Yemen travel
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 Posted: Fri Jan 06, 2006 2:44 pm Post subject: Yemen Travel Tips ( Traveling to Yemen Essentials) |
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Yemen Travel Tips ( Traveling to Yemen Essentials)
What to know about the culture
Yemen is a strict Muslim country and most people have their life arranged around religion. Especially Ramadan and Eid are important events. As the Yemenis are very hospitable and friendly you will be invited for iftar (breaking the fast during Ramadan) more than ones. Do take a small gift if you are invited.
During Ramadan life in Yemen gets turned upside down. People will often go to bed at four o’clock in the morning and will get up late. Shopping in daytime becomes difficult and easiest decision is to start shopping only after seven in the evening. The whole city will be illuminated and everybody gets out on the street. Do not be surprised if they tell you to come at two at night to collect your photographs or if they want to deliver something you’ve ordered at night time. A few warnings should also be made here: During Ramadan people tend to be very irritated just before iftar time and they will drive accordingly. Be wise and avoid going into the traffic at an hour before and after iftar time. We have seen some major accidents happen. Another warning concerns the religiosity during Ramadan. People will suddenly start living according to the rules much more and differences between religions tend to become sharpened so try to avoid any conflict and tone down a bit.
Life in Yemen is strictly divided between the sexes. A party (like marriage) will either be for males or for females. If you are invited as a couple you may expect that the men will be in another house than the women, so make an appointment beforehand if you use the same vehicle to travel.
Do’s and don’ts Being a Muslim country alcohol is not permitted in Yemen so if you do have alcohol, be careful and do not consume alcohol in public. In some restaurants it is possible to drink your own wines and beers, but they may not allow you during Ramadan. During Ramadan many Yemenis will go to a restaurant and during their Holy Month they do not want to be confronted with alcohol. Best is to ask the management before taking out your bottles and cans.
Be careful in making pictures. Many sites are considered military or strategic and making pictures there might get you in good trouble so avoid them. Also making pictures of women is tricky business. Always ask beforehand if you are allowed to make a photograph of them. If the answer is no you must respect that. Not abiding with this shows a lack of respect and may (especially outside Sana’a) lead to people throwing stones at you. Remember that Yemen is mainly stone and the practice of stoning is not extinct.
As in any country it is wise to also here refrain from insulting the country or religion. Many Yemenis are sceptical about their own country but still they are proud of Yemen. Do not join in and let scepticism come from themselves.
Another don’t (although in Sana’a and Aden it might be less of a problem) is going outside with wet hair and with loose hair. The first hair culturally leads to the though that you just had sex and the second hair leads men to think that you are looking for male company. Women would only untie the hair when in each other’s company or for husband only.
Security
Every now and then safety and security is one of the heavily discussed subjects among foreigners in Yemen. When it comes to burglary, robbery and other criminal acts you will most likely not be bothered at all in Yemen and you can feel very safe. This does not mean that you should leave your money in a hotel room or that your wallet should be hanging out of your pocket. Most people are poor and could do with some extra finance. In general you will be very safe when roaming the streets and shops of Sana’a.
Security in Yemen these days is a bit less easy to grasp and thus more of a hot topic. We will give you a brief background on this: As Yemen has a strong tribal background tribes are always part of politics and due to the mountainous areas it is difficult for the central government to control the country completely.
In the past kidnapping of foreigners was an important way for tribes of getting negotiations with the government into the right direction. Except on one occasion when the government tried to free a number of tourists by force, nothing bad has happened to the kidnapped. Most people who were ever kidnapped here tell that they were treated well and have enjoyed the hospitality of the tribe. Nevertheless it is not a desirable happening to be kidnapped. Since the year 2000 the number of kidnappings of expats has decreased enormously and fear for kidnappings has more or less disappeared. Unfortunately another threat has emerged that is less predictable and more violent.
