Find places in Yemen

Must-Haves

• Dixam Plateau (Central Socotra)
  The heart of the dragon's blood tree forest, with sweeping views over the Dirhur canyon.
• Firmihin Forest (Dixam Plateau)
  The densest stand of dragon's blood trees on the island, magical at sunrise.
• Homhil Protected Area (Northeast Socotra)
  Bottle trees, frankincense and a natural infinity pool above the sea.
• Detwah Lagoon (Qalansiyah)
  A shallow turquoise lagoon ringed by white sand and cliffs at the island's western tip.

Fun for Everyone

• Shuab Beach (West Socotra)
  A remote white beach reached by boat from Qalansiyah, often with dolphins on the way.

Must-Haves

• Hoq Cave (North coast)
  A long limestone cave of stalactites and ancient inscriptions, reached by a steep hike.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Qalansiyah Fishing Village (West Socotra)
  A quiet fishing town of stone houses where boats leave for Shuab.

Off the Beaten Path

• Dagub Cave (South coast)
  A cave in the cliffs above the southern coast with sweeping sea views.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Hadibu Souk (Hadibu)
  The island's main market for dates, frankincense, honey and everyday island life.

Off the Beaten Path

• Homhil Campsite (Homhil)
  A community camp among bottle trees with one of the island's great sunsets.

Great for Date Night

• Detwah Lagoon Campsite (Qalansiyah)
  Camp on the sand above the lagoon and wake to turquoise water.

Fun for Everyone

• Arher Campsite (Arher)
  A beach camp below the dunes with a freshwater stream close by.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Hadibu Fish Market (Hadibu)
  Buy the morning catch and have it grilled for a simple island meal.

Off the Beaten Path

• Bottle tree flowering (Homhil)
  Around the turn of the year the bottle trees bloom bright pink.

Must-Haves

• Cisterns of Tawila (Crater)
  Ancient reservoirs cut into the rock at the head of a ravine to catch the rare floods.
• Sira Fortress (Crater)
  An island fortress on a causeway with the finest view over the old harbour.

Fun for Everyone

• Little Ben Clock Tower (Tawahi)
  The small colonial clock tower above Steamer Point, a symbol of old Aden.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Ma'alla Dhow Harbour (Ma'alla)
  Watch wooden dhows load and unload as they have for centuries.

Great for Date Night

• Khormaksar Seafront (Khormaksar)
  An evening walk by the sea as the heat lifts and the lights come on.

Must-Haves

• Aden Minaret (Crater)
  A slender old minaret standing alone in the heart of Crater.

Fun for Everyone

• Al-Aidarous Mosque (Crater)
  Aden's most beloved mosque, linked to the city's patron saint.

Off the Beaten Path

• Christ Church Tawahi (Tawahi)
  The old garrison church on the hill above the harbour, a relic of British Aden.

Fun for Everyone

• Gold Mohur Beach (Tawahi)
  A sandy cove where families swim and picnic at weekends.
• Elephant Bay (Tawahi)
  A long beach named for the elephant shaped rock at one end.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Abyan Beach (Khormaksar)
  The long city beach where crowds gather on summer evenings.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Crater Souk (Crater)
  Spices, cloth, perfume and gold in the busy lanes of the old town.
• Sheikh Othman Market (Sheikh Othman)
  A huge everyday market for fruit, clothes and household goods.

Fun for Everyone

• Tawahi Market (Tawahi)
  A lively market quarter by the old harbour.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Adeni Tea Cafés (Crater)
  Sweet milky Adeni tea poured at street cafés across the old town.

Fun for Everyone

• Eid on the seafront (Khormaksar)
  Families crowd the beaches and seafront for the Eid holidays.

Must-Haves

• Shibam Old Walled City (Shibam)
  Hundreds of mud brick tower houses rising together, the Manhattan of the desert.

Great for Date Night

• Shibam Sunset Viewpoint (Shibam)
  The slope across the valley where the towers glow gold at dusk.

Off the Beaten Path

• Haid al-Jazil (Wadi Doan)
  A village built on a giant boulder in the middle of the valley.
• Al-Hajarain (Wadi Doan)
  A mud brick village stacked on a rock above the palms.

