Yemen holidays
| country: | Yemen |
| departures: | 2010: 14 Feb, 17 Oct, 31 Oct |
| price: | £2295 (14 days) excluding international flights. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This new trip to Yemen, long since known as Arabia Felix, the “fortunate” Arabia, is a fantastically varied journey. Starting in Yemen’s UNESCO World Heritage capital of Sana’a, with its 14,000 medieval tower houses we fly to the island of Socotra, an unspoilt gem often cited as the “Galapagos of the Indian Ocean”. With its abundance of unique and sometimes rather bizarre flora & fauna, this island is an absolute must for those wanting to see nature in its pristine state.
From its deserted beaches and its frankincense & myrrh trees to its wild mountains and superb snorkelling opportunities, this land will not disappoint. Returning to the mainland we then travel up through the stunning Wadi Do’an to the UNESCO desert city of Shibam Hadramawt with its towering mud brick skyscrapers. Throughout the trip, we will constantly be treated as honoured guests by the Yemenis, a warm and welcoming people all too often misrepresented in the west.
From its deserted beaches and its frankincense & myrrh trees to its wild mountains and superb snorkelling opportunities, this land will not disappoint. Returning to the mainland we then travel up through the stunning Wadi Do’an to the UNESCO desert city of Shibam Hadramawt with its towering mud brick skyscrapers. Throughout the trip, we will constantly be treated as honoured guests by the Yemenis, a warm and welcoming people all too often misrepresented in the west.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Sana’a: Join the tour at the hotel early this morning. We’ll then have the rest of the day to enjoy the marvels of this unique city with its 14,000 tower houses, many of which date back to medieval times. It is an atmospheric place with a lively souk and provides a great introduction to the country. Traditional Hotel in the Old City. Lunch and dinner included. |
| Day 2: | Sana’a – Socotra (Hadibo): Depending on flight schedules, we plan to fly to the island of Socotra early this morning. Nearer to Somalia than Yemen, this unique island is gaining a worldwide reputation for its endemic flora and fauna. If time allows today, we plan to drive up into Wadi Ayhaft, with its myrrh trees for a lunch-time swim in a mountain pool before taking a walk of about 2 hrs down to the island’s ramshackle capital of Hadibo. Hotel with breakfast, lunch and dinner included. |
| Day 3: | On Socotra – Hoq caves: Few places on the island take more than a couple of hours to drive to, so the itinerary throughout is kept fairly flexible to allow for any changes necessary due to local conditions. The plan however for this morning is to visit the Hoq caves, reputed to be the largest cave system in the entire Middle East. Please note that this is not a caving experience at all, and the stalactites and stalagmites can be enjoyed from a vertical rather than a horizontal stance! Approx 5hrs walking. Later this afternoon we’ll set up camp at one of the nearby beaches with an opportunity to swim and snorkel in the rich waters of the Indian ocean. Fixed Camp, with breakfast, lunch and dinner included. |
| Day 4: | On Socotra – Scand: After a further chance to snorkel this morning, we then head up into the mountainous interior (at an altitude of between 1000m and 1500m) where we leave our vehicles and walk up from the Diksam plateau to our overnight camp at Scand. The views all around are breathtaking and there will be ample time for photography as we make our way up to our overnight camp. Approx 4hrs walking. Wild Camp with breakfast, lunch and dinner included. |
| Day 5: | On Socotra - Fermhin: Heading down the plateau today we come to Fermhin, famous for its forest of dragon blood trees. These trees with their bizarre umbrella canopies have become an icon of the island and are not found in any greater abundance than here. We set up camp on the edge of the forest. Approx 3-4hrs walking. Wild Camp with breakfast, lunch and dinner included. |
| Day 6: | On Socotra - Amaq: With our final days in the mountains we walk to Wadi Dirhur with its natural pools where there’ll be a chance for a swim and some time to relax. Later we’ll meet up again with our vehicles and transfer to the southern coastal stretch of the island. There’ll be time to swim in the sea and enjoy some fresh fish for dinner tonight. Fixed Camp with breakfast, lunch and dinner included. |
| Day 7: | On Socotra - Qalansiya: Crossing back to the north of the island, we’ll head for what is probably the most beautiful beach on the island – Qalansiya. With its white sands and nearby lagoon, this beach will perhaps one day be turned an international resort, but fortunately for us today it is still a wild and natural place, which we’ll share with a few goats and a nearby fishing village. Fixed Camp with breakfast, lunch and dinner included. |
| Day 8: | On Socotra - Hadibo: This morning we hope to take a boat trip out with some local fishermen to nearby Ras Shuab. Here the cliffs rise steeply out of the waters and there are good chances for seeing dolphins and sea-birds. After lunch we’ll return to Hadibo for our last night on the island. Hotel with breakfast, lunch and dinner included. |
| Day 9: | Hadibo – Wadi Do’an: Flying back to the mainland this morning, we’ll disembark at the port of Al-Mukalla before heading up into the desert and the stunning scenery of Wadi Do’an. Hotel with breakfast lunch and dinner included. |
| Day 10: | Wadi Do’an to Shibam: The date-palms of this lush wadi provides a striking contrast to the surrounding desert. As we make our way through the region we finally arrive at the ancient settlement of Shibam, often referred to as the “Manhattan of The Desert”. There’ll be ample time to explore the city and for sunset, we’ll make our way to a famed vantage point. Traditional Hotel with breakfast, lunch and dinner included. |
| Day 11: | At Shibam – visit Seyun: There’ll be more time today to wander the streets of Shibam, shaded from the sun by its mudbrick skyscrapers. We’ll also visit nearby Seyun with its palace museum. Traditional Hotel with breakfast, lunch and dinner included. |
| Day 12: | Shibam – Sana’a: With a final day in the Hadramawt we’ll visit nearby Tarim, once known for having as many mosques as days in the year. It still is a centre for scholarship and houses one of the Islamic world’s most acclaimed libraries. We plan to fly back to Sana’a this afternoon. Traditional Hotel in the Old City with breakfast, lunch and dinner included. |
| Day 13: | Visit Wadi Dhahr, Kowkabam & Thula: Within an hour’s drive of the capital lie some stunning fortified towns, home to some of the world’s most striking architecture. We’ll have a full day to enjoy these sites before returning to Sana’a for a final dinner in this ancient land. Traditional Hotel in the Old City with breakfast, lunch and dinner included. |
| Day 14: | Tour ends in Sana’a: Those on the suggested group flight will fly back to the UK this morning. For those making alternative arrangements, the tour finishes after breakfast (included) |
small group cultural tours
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as experiencing new cultures.how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
We are very aware of the economic, ecological and ethical impact tourism can have on ancient cultures and fragile environments. We realise that taking clients through such a region can have a negative impact on the lives of those who live there as well as the environment. On all our Yemen holidays we therefore go to great lengths to minimise the negative and accentuate the positive… after all, there are also many good things that the traveller can bring. Our Yemen holidays support the Socotra Archipelago Conservation and Development Programm (SCDP), set up to ensure the long-term preservation and environmentally sound development of the fragile eco-Archipelago. When you take one of our trips, we make a contribution to “Carbon Clear” – an organisation who work with hundreds of organisations to measure their carbon footprint and reduce their carbon emissions. Community On all our Yemen holidays we use local ground handlers who in turn book locally run hotels, providing employment for a number of members of staff and support families. The ground handlers also use local drivers and guides, and ensure that all supplies are purchased locally for the journey. This means that all the operational costs go directly into the local economy and helps to improve employment opportunities in remote regions. In addition, a number of the drivers own their own vehicles which gives them a greater independence and profit. We also support several other NGOs around the world such as the Hope Foundation, Tibetan schools trust and Adopt-A-Minefield, which are all carefully selected to improve the standard of living for the communities we visit. We realise that we are exceptionally privileged to be travelling in areas where most of the people have far less than us and that the desire to ‘help’ can be very powerful. As such we have set up a number of projects ourselves – such as tree planting in Rajasthan, educational trusts in Pakistan and tourism development initiatives in Kyrgyzstan – and in addition we now have arrangements with a number of carefully chosen Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), which we feel do a great job of helping local communities deal with the pressures and problems of the modern world. All our Yemen holidays donate a certain amount from the proceeds of the tour you are on to these charities and we are happy for you to give more should you wish. We are also happy for you to visit the organisation – wherever possible – so you can see for yourself exactly where your money is going. We feel this is the best way to deal with the travellers’ conundrum of giving without spoiling. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |