distances do not  take into account the mountainous terrain, road conditions, check-points or detours

The Southern gates of Arabia, Seen in the Hadhramaut, A Winter in Arabia, The Coast of Incense,  all by —-  Freya Stark. (accounts of her travels in Arabia ) recommended                                                              

Aden to the Hadhramaut— D van der Meullen (John Murray, 1947)                                                     

Travels in Dictionary Land — Tim Mackintosh-Smith (1997) recommended

Sana’a; An Arabian Islamic City— R.B.Sargent & R.Lewcock (Scorpion, 1983) recommended

Arabia Felix; Yemen & it’s People — Pascal Marechaux (Thames & Hudson 1980) recommended

Arabia; Sand, Sea & Sky — Michael McKinnon (BBC,1990) recommended

Visitor’s complete guide to Yemen — www.yemenguide.org   recommended                                                                                                    

           

                                       

As I draught this Montague of ideas for your consideration, I’ve been reflecting on the myriad of stories & adventures which I’ve tried to preserve with integrity. This assembly  of distinctive & unique experiences (like this Montague) is the gathering of memory & being reinforced. You may wish to explore the remains of old ruins & citadels, yet you may wish to capture on film the last of the Wild Arabian Leopards. On the other hand you may wish to watch the Birds of the Arabian Peninsular, from migratory to endemic or study the eco-diversity of the Botanic wonders, only existing in this historic nexus to the world of ancient times, ‘Noah and his Arc’. Enquire about your special interest, your interests, interest us.  

There are 120 islands to explore some worthwhile visiting & some not so, Kamaran being the largest on the Red Sea & Socotra in the Gulf of Aden bordering the Somali coast. Both of these are worth visiting for they offer great beaches, good swimming, snorkeling & diving, Socotra is by far the most interesting having a World Heritage listing for the diverse array of unique unspoiled rare botanic specimens, not to mention migratory whales & bird life that use the island, while visiting Socotra you can swim with our Dolphins. Socotra can be reached by air twice a week & by sea in good weather only due being prone to high winds. With it’s silvery beaches, unique  covered plains, caves & deep gullies running from the mountains to the sea the best time to visit is between mid October—mid May   

In 2002 I brought my eldest son who was 15, he took to the culture & people ‘ like a duck to water.’ Over recent years high school groups have used the Yemen as educational tours, to form an International cultural exchange, an eye opening experience. This is both a land for boys & girls, boys are boys the world over & girls are girls, everywhere the same. This country displays a sense of family unity that the Westerners only read about in books or dream about, their humble & gracious nature puts the rest of the world to shame. So bring your children, let them share the  beauty that  is displayed in respectful behavior & servility. The Yemen is almost a ‘crime free’ State, interesting when you read the warnings to stay away then check the internet on crime in the West.

Perhaps you may wish to have your adventure recorded in a more suitable fashion, such as a DVD with sound tracks of your visit,  traditional music to share with your family & friends. These special moments are captured on TV quality digital format, edited and available prior to your departure, reasonably priced & professionally produced, especially worthwhile for those who wish to capture their adventure in a modern & documented way. Many a traveler has been lost in the past in a sea of photos that over time are stored away & occasionally viewed, this method of formatting your journey means you can relive the journey in almost real time, every time.

Some Tour Ideas

I, like you, enjoy my coffee a certain way & prefer not to deviate from that, here in the Yemen coffee is prepared using coffee husks, cardamom, cinnamon & ginger, called qishr, believe me it is very tasty. Another form of extending hospitality to guests in Yemen is being offered Gahwa or Arabic coffee, it is considered impolite to refuse, this drink is made from roasted coffee beans, with added, cardamom , saffron or perhaps a little rose water. Coffee production, distribution, consumption & mystic has gone through an evolution, since it began it’s migration from ports like Al Mokha in the mid 18 Century. Due to the roasting & mixing of various beans, perfected by the Venetians, the flavor takes on a different air, noting that ‘aroma makes up for 60% of  taste’ with anything!.

You may be forgiven thinking that the Bedouin are wild & fearsome, to some extent they are, however the are a ‘tribal people’ with the most humble & servile form of hospitality I have yet experienced, in fact that goes for all the Yemeni I have meet. You are often given Bedouin guides & escorts to assist in your journey & some of our guests wish to spend some time in the desert in a traditional style Bedouin camp This type of excursion can be a fantastic way to spend an evening under the clear night sky, with traditional food & entertainment. The options like most are wide & various as to how you want it, let your imagination run free;  for a wedding, romantic honeymoon, party of any sort or typical desert crossing

Throughout the whole country you will find is filled with markets or suuq, as the are know locally; selling everything imaginable, colour, colour & more colour, from bread to beans, cows to cardamom, honey to money, pots to pans, gold to silver, traps to taps, hooks to books, tea & coffee, antiques, brass madars’ (water pipes), fresh tobacco, fresh oils & spices, incenses, the list goes on & might bore you, however they sell everything. All of these suuqs are either daily or weekly events & are not only colourful and vibrant in nature but an experience well worthwhile. Many Artists, Photographers and the  people watchers  use these events to brighten their day, not to mention the wide array of fresh food & snacks available.

