# My second visit to super exciting Yemen ! ( Mar 7th to Apr 7th, 2009 )



## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

So here we go again


me in Shibam Kawkaban, 40 KM from capital Sana'a at 3000 metres above sea level




me in Sana'a Old city 



The most exciting country 

I've been to 31 countries and I have to say *Yemen is the most exciting !!*. :cheers:

I *strongly reccommend ALL * SSC members to visit Yemen and *I'm very sure* that most of you would agree that Yemen is the most enjoyable country you will ever visit in your whole life !! I've never encountered such a great hospitality as I received from Yemeni people. I met alot of poor Yemenis who shared the same bus/ taxi/ restaurant seat paying for my part, usually costs them more than their average daily salary. Many bus and taxi drivers even exempted me from giving them payment. This is total opposite to whatever I experienced in Egypt.

In Yemen if you travel by solo, you don't need to book hotel in advance, just stroll around and many Yemenis would offer you to stay in their homes ! Everywhere I went to in Yemen they all treated me as their own family member, offering me to stay in their homes, giving me very sincere advice as their own close relative, taking me with their fishing boats to the sea, bringing me to their friend's wedding, and giving all care and neccessities I needed. It was very hard for me to leave Yemen on my final day. I have no relation at all with Yemen but now, *I already regard Yemen as my own country* and if not for my family in Malaysia, I'd like to spend the rest of my life in Yemen, particularly in Aden. 

Plus I've never seen such gorgeous beaches anywhere else ! In Malaysia or Thailand you need to get to islands to find such pure crystal water but in Yemen particularly in the South you get the same crystal quality of water right on the mainland ! The mountainous regions of Yemen are very steep and extreme, and its pretty incredible that main population centres of Yemen are concentrated high in the mountains. The capital Sana'a is located 2,200 metres above sea level so expect extreme gorgeous scenery when you take downhill routes to the south ( Aden ), East ( Ma'rib, Seiyun ) and West ( Manakha/ Hodeidah ) directions . 


This time I spent 30 days ( instead of 18 days during my first visit, 5 months ago ). From Sana'a I headed down to Aden by bus then I made a circular route into Red Sea coast of Yemen ( al-Makha, Hodeida ) before climbing up into Sana'a.


*My flying route *: 

Kuala Lumpur- Dubai ( by Cathay Pacific ) 15 hrs via Hongkong
Dubai- Sana'a ( by Jazeera Airways ) 2:30 hrs 



*My path route: *

Sana'a 
*-->* Shibam Kawkaban ( famous mountain village ) 40 KM from Sana'a 
*--> *Aden( 360 km from Sana'a, 8 hrs by bus . Fare 1700 YER/ $ 8.50 one-way ) 
*-->* side trips from Aden to Abyan, Lahij, Taiz, Ibb
*-->* Al-Makha ( where Mocha coffee derived its name ) and Hodeidah - 2 towns on Red Sea coast 
*-->* back into Sana'a


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

*Sana'a*

Old Sana'a from the rooftop of Golden Daar Hotel


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

*Sana'a*

It's me having my breakfast with fantastic view of Sana'a :cheers:


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Sana'a





A typical Yemeni inter-city highway ( Hodeidah- Zabid stretch )


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## KB (Feb 22, 2006)

You seem to have loads of free time and money. I wish I could vacation more often 


Looking forward to your thread...I like the way you present your travels. Wouldn't you start from the plane this time around?


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Well actually, this time it's more into a business trip, I visited Yemen in search of good product to be traded in Malaysia but in the same time I traveled abit.

I wanted to start from plane/ airport pics however photography is discouraged at airport plus in previous thread of Yemen many demanded Sana'a pics which I failed to deliver.


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## anone (Apr 2, 2007)

thank you for sharing with us your second trip to Yemen. looking forward for more pictures. do they speak and understand english? is it safe to travel by bus or taxi around yemen?


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Thanks, still hundreds of pics to come. Most people ( around 90% ) don't speak English at all, so I think better learn to read Arabic and learn some Arabic words befre visiting Yemen. 

Yemen has good road system ( unlike places like Egypt ) , and public transportation is very excellent. Its very easy to move around by bus, minibus and shared taxis- they are cheap and fast. And yea, Yemen is safe - I feel as safe as in Malaysia. But try avoid high-risk regions such as Marib, Sa'ada and Shibam Hadhramowt ( the birthplace of Skyscrapercity ) since it's believed that organizations like Al-Qeda are operating there.


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

beach in Ras Emran, Aden 





Me in Shibam Kawkaban, at about 3000 m above sea level


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

Great pics, Skyprince. The historic buildings in Sanaa's old city is a sight to behold. Looking forward to more photos.