Must-Haves

• Seiyun Palace (Seiyun)
  The white palace of the Kathiri sultans, now a museum of Hadrami history.
• Al-Muhdhar Mosque (Tarim)
  Its tall square minaret is one of the tallest built of mud brick anywhere.
• Al-Ahqaf Manuscript Library (Tarim)
  Thousands of handwritten manuscripts from Tarim's centuries of scholarship.

Off the Beaten Path

• Dar al-Mustafa (Tarim)
  A renowned school of Islamic learning that draws students from around the world.
• Tarim Palaces (Tarim)
  Mansions built by families who made fortunes in Southeast Asia, in a blend of styles.

Must-Haves

• Wadi Doan (West Hadramawt)
  A side valley of cliffside villages, palm groves and famous honey.

Fun for Everyone

• Seiyun Palm Groves (Seiyun)
  Shady date gardens for an evening walk outside town.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Seiyun Souk (Seiyun)
  The wadi's main market for dates, honey, spices and cloth.
• Shibam Souk (Shibam)
  Small shops by the gate selling crafts, palm baskets and daily goods.

Off the Beaten Path

• Doan Honey Sellers (Wadi Doan)
  Buy the prized sidr honey directly from the valley where it is made.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mandi restaurants of Seiyun (Seiyun)
  Pit cooked meat on fragrant rice in the region where mandi was born.

Off the Beaten Path

• Hadrami date harvest (Seiyun)
  Late summer brings the date harvest to the palm groves of the wadi.

Must-Haves

• Mukalla Corniche (Old City)
  The seafront where families walk, sip tea and watch the sunset.
• Ghuwayzi Fort (Mukalla)
  A small round fort perched on a rock at the old entrance to the city.

Great for Date Night

• Khor al-Mukalla (Mukalla)
  A landscaped creek through the city, lively in the evening.

Off the Beaten Path

• Al-Shihr Old Town (Al-Shihr)
  An old port east of Mukalla with a historic gate and fishing harbour.

Must-Haves

• Sultan's Palace Museum (Old City)
  The waterfront palace of the Qu'aiti sultans, now a museum of Hadrami history.

Off the Beaten Path

• Husn al-Ghurab (Bir Ali)
  Ruins of Qana, the ancient frankincense port, on a crow shaped rock.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mukalla Fish Market (Harbour)
  The morning catch of tuna and kingfish unloaded in a noisy, colourful scene.
• Mukalla Old Souk (Old City)
  Spices, incense, honey and gold in narrow lanes behind the seafront.

Must-Haves

• Bir Ali (West coast)
  White beaches between black volcanic headlands.

Fun for Everyone

• Hami Hot Springs (Near Al-Shihr)
  Hot springs by the sea where families come to bathe.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Fish tannour restaurants (Old City)
  Fish baked in clay ovens and served with flatbread and spicy sauces.

Fun for Everyone

• Seafront tea stalls (Corniche)
  Strong sweet tea with milk as the city comes out at dusk.

Must-Haves

• Old City of Sana'a (Old City)
  Thousands of decorated tower houses in one of the oldest lived in cities on earth.
• Bab al-Yemen (Old City)
  The great southern gate and classic entrance to the old city.
• Dar al-Hajar (Wadi Dhahr)
  The Rock Palace built atop a stone pinnacle for Imam Yahya.

Must-Haves

• Souq al-Milh (Old City)
  Dozens of trade markets for spices, silver, daggers and incense.

Must-Haves

• Great Mosque of Sana'a (Old City)
  One of the oldest mosques in the world, a place of worship for Muslims.

Off the Beaten Path

• Al-Saleh Mosque (Sabeen)
  The vast modern mosque on the city's southern edge.

Off the Beaten Path

• Old City Bustan Gardens (Old City)
  Walled vegetable gardens hidden among the tower houses.
• Jabal Nuqum (East Sana'a)
  The mountain above the city with a sweeping view of the old town.
• Wadi Dhahr (Northwest Sana'a)
  A green valley of orchards below the Rock Palace.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Saltah lunch houses (Old City)
  Bubbling stone pot saltah with flatbread, the capital's signature lunch.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Qishr coffee stalls (Old City)
  Spiced coffee husk drink, the Yemeni way to take coffee.