You can select any package & you SAVE on your accommodation or you create your own itinerary by yourself or liaise with us over the net on exciting & unique adventures of a life time.

special

Arabia fantastic Arabia

The range of tours depends on your imagination and your interests, Aden Tours caters for all types of  interests:  Photographic studies, field work for Artists, Trekking in mountains - littered with citadels, Ornithological, fishing, shopping, Architectural, Archeological, Anthropological, exploratory  Expeditions, Scuba Diving coral reefs, Rock climbing, Bicycling, off road motorcycling, Gastronomic, Educational & language studies, Tour company groups

                     PLAN YOUR TOUR CAREFULLY TO ENSURE EVERY MOMENT IS VALUED

 

The chart below reflects the distances in kilometres between major areas of interest throughout the Yemen. You should take note that the distances do not  take into account the mountainous terrain, road conditions or detours

 

You may also wish to contact us to receive unbiased advise on where to go, what to see, who to visit, when to go and how to get there with the minimum of effort, that is if you want, if not, we can also suggest the hard way!

 

You will always be advised to have relevant & current travel permits where ever you go in the Yemen, this is for your benefit, so that valuable time is not lost.

 

Your stay in the Yemen will always be safe if you follow simple rules: watch the traffic, do not speed, do not over take vehicles on blind corners, avoid driving at night, listen to any local advise rather than adventurous travel companions. The country is renowned for flash flooding & it is very hazardous, so never camp in a wadi.

 

Yemen is almost a crime free society, a stark contrast to the rest of the world, the locals look fearsome, however by no account worrisome, unless you misbehave. Please be aware of the dress code, no photographing of women, a drug & alcohol free community which is the way they like it, (Qat, cigarettes & their driving, are their vice).

When staying in Yemen you may be invited to visit a Yemeni home, a very friendly & graciously humble people. When entering you should always take off your shoes & definitely when entering the ‘mafraj’. Married couples will soon be separated soon after arrival, male with the male host & female with the female hostess, unmarried couples should always exercise discretion, considering it a rarity of friend– ship between unmarried men & women in Yemen. You need not accept the invitation & realize that such an invitation is a wonderful feature of their culture, however always consider whether the host may be inconvenienced beyond politeness. Qat gatherings is a really  wonderful insight to their social behavior & is the Nexus many miss, due to the unsightly appearance & an acquired taste!

The Yemen has a reputation of fresh food, when you visit cities like Sana’a for example the remnants of pre-refrigeration are still reflected in the shopping habits of it’s inhabitants. Fresh fruit & vegetables even the meat is presented in the same way. Throughout the land one sees the centuries of hard work in building garden beds, terraces and community gardens all providing fresh produce for the daily consumption of the towns and villages. The variety of potato has an extraordinary flavour and texture, this variety was once considered for seed potatoes for the Middle East. The variety of herbs gathered fresh is astounding, the suq’s (markets) have the most wonderful array of colour and texture that gives the photographer a delightful view into the bread basket of the Arabian Peninsular, the ‘High Yemen’.  

With the ship of the desert you can experience the travel as it was along the incense & spice route, where inland camel caravans,  thousands of camels would carry gold, pearls, spices, silk, ivory, shells, azure stones, musk, frankincense & perfume, the Hadhrami King was named the; ‘King of Perfume’ This truly adventurous trek can be incorporated with a luxurious encampment every night, hosting a open fire in the most exotic and historic waste lands known as the ’Empty Quarter or Arabian Sands’. Your camel caravan will never be as large, however the stories & tales of the past will be fresh in our minds. Take time to read; Freya Stark’s books

On many occasions we happen to meet the most interesting dichotomy of people who visit Yemen & we find the nexus at the Taj Talha Funduq (hotel). It seems that those who wish to visit this time locked part of Arabia, centre themselves in this ‘Old City Palace’, converted into a Hotel. For those passionate to capture the feeling of this wonderland, digitally, on canvas, in the written word or other format, use the old city as a backdrop in the most effective manner. Aden Tours believes it can cater for those who seek the exotic in most of the artist forays that this land can offer. We know how important both light is and if you seek serenity or the hustle & bustle of a kaleidoscope of colour, let us help you find it.

For those of you who either love to fish or just love to eat them, you may be pleased to know that from Mukulla we can arrange a boat to take us across the bay, which takes about 1 hour & trawl for Tuna. Having had the pleasure of doing so, the result was sensational, the continental shelf drops away very close to the land a the sea can provide a harvest fit for a King. For those of you who cherish the Tuna,   I can guarantee an afternoon delight, especially if we get a strike, even more so when the fish is served fresh for dinner. These trips & tours can be arranged even for those who have limited time, such as our good Japanese friends who kindly visit us regularly and in ever increasing numbers.

Holder of Tourism Permit No 314