I hope you had another good time in Yemen.


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Dude I met lots of Somalis there, they taught me some Somali words Kaak! ( stand up!)


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

again in Shibam Kawkaban





Ma'soub a famous banana dish in Yemen


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

Skyprince said:


> Dude I met lots of Somalis there, they taught me some Somali words Kaak! ( stand up!)


It's prononced Caah (with a rough h). Also means get up out of bed. 

This is what the mosque screams early in the morning there for Fajr prayer after the call for prayer...just hear "caah, caah, caah" at 5AM. 

Translated, "get up, get up, get up". Nice alarm clock.


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## Pivra (Nov 20, 2007)

you visit Yemen twice already, within a very short period, do you speak Arabic already ya akhi hahaha?


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## OshHisham (Nov 14, 2005)

haven't you visited Morocco yet? i've heard those old cities like Fez and Marrakech are much more exotic....:yes:


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Pivra said:


> you visit Yemen twice already, within a very short period, do you speak Arabic already ya akhi hahaha?


ana Ma fee kalam arabi.. habba habba 

Reading arabi la mushkila though 

i can count up to billions in Arabic . 




OshHisham said:


> haven't you visited Morocco yet? i've heard those old cities like Fez and Marrakech are much more exotic....:yes:


Hmm actually I don't think there are more exotic places than Yemen in entire Middle East. I dare to say Yemen has the friendliest people, the greatest nature ( pristine beaches, extreme mountains ) and the most culturally & socially untouched in entire Middle East. GVisit Lonely Planet site and most forumers there would agree I think. Tourist attractions and tourist facilities are *extremely abundant* in Yemen, it feels like *"Thailand of the Middle East "*:cheers: Yemen's service mentality is pretty similar to whatever I saw in Thailand and Japan- fast and friendly. BTW I think Iran shares the same friendliest people too. 

Morocco is nice, however it's its too far from KL and its much costlier than Yemen ( remember, you don't need hotel in Yemen ) plus its much less exotic due to foreign influence.

Yemen is definitely the most exciting and most rewarding country to visit for Malaysians. ( no joke ) As foreigner especially from Asia you're treated like King, everywhere you go to they all wanna befriend you !


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## Saigoneseguy (Mar 6, 2005)

I could only dream of this place, and you went there twice. Lucky guy.


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

well, AirAsia plans Dubai/Abu Dhabi flights soon, so you can visit there very cheaply from Vietnam


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

A beach in Al-Qisah village, Aden





view from Jebel Khanfar, Gaar, Abyan governorate 80KM from Aden


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

with a group of Yemenis, in Zinjibar the capital of Abyan governorate 60KM from Aden [ I became very dark, due to nonstop daily sunshine in Aden ]





with a friend from Abyan


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Perfume shop in Aden



My dinner... grilled fish and squid!


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Sana'a captured from the roof of Golden Daar hotel




Zinjibar a small town in South Yemen


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## Halawala (Oct 16, 2005)

Wow Nice pics, Skyprince! But I was suprised you went to Dubai via HKG! There were more direct options like Qatar Airways, Malaysia, EK, Oman Air, hmmm.. Endless!


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## ikops (Jun 12, 2008)

Some breathtaking architecture.


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## African Lion (May 28, 2007)

Thanks Skyprince, Im glad you had a good time. The cities are very artistic and you have changed my mind about Yemen. BTW, Smile and have a good posture in your photos.:nocrook::hi:


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

@Halawala- CX had the cheapest fares and yes it's crazy to fly 4 hrs to HKG then 8 hrs into DXB , plus another 2 hrs and a half to Yemen. Oman Air has no flights out of both KUL and SAH, btw.

@African Lion- Yemen is a great neighbour to all surrounding countries including your Ethiopia. it has surprisingly good infrastructure ( first-rate roads, many facilities etc. )


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## Xusein (Sep 27, 2005)

Skyprince said:


> My dinner... grilled fish and squid!


:drool::eat:

The best fried fish that I ever ate was from the Gulf of Aden...at the other side of the Gulf, in Berbera.

Nice update, btw. :banana2:


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## egypt69 (Feb 21, 2008)

Hey Skyprince! Yemen looks great! Much better than I expected, gosh the media makes everything seem like crap hno:
I hope you had a good time.

P.S. I thought you liked your trip to egypt, what's up with all the critisicm?

:cheers:
egypt69


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## Sukkiri (Feb 8, 2007)

Looks great Skyprince! You always take good photos and find hidden jewels in the