Over the past decennia Yemen has been a good hide-out for fundamentalists and extremists and it is said there have been training camps for terrorists. In the past this save refuge meant that Yemen was left alone and was no playground for attacks. Since the USS Cole attack in Aden and the attack on the oil tanker Limburg things have changed in Yemen. Through these attacks the government experienced that Yemen can be harmed by terrorism. The Yemeni harbours were avoided by boats (due to the increase of 300% for insurance premiums to be paid) and monthly huge amounts of revenues were missed due to this. Tourism, which was another good source of income, came to a halt after September 2001 and it took more than half a year before any tourist would come to Yemen again. Still tourism is slow.
Nowadays most foreign agencies and embassies will be surrounded by security just to not be an easy target for extremists. It all looks a bit overdone but still it is necessary for all to be alert as threats are received regularly and plans for attacks are discovered every now and then. As a foreigner in Yemen you will have to live with these security measures. This means you will need to be aware of what is going on around you and in world politics. Take care you are in touch with your own embassy or other national agency and get registered there. While driving, keep enough distance to be able to escape if necessary and try to avoid routine routes. It is necessary to always keep a feeler for the atmosphere around you. Your guard may be a good help in finding out what is going on in your neighbourhood. Anything in politics or war can change the atmosphere dramatically and Yemenis are usually well aware of what is happening in the world. As many mosques in Yemen do not restrict themselves to religious matters but tend to go into world politics it is wise to avoid the inner city after the Friday prayers.
Traffic in Yemen
The traffic in Yemen is chaotic but as the people are usually relaxed and tolerant they will not bother about mistakes (or about being overtaken by a female driver). Many cars lack the presence of any mirror (and lights etc.) so they will not look behind them but just ahead. As long as everybody keeps an eye on what is going on ahead and expects the unexpected, the system works quite well.
You will find most drivers very alert as always something unexpected is happening in the Sana’a traffic. Be aware that the sidewalks along the roads are in bad shape and thus most pedestrians just use the road to walk.
Most taxis are not well maintained and will take any bump in the road as slowly as possible in order not to fall apart, so keep some distance. A nuisance is the dababs (the small mini buses). They stop in any place at any moment preferably at a crossing or at a corner. Stay away from them as they really make a mess out of the traffic and a collision with them is not unthinkable.
In case you do have an accident: Stay calm and try to get in touch with someone who can help you with Arabic if needed. Be reminded that friendliness quickly disappears if there are casualties so avoid them at any cost. Taking the number of a traffic policeman or anybody else will not work. The costs are yours unless you have a major accident and somebody supports you if you have a complaint against any other driver.
As many cars in Yemen lack any lights the traffic is dangerous in the evening or at night. Outside Sana’a you will not find many roads that have lanterns at night. Coupled with the badly maintained vehicles and ill protected roads this leads to dangerous driving so always avoid driving in the dark. When travelling in the country plan to be at your destination before darkness. By then it will be dinnertime anyhow.
Rent a car
Herz (tel: 440309)is the most used company for car-rent in Sana’a. They will charge you $ 50 per day to rent a car. Their office is located on the 60 Meter Road, opposite to the area where you find the UN offices. They are part of Universal travel and are in the Universal building.
An alternative is Universal (tel. 440305 ), a tourist agent with office on the 60 meter Road (see Herz). They rent out cars with driver for approximately US$ 50,- a day. The drivers usually only speak limited English, but they know their way around
A cheaper possibility to rent a car is via Sam (tel: 73760174), the barkeeper of the British Club. Sam has some seven different cars to offer and will charge you a 300$ per month. That’s the best deal you will get here. Besides being a bar tender and car rental Sam is also part of Yemen Smile. An NGO that collects money to have children with a cleft palate operated and help them enjoy life better and unashamed. Try to support them every now and then because they make other people happy.
Hertz Rent a Car
Universal Building, 60 Meters Road
Tel:
Sana’a: 440309
Aden: 245625
Universal Rent a Car
Hertz International Franchisee
Sana’a Tel: 440309 Fax: 440310
Aden Telefax: 245625
E-mail: utthertz@y.net.ye
Source by : Rosan Aalbers |
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