mountains.

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The Chicago of the Middle East

by Freja1981

Shibam is a city in the Hadramaut region and is known as the chicago of the Middle East due to its buildings. All the buildings are made of mud bricks and some of them are 200 years old. The rise 5 to 9 stories high and was built to protect residents from Bedouin attacks. It is an amazing place to spend a couple of hours and the buildings provide shade in the at times 50 o warm desert.The city is on the UNESCOs list of cultural heritage.

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Weddings

by Freja1981

In Yemen weddings are one of the strangest things you will ever come across. It is the highlight of any family and visitors are welcome (if invited..dont partycrash!) The weddings in Yemen are held at seperate locations for the bride and groom. The groom's party is male only and is a lot of traditional dancing and showing of infront of the village..and most importantly..remember to bring your Kalashnikov rifle or you will be the odd one out!The female wedding is held in a big auditory where the bride is put on a pedistale in one end looking pretty all evening kissing her female guests as the approach her. All the guest dance local Yemeni dancing whilst chewing qat and the band (male) is isolated in a nearby room where they sit for them selves without contact to the women. If you want to bring presents dont expect a lot of gratitude cause the bride dosnt see them untill the next day and...

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Sanaa

by MichaelFalk1969

Sanaa is the historic capital of Yemen with a fabulous Old Town (UNESCO world heritage monument), at an altitude of roughly 2000 m, surrounded by mountains. It is said that Sanaa dates back at least 2500 years, maybe more. Before Yemen reunification in 1990, it was capital of the North Yemen. The main attraction of Sanaa is the architecture of the Old Town. The old houses resemble skyscrapers and show lots of beautiful details, especially the pretty stained-glass-windows. It is nevertheless no museum but a living city, which makes it even more interesting. Heart of the old town ist the Suk (market), where all kinds of goods are sold: There is a henna suk, a spice suk, a silverware suk etc. The Bab Al Yemen is the fortified city gate and entry point to the Old Town. Sanaa has also lots of mosques, none of them open to non-muslims, so you can only admire their architecture from the...

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Distinctive Doors

by janiebaxter

Yemen has some doors to rival those of Zanzibar Old Town. They vary a little in style but not so much as the windows do. Most are made of wood, although some of the modern ones are made of metal. Many of the wooden ones are hundreds of years old, very thick and intricately carved. Sadly some are in a bad state of repair. In the highlands and the ahadramaut where the houses have many floors, the doors have a unique lock system with a pulley which allows the door to be unlocked from the inside from each floor of the house.These are the places with the most interesting doors -The Old Towns of Shibam and Al Hajjarain in HadramautThe Old Town of Sana'aThe Highland Town of Ibb - look out for the old doors carved with the Star of David here.

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Wonderful Windows

by janiebaxter

As well as the buildings in Yemen, the windows are incredibly interesting and vary in style throughout the country. They are both decorative and functional. In the rural highland villages and small towns, the windows were small for shooting out of during feuds between tribes. In Sana'a and the larger highland cities they are quite large and grand with decorative plaster around and stained glass above. In some areas the windows have beautifully carved lattice woodwork around with shutters to keep the house cool. The Palaces of Tarim have beautiful Stained Glass and carved wood windows.

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Stunning Architecture

by janiebaxter

The architecture of Yemen is one of the highlights of a visit. Building styles vary from the stone tower houses of the highlands, made from huge blocks taken from the mountains, and the tower houses of the old city of Sana’a, which were built for defence, to the mud brick buildings of the hadramaut, the clay brick houses of Zabid, and the African style reed huts of the Tihama coastal area. Then you have the wonderful ruined palaces of Tarim and of course the famous Manhatten of Arabia in Shibam.There are stunning doors that rival those of Zanzibar and intricately carved windows finished with limestone plaster with beautiful stained glass arched toplights.I can’t think of another country where you can see such fascinating and varied building styles.

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Al-Hudayda and the Tihama Coastal Plains

by travelinxs

3/10If you've been in Yemen a while and crave a little sand and sea you might be yearning to reach Al-Hudayda, due west of Sana'a. Don't get too excited! It tries very hard to be a typical sea-side city but in my opinion fails quite miserably! There is no sandy beach near town, though a fair ground tries to compensate, and in winter, like much of the Tihama, it might be blowing a gale! Its unlikely you'll want to linger long though you might have to stop as its an important hub on the highway.

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Fun things to do in Yemen

Top 3 Hotels in Yemen

Arabia Felix  Sanaa

 6 Reviews and 22 Opinions  absolutely PERFECT! We had all we need - hot water, cable TV, views and very interesting stay.... 

 Hotels in Sanaa

Shibam Hotel  Shibam

 2 Reviews and 0 Opinions  I didn't stay there, but went there in early afternoon hoping for a cup of tea. But they don't have... 

 Hotels in Shibam

Al Hawta Palace Hotel  Say'un

 1 Review and 10 Opinions  Al Hawta Palace Hotel is situated on the outskirts of Say'un and is set in lovely landscaped... 

 Hotels in Say'un

9 Hotels in Yemen
 
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Reviews and photos of Yemen attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Yemen sightseeing.

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Things to Do: Cities in Yemen
  1. Sanaa Things to Do
  2. Socotra Things to Do
  3. Shibam Things to Do
  4. Tarim Things to Do
  5. Al Mukalla Things to Do
  6. Say'un Things to Do
  7. Shaharah Things to Do
  8. Ma'rib Things to Do
  9. Ta`izz Things to Do
  10. Ibb Things to Do
  11. Zabid Things to Do
  12. Hababah Things to Do
  13. Al Hudaydah Things to Do
  14. Kawkaban Things to Do
  15. `Amran Things to Do
  16. Al Hajarayn Things to Do
  17. Manakhah Things to Do
  18. Thila Things to Do
  19. Rada` Things to Do
  20. Al Mahwit Things to Do
  21. Widn Dhahr Things to Do
  22. Shibam Things to Do
  23. Al Hajara` Things to Do
  24. Sif Things to Do
  25. Jiblah Things to Do
  26. Sana' Things to Do

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Popular Regions in Yemen

Muhafazat Hadramawt Things to Do  Aden Municipality Things to Do  Muhafazat al Hudaydah Things to Do  Muhafazat al Mahwit Things to Do 

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Questions and Answers

natykrishna profile photo

Q:  Hi, i want to travel to hodeidah and then to Mukalla.Can I get flight from hod to Mukalla and Mukalla to saana? 

Fluffy_bunny profile photo

A: The only domestic carriers are Yemenia and Felix. There are no direct connections from Hodeidah to Mukhalla. You'd have to go via San'a. Of note, San'a airport has closed... 

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