Category: Yemen

When we were in the airport in Cairo, before we boarded our Yemenia flight to Seiyun, we were told not to post on social media live. Not for safety reasons, but because it is so easy to go viral in Yemen that it would be a pain for us to be recognized in the streets everywhere we went. We wanted to keep a low profile. And we did a pretty good job of that… until we went to Mukalla!

The first place we went into Mukalla was the fish market! It was interesting but very smelly – I ended up having to wash out the hem of my abaya in the hotel sink to try to get the scent of fish out of it. I had never seen a market that sold stingrays before. We also headed next door to the market that sold fruits and vegetables.

The markets were cool, but the highlight of our time in Mukalla was the boat tour at sunset. Most cities are best viewed from the water, in my opinion!

The sun was about to dip over the horizon as we got back to land, which meant it was time for iftar! There was a big spread set up near the harbor, and the local people invited us there. A large group of foreigners caused a pretty big stir. Locals were taking photos and filming us as we sat down to break fast with them.

By the next day, we found out that one of the local Yemeni guys who was filming was an influencer, and videos and photos of us were everywhere. I even got recognized in Aden two days later! It was a strange experience, to say the least.

We got dinner, had shisha on the beach, and then headed to the night market. The night markets were so much fun. It felt like the whole city was out and about, buying and selling and bargaining for everything you could want to buy. I didn’t enjoy wearing the abaya, for the most part, but it was nice at the markets because I was entirely invisible while wearing it. I could look around without any extra stares.

The next day, we went back to the same area, and found it completely deserted! It was so strange to walk the same exact streets and find them empty, with no evidence of the chaos of the previous night. When we were done exploring, it was off to the airport for our next destination – Aden.

It’s been a busy few months of moving apartments (again) and traveling a lot. Things are settling down again, so it’s time to get back to my irregular & not-scheduled travel blogging! When I left off, we were in Seiyun, Yemen.

From Seiyun, we headed into the desert to Wadi Dawan! The landscapes were reminiscent of Arizona, but with incredible Yemeni architecture at every turn. We had a few stops for viewpoints and exploring the towns before we made it to our next hotel.

Our hotel was amazing. It was on the edge of a cliff that reminded me of the Grand Canyon, with small towns dotted below. We even had an infinity pool that overlooked the canyon. Sometimes, when I go to places that are really off the beaten path, I think about how well these establishments would do if they were in more touristy places. The views from the pool were so nice. It would definitely be a luxury option if it was at a canyon that got more people visiting.

After enjoying the pool and relaxing for the first evening, we headed out to tour some of the surrounding communities the next day. It was interesting how the landscape changed going down into the canyon – suddenly, there were palm trees and a river bed, giving the whole area a feeling like an oasis.

There weren’t many people out and about, given that it was Ramadan, but the locals who were out were friendly and excited to see us. It is one of the best things for me of going to places that aren’t typically tourist destinations – I feel like places that have a lot of tourism can get jaded, because they see more of the negatives of having constant visitors, but regions that don’t see a lot of tourists are excited to share their culture and tell you about the places where they live. That’s how it felt in Yemen. People were so happy to say hi, and asked how we were enjoying our time here.

Some of us also went for a hike into the canyon to one of the villages! To be honest, I would not recommend hiking in an abaya – it was hot, it was difficult to figure out where my feet were under the dress, and I was stressed about tripping over the hem of it and skinning my knees on the rocks. But despite the less-than-ideal outfit, I’m glad I went on the hike, because it was gorgeous. We got down to the village close to sunset.

I like hiking. Not as much as some of my friends in Utah, but it’s always nice to add a short hike into an itinerary and have the chance to be awed by nature.

The next day, we headed to our next destination! We were heading from Wadi Dawan to the coast, which meant another few hours in the car for a quick road trip.

