Yemen Packages/Deals & Travel Agents Near Me

Yemen has never been among the most peaceable of places. Yemeni men have long believed in being well armed, and in modern times their traditional curved daggers, called djambias, have been supplemented by AK-47s and Kalashnikovs. These days the guns seem to be fashion accessories as much as well-used weapons. An uneasy union established nearly a decade ago between the Islamic North and secular South appears to be holding, despite occasional skirmishes.

But don't let that make you think Yemen is an easy or safe place to visit. There have been sporadic kidnappings of foreigners, including one incident that led to the death of several travelers. Terrorists attacked the U.S.S. Cole at Yemen's port of Aden in 2000, killing 17 sailors. While a trip to Yemen has always involved an element of risk, the danger posed to travelers at the current time is too substantial: We cannot recommend a trip there.

We wish the news were better, because Yemen is a fascinating place. Green and mountainous in some places and hot and desolate in others, it is dotted with remnants of early civilization—improbable protoskyscrapers and fallen towers made of mud and stone. In a very small area it contains an unexpected variety of terrains, climates, historical sites, people, cultures, architecture, music, clothing and food.

Geography

History

With its strategic location at the entrance to the Red Sea, Yemen has been home to civilization since the 15th century BC. Paleolithic stone tools found on both sides of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which separates Yemen from what is now Djibouti, suggest that humans reached Yemen from East Africa as long as 40,000 years ago. Once an important and prosperous link in the silk and spice trade between Europe, Africa and India, the land was occupied by many, but its soul seems to have been conquered by none. The Himyarites, Ethiopians, Persians, Turks and British are but some of the civilizations that have tried with varying success to control the Yemeni people.

The history of the past two centuries is particularly complex. At times united and at others split into many states, Yemen was first ruled by the Ottoman Empire and then by the British Empire. The fiercely independent Yemenis managed to break free of the Ottomans at the end of World War I—the northern half of the country was ruled by a reactionary Imamate until a 1962 revolt brought that region into the modern age. The British ruled the south, calling it Aden, from 1839 until independence in 1967. When the Union Jack was hauled down, 12 years of bloody strife between the former Aden and northern Yemen resulted in the creation of two separate nations, the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDR Yemen or South Yemen) in 1979. As the first Arab Communist country, PDR Yemen existed until economic crisis led it to unite with the North in May 1990 to become the Yemen Arab Republic—which lasted until 1994 when Vice President Ali Salem al Beidh walked out, dissatisfied by the North's apparent desire to annex the South rather than form a union with it. The North quickly invaded, plunging the country into civil war. The war ended two months later when the South's capital fell and its leadership fled the country.

Since then, the North, led by President Ali Abdullah Salah, who has the support of the army, has been consolidating its hold over the South and reintegrating Southerners (with the exception of the former vice president) into political life—in hopes of using them as a balance against Islamic extremists in the North. Coping with its long struggle for unification, which has left the northern part of the country in better shape than the South, the Republic of Yemen (as it's now officially known) remains among the poorest nations of the world. President Salah has ruled since the late 1970s, and democracy remains in its infancy in Yemen.

Snapshot

Historical and archaeological sites, beaches, folkloric displays, mineral baths, architecture, camel caravans, a casino, interesting people, rugged mountain and desert scenery will be Yemen's main draws when the country gets a handle on its kidnapping problem.

Yemen is only for adventurous travelers interested in history and/or Arab culture—and who are prepared to take substantial risks. Such travelers must also be prepared to experience some inconvenience, but if they survive unscathed, they'll see a fascinating country. Southern Yemen is not yet geared for tourists, and inconveniences abound.

Potpourri

The green leaves everyone seems to be chewing are known as qat (pronounced cot). It's a mild stimulant, and it's as much a part of business and government in Yemen as the cocktail is in the West. Indeed, the afternoon qat session is a ritual in Yemen: Most men leave work around 2 pm at least once a week to gather with their friends and spend the afternoon chatting and chewing. There are signs the habit is dying, however. President Salah recently banned the chewing of qat by soldiers and gave up qat himself. Women also chew qat, but not as frequently, or as ritualistically, as men.

In 1997, two Yemeni men attempted to sue NASA for trespassing after the space-exploration agency landed a robot on Mars.

The discovery of oil came much later to Yemen than to other countries on the Arabian peninsula. It wasn't until the mid 1980s that oil was discovered in the desert area between then-divided North and South Yemen. Since then, further large oil and gas reserves have been discovered. About 20 foreign oil companies operate in the country, and most are located in the Marib, Masila and Shabwa areas.

Archaeological discoveries in the Mahra region of eastern Yemen have suggested a possible link to the Biblical magi (the wise men) who brought gifts of frankincense and myrrh. The valuable gum-resin products, used as incense and embalming spices, probably came from one of the rediscovered trading centers in Yemen. Arabia Felix, as it was then known, was an important stop on the thriving trade route in the ancient world between Persia and Rome.

Yemen was the primary source of coffee beans when the craze for the brew swept Europe in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. It enjoyed a monopoly until coffee plants were smuggled out of Yemen and replanted in Brazil and Indonesia.

The name Yemen may be derived from the Arabic word Yumn, meaning blessing and happiness, although it may also come from the Arabic term yamanan, meaning from the south.

In the days of the Ottoman Empire, men from Hodeidah were the gatekeepers for the imperial palace in Istanbul.

The ruins of Mayfa'a, dating from the 3rd century BC, can be found at Azan, 200 mi/320 km northeast of Aden.

Shabwa, 215 mi/345 km northeast of Aden, is a good place to see nomads in desert scenery and some ruins (the city is occasionally closed to tourists, so check in Aden before heading out there).

Legend has it that Sana'a was founded by Shem, son of Noah.

Unlike other people of the Arabian Peninsula, who have historically been nomads or seminomads, Yemenis are almost all farmers and live in small villages and towns.

Aden was once a thriving trading city, but after Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to Asia around Africa in 1498, its fortunes waned.

The Yemen mountains reach an altitude of over 10,000 feet/3,000 m. Many of the inland cities are at an average elevation of 6,000 feet/1,800 m.

As is the rule with most Islamic countries, try not to visit Yemen during Ramadan, the monthlong religious holiday during which citizens fast all day and eat in the evening (the dates vary from year to year).

Businesses are closed on Fridays and during major Islamic holidays.