 | Yemen Warnings or Dangers | Tips 1 - 10 of 44 |  |
Popular Warnings or Dangers | Other Warnings or Dangers Tips | All Tips (44) Everybody who is minimally interested in Yemen knows that you need a visa to enter the country. It's rather expensive and the easiest way to get it is through someone in Yemen or some institution such as a language school.
One must also have the EXIT visa. I learned about this just 3 days before departure!! I was told that since I stayed just one month then I did not need it. However I decided to do it anyway. SIAL wrote me the appropriate letter of application in Arabic. I went to the Ministry of foreign Affairs in Sana'a. It is the building with round windows near the imposing Saudi Arabian embassy.
I nearly got shot in the process. I ignored the guard at the door and walked straight in. The electricity went out before I entered the lift so I had to climb about 5 flights of steps. All conversation was in Arabic and I was sent from one desk to another. I paid 400 YR. Finally the visa sticker was peeled off its sheet and stuck triumphantly onto my passport. Shukran wa ma assalaama.
The colonel was very helpful. Leave a Comment
|
 | |  |
Visiting Yemen?
Read reviews about Yemen Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
Yes and no. Death toll is staggering (2500 per annum, compared to less than 800 in the Netherlands). Everything that's probably officially not allowed is to be expected: igoring red lights, driving on the wrong side of a dual carriage way, horrendous speeding, bad lighting both on the cars and on the streets, overall appalling state of maintenace of most vehicles, underage drivers, drivers with tunnel-vision due to qat use, women drivers with limited lateral vision due to their wearing of the niqaab. Add to this winding roads alongside steep ravines, and during Ramadan all of this aggravated by fatigue in the morning and hunger in the afternoon.
So what about the no in the first sentence? Just expect the unexpected. Sounds like a cliché, but it works.
|
...is still largely absent among the population. And for the most part it's not a great concern to the authorities either. Desertification is setting in as the groundwater table sinks. In the Sana'a basin water is being pumped up from the fourth (and last) aquifer, up to 1000 metres of depth. In other areas agriculture has knocked itself out already through over-pumping for irrigation. The island of Socotra is still a biodiversity hotspot but unscrupulous developers might end that as soon as they smell money. And garbage collection is greatly lacking. One of the good exceptions is the city of Sana'a, where the mayor decided to offer a job to an army of 'akhdam', the lowest caste, supposed to have descended from Ethiopian conquerors long ago. Pay is low, but it provides for steady income AND a remarkably clean city.
|
A spate of kidnappings in the second half of the nineties gave Yemen a very bad name. What's worse, after a lull from 2002 to the summer of 2005 kidnappings resumed. The last one was in September 2006. Although they were all resolved peacefully and various kidnapped travelers simply continued their travels in Yemen as if nothing had happened, one would naturally want to avoid this happening to you. If you're planning on travelling through Marib and Shabwah, make sure beforehand what the current travel advice is and ask your tour operator or guide about precautions he's taking (routes to be taken, possibly arranging for police escort).
Police escorts often will appreciate some money to buy qat. This is in no way compulsory and as a matter of principle you may not want to do this. Then again, if you feel like it you may not want to be too moralistic in this respect.
|
Canadian Government Warning
SAFETY AND SECURITY
There exists heightened tensions in Yemen, together with increased threats globally from terrorism. Since April 2005, there have been a number of grenade attacks in Sana'a against Yemeni government forces. On September 15, 2006, two oil installations near Ma’rib and al-Mukalla were attacked in simultaneous terrorist operations.
On July 19, 2005, the Government of Yemen announced the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies. A number of civil unrest incidents have occurred since the announcement. Westerners may be targeted and there is a possibility that the unrest may escalate. Avoid leaving vehicles unattended. In the event that you have to do so, carefully inspect both the interior and exterior upon return to detect any attached devices or suspect packages nearby. Treat mail and packages from unfamiliar sources with suspicion. If you notice anything unusual, contact your sponsor or employer, or call the Yemeni police immediately. Suspects as well as witnesses to incidents may be held for lengthy periods without access to legal counsel or consular officials. If access is granted, it may be severely limited by the Yemeni authorities.
The level of risk to foreigners in Yemen is high. Vehicle hijacking is common. Yemeni authorities have increased security throughout the country, especially in areas frequented by tourists. Remain vigilant, do not show signs of affluence, and ensure personal belongings and travel documents are secured. Kidnappings of foreigners, mainly by disgruntled tribesmen, have occurred in the past. In most cases, these have been resolved peacefully, although there have been fatalities. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
Visiting Yemen?
Read reviews about Yemen Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
Canadian Government Warning about local travel
LOCAL TRAVEL
Driving habits, poorly maintained vehicles, unclear and unheeded traffic laws, excessive speed, roaming animals, and pedestrians pose hazards. For security reasons, travelling along routes outside cities should be avoided. Should you need to do so, you should drive in convoy and during daylight hours. Advise friends or employer of your route as well as expected time of arrival and destination. Travellers should not use the Aden-Taiz-Sana'a highway. Anti-personnel mines and unexploded munitions remain a danger in the southern and eastern areas of the country, particularly around Aden, and the central highlands.
There is no rail service. You should avoid city buses and use only officially marked taxis after pre-negotiating fares. Car hires with chauffeurs are advisable. You should travel by air between major cities. Leave a Comment
|
Yemen has been labeled a "dangerous" destination; travel warnings do exist. The main reason are kidnappings of tourists/expats on a regular basis with a peak in the mid-nineties. Unruly tribes tried to gain concessions from the central government with hostages as leverage. The number of kidnappings is on the decrease since then. In recent years though, there were a number of incidents where terrorists have targeted tourists or the American Embassy in Sanaa.
In my opinion Yemen is still a reasonably safe destination, for multiple reasons:
1. The general security has improved as the government issued the death penalty for abductions and at the same time encouraged involvement of the local bedouin tribes in tourism (as guides, secuirty guards, drivers etc.).
2. Most tourists travel with organized tours, so the tour operator will avoid areas with a volatile security situation. That means, mainly Marib and Shabwa provinces + Saada (civil warfare) to the north. All other regions are fairly safe to travel (2007).
3. The kidnappings took mainly place in the provinces of Marib and Shabwa which can be avoided altogether. If you want to visit the Hadramaut, take an inland flight from Sanaa instead of driving through the Marib. Recently though (2007/08) there were two deadly terrorist attacks on tourists - one in Marib, one in the Hadramaut - with several victims. So far, this has been an exception.
4. Sanaa - as a major city - is very safe. Expats who worked there for a long time confirmed that theft let alone robbery, violent crime etc. is completely uncommon, even if you walk the streets in the evening or get lost in the Old Town. I felt much safer than in many major cities in Europe.
5. Unlike other destinations, you will most certainly not be harrassed by hawkers or agressive youths. As a female traveller, you will likely be stared at even when you are modestly dressed, but it is highly unlikely that you will experience sexual harrassment, flirting or else.
6. Terrorist attacks could happen anywhere (as seen in Egypt, Morocco, London, Madrid). Though very tragic, these are still isolated and rare incidents in Yemen. Weigh the risk, but please don`t believe the panicmongers.
|
| | |
The only thing that really put me off in Yemen was the custom to throw away any rubbish on the street just where you stand (even if it is your own house door, or your neighbours). Sanaa though is pretty clean, yet the villages around Sanaa are virtual rubbish dumps. Especially the villages on the way to Manackha/Hajjara are very dirty. The villages of Hadramaut again are rather clean (with the exception of Shibam), measured from Yemeni standards.
On the photos you can see some examples of waste thrown away. It is no unusual sight to see plastic bags "growing" from trees. Sad to see, as Yemen would certainly attract even more tourists if there was an efficient rubbish disposal.
|
Yemeni traffic is chaotic. Yemeni drivers disregard any traffic rule ever invented, and even though, somehow the traffic flows. It is common to disregard lanes, it is absolutely necessary to use the horn, and even when it gets dark don`t count on a Yemeni driver to turn on the lights (even if he is driving in the wrong direction). Crossroads are most chaotic of all, as traffic rules are only valid if a policeman stands in the middle. Orientation is difficult as only few street signs are bilingual, if there are street signs at all. Jaywalking is common. Believe me: You would not want to drive a car in Yemen. So if you are not going with an organized tour, hire a local driver + car (which is pretty cheap) for longer trips or share a taxi for short distances. Forget about self-driving.
|
Off-road desert adventures are an activity that is becoming more popular among visitors to Yemen, especially in the sandy Empty Quarter. There are sand dunes, mountains, wadis, and pools and waterfalls to explore. Because of the dangers of desert travel, anyone wishing to participate in an off-road trip should go with an experienced guide. Otherwise, getting stranded in the desert can be fatal. It is easy to lose a sense of direction, especially because in the deep desert, all sand dunes look alike. It is very easy to become hopelessly bogged down in the sand and very difficult to get out. And the intense heat, especially in the summer, can impair the judgment of almost anyone.
For those who choose to go into the desert alone, there are certain precautions that should be taken to ensure a safe trip. First of all, a plentiful supply of water must be taken. In hot weather, a person needs about four pints (two liters) of water per day. Also, a medical kit is a must.
For driving in the sand dunes, it is necessary to slightly deflate tires so they will have adequate traction in the sand. An air pump will be needed to re-inflate the tires after leaving the sands. And drivers should proceed at a slow, steady speed. Accelerating and then quickly braking can cause a vehicle to become stuck in sand. A shovel for digging out, and planks of wood or mats to be placed under the tires can be helpful in getting out of the sand Leave a Comment
|
| | |
|
|
on September 8, 2005
on January 2, 2007
on December 28, 2006
on September 19, 2008
on November 29, 2007
