ABOUT YEMEN: Romans called this country: “Arabia Felix” (Happy Arabia) because of its mild weather and prosperous agriculture.
Situated on the south of the Arabian peninsula, Yemen on the north is separated of Saudi Arabia by the greatest and hottest desert of the world (the Rub Al Khali) The country is separated of Africa by Indian ocean and the Red sea and with it 18 millions of habitants for 528 000km2 Yemen is the country of the peninsula with the biggest population.
North and south Yemen joined together on May 22nd 1990 and slowly now Yemen opens its beauty to the world.
LANGUAGE: Arabic and some English in tourist centers
ETHNIC: different tribes live on Yemen especially Hached and Bakil tribes.
ECONOMY: agriculture, fishing, petrol, tourism, trade

FORMALITIES: ask to the nearest embassy as formalities changed often. You need a visa to get there and you can buy it in airport in Sana’a (2009)

HOW TO GET THERE: the plane is the fastest way to get there.

TRAVELING IN YEMEN:

1. BY LAND:  in the past years some tribes kidnapped people and so now you need a permit delivered by the police to discover the country. Sometimes some areas can be close for tourism. If you choose public transportation or a jeep with a driver you will need the permits. Traveling with a driver you reduce thee risk of misadventure because the driver warrants your security. To reach and visit some areas you will need a military escort and as the police control this service is free but sometimes you will have to give a tip.

*RENT A JEEP:  it’s the best solution, your driver will do all the formalities, no wasted time security, sure to do what you want and when you want (departure, arrival, change of route…) and if your driver is really good he can show you different things that alone you will never discover.
PRICE: around 70-100€/day all including (petrol and driver) for a jeep for 4 persons plus the driver. To across the Rub al Khali desert just see with the Bedouin tribe (you have to pay a tax per vehicle) now it’s possible to take the free high way on the desert but nothing worth to across the desert with the Bedouin…but to across the Rub al Khali desert it not always permitted, so ask when you are in the country.
With a good driver a guide is not necessary as a good driver can show you all you want to see.

*LOOKING FOR A GOOD DRIVER? We can recommend you ALI, nice and sensitive person with him your trip will be magic
CONTACT FOR THE DRIVER: http://site.voila.fr/yementours  tel: ++ 967 733 74 91 72 ONLY ITALIAN AND ARABIC, but you can ask for a driver who will know english contacting arabia felix hotel

TIPS: according your satisfaction and of course you aren’t obliged…

You must know that now to visit the county you need a special permit who is delivered by tourism office in Sana’a. Sometimes  this special permit is not delivered to individual tourist, so you have to ask to an travel agency. Your independent driver will be considered as travel agency and with him you will go to the tourism office with the itinerary you chosen and few minutes later you will have all the permits you needed. All change often so it’s difficult to give right information, so just ask when you arrive in the country.

When you arrive in a town, decide about the mean you are suppose to take to continue your trip and with the ticket (bus, plane, taxi…) go to the Police to obtain the permit to continue.

MILITARY ESCORT:  as even bad things happen, the country is always attractive and nice to visit. Of course anytime happen something people are afraid and don’t want to go to visit Yemen. But we can say you can go almost everywhere asking always for the permit (tsarir) to Ministery of tourism.  Some areas need to have a military escort. Militaries are really nice and friendly and the service is free but they will ask you some tips. So the best is to agree with your driver and so he will pay them , instead of asking a discount included on the price of the rental the military escort.
Now tourists go to make trekking around Sana’a (Harraz djebel) or in the South, but all the country is interesting to visit and Yemenite people is nice indeed.

TRAVEL AGENCY:
English agency will take a contact with a Yemenite agency who will search and independent driver. If you don’t need something different, something special to do, you have no interest to ask to a English agency to prepare the trip. You can do alone by finding an independent driver or asking to your hotel if they have some drivers as in Arabia Felix Hotel. Quality of your holidays will depend of your driver.
On 2009 almost all agencies in Sana’a were closed. This is a problem to compare price about renting, about independent driver, to ask information…so we can recommend before leaving to find the most possible information or to contact the Arabia Felix Hotel for price, condition, reservation…

2. BUSES: run only to and from big towns as Sana’a, Taëz, Mareb, Hoddeidah, Hajja, Adem , Mukhalla… information near the central post office on tourism office in Sana’a. buses have fixed prices, regular time table, seats with number and so better to reserve one day before. If the local buses have a different standard to whom we are used Yemit  Co have air condition buses with sleeping seats. As even the roads are better each year many small villages and areas can be reached only by jeep.

3. PUBLIC TAXIS:  fixed prices and cheap way to visit the country, run from special station called “taxi” and run only if full. Sometimes some public taxi don’t accept tourists as police control longer. Just know you can be 10 on a jeep!

4. AUTO STOP: only possible on the important roads , on the secondary roads really difficult to find a vehicle who will accept to charge you. Trucks will accept you without difficulties but they will ask you the same price as the bus.

5. PLANE: a little expensive to reach the Hadramaout area and difficult to fight with a trip crossing the desert.

6. TREKKING: you must be in good physical condition in reason of the changed of altitude and of the climate. Really good way to visit small and lost villages on the mountain. A good agency: www.yementrek.com

7. BOATS: from/ to Erythrea: no regular lines but you can find some fishing boats to drop you. From / to Djibouti: you can find some boats you will drop you in Mokha, ask when you are in the country.

WEATHER: near the seaside you can find volcanic areas and the weather is hot and really wet especially in the Tihama area and so really difficult to visit this area on July or August. As Yemen is an highland where the rain falls regular in different areas that explain why some towns as Aden were build up the mountain where people can live of agriculture.
If all the year it’s possible to visit Yemen the best is from April to October, during winter you need some warm clothes.

BUDGET: the rial is the money of Yemen, on the market or on the bank the same exchange. You can also change to the black market. You can also change on a travel agency or to your driver but just inform first to the rates. You can have more if you change paper money of 50 or 100$. On the shops you can have better price if you pay on $ or euro.
An average of 15/30euro/day/person is needed according the hotels you will choose, more if you rent a jeep (around 70euro/day all including)

LODGING:

1. HOTEL: everywhere you will find hotel as even far away of the European or US standard. The choice is between the 5 stars hotels and the funduks (guest houses) the position of the hotel will drive your choice: maybe an small hotel in the old town can be better that a luxury hotel, an hotel situated in an typical Yemenite house can show you more about the local architecture, an new hotel can be cleanest than an old one… on the small village many hotels opened but as during the last years tourism wasn’t good those hotels couldn’t be repair so you have to expect to the worse. From North and South you will see some different on the cleanness as even now on the South they make some progress but still now the rooms are clean when you’ll arrive.

Advice: just think to have a look on hot water as no guarantee!
* hotel “low price” (5/8 euro) you will have a mattress on a dormitory
* hotel “ middle price” (10/35 euro) for a double room. You will be sometimes surprised as Sana’a where often the hotels are on old Yemenite house. So visit different before to choose or ask to your driver. On this stamp the best choice in Sana’a is ARABIA FELIX HOTEL in an old typical just repaired Yemenite house http://arabiafelix.free.fr , email: arabia-felix@y.net.ye

Going to the street where is the 4 star Taj Sheba hotel, between the post office and this hotel you can find many small hotels: just visit some before to decide!

* hotel “luxury” >40euro you will find some good hotel who now will need to be repairing or luxury hotel as you will forgot you are on Yemen.

2. CAMPING: on mountain it’s difficult except if you are a group and have good camping  equipment and also if you driver knows well the area. On the beach no problem as on Bir Ali where you will get up with the raising sun taking a bath on a hot sea.

 

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