This region was probably my favorite in Yemen. I loved the natural beauty that was all around us, and it was nice to get into the smaller towns, where it felt like we could get better interactions with the locals than in the bigger cities. I will never forget sitting on the edge of the canyon, drinking tea and watching the sunset!

After Sarajevo, I flew to Istanbul, then Cairo, where I spent the night at an airport hotel. The next morning, I donned a black abaya and a headscarf and I boarded a Yemenia flight to Seiyun.

Yes, the US State Department warnings are pretty aggressive. And parts of the country are definitely not safe to travel to, but I felt safe where we were during our trip. I went with Wander Expeditions, and we took lots of precautions, including wearing local clothing to blend in. Plus, the areas where we went have military presence from Saudi Arabia and the UAE to help keep things more stable. The region considers themselves South Yemen, and have a unique flag with a blue triangle and a red star to differentiate themselves.

The very first thing we did was get our local clothing! For the women, it was pretty easy – there’s not a lot of variation in what you get to wear there. I had bought a black abaya online in advance and then had a couple headscarf options, one to cover my hair and one full niqab to cover everything but a narrow slit around my eyes. For the men, though, they have a fairly elaborate outfit that we had to buy at a local market.

One other facet of our trip is that we were there during Ramadan. During Ramadan, the entire rhythm of life changes, because there’s fasting from sunrise to sunset. The people operate more nocturnally, with life beginning the moment that the sun goes down and the call to prayer begins. Iftar, which is the breaking of the fast, began as we were driving from the market to our hotel to check in, and there were people on the side of the road passing out water and juice and snacks to everyone that drove by.

This was our first hotel in Seiyun, which I loved. It was beautiful, with an extensive garden, a pool, and a rooftop where we could sit and talk late into the night. Being in the hotels was also very freeing, because it was the only place where we didn’t have to wear the abayas or scarves.

Because of Ramadan, walking around during the day felt like a ghost town. We often wouldn’t see anyone around. In a few places, like the markets we visited later on in the trip, we would get the chance to go while it was lively and then we would walk the same streets the next morning and marvel at how much it had changed.

One of the strangest things was how familiar the landscape felt. It looks just like Arizona, where my grandparents lived for several decades. I used to visit every spring, and if I turned my head away from the buildings, I could practically imagine I was back there for a visit.

From Seiyun, we also visited Shibam, which has been called “the Manhattan of the Desert.” It’s the oldest city in the world to use vertical construction, making these the original skyscrapers.

Shibam was spectacular. Our first introduction of it was from a nearby hill, where we watched the sun set and heard the call to prayer. We went back the next day to talk to a few shopkeepers and take some photos.

The beaded mask is meant for weddings. The beadwork was so intricate and beautiful!

In general, the level of handicrafts was so high. I got a small woven bag and a carved wooden house that matches the style of the ones in Shibam, which are both incredible – I can’t wait to display them in my home.

They also spoke with us about the unique challenges of preserving these buildings. As one might guess about a building made from mud, it is vulnerable to water, including the condensation from retrofitted air-conditioning window units that they use in the hotter days.

One of the things that I love in foreign countries is seeing the brands, whether they’re familiar, knock off, or local. Oreo advertising about celebrating Ramadan in the Saudi Arabian Carrefour, for example. Yemen didn’t disappoint. The knock off Cheetos logo for their “Hot Fire” flavor was one of my favorite things I saw over the course of the week! And the bottom picture is a Fanta, in one of the cooler soda bottles I’ve ever seen.

I also would like to give a shout out to one of the people on my trip, Chad, who brought disposable cameras along with him and had us all use the film with some very cool results. Some aspects of visiting Yemen had a dreamlike quality to it, and the film development emphasized that in all the right ways. That last photo of Melhim and I standing on the top of a building and taking photos of the Shibam skyline is one of my favorites from the whole trip! Also, yes, I still look like a vampire when flash is used in photography. Some things never change.

This was the start of a truly special trip, and I’ll have more photos of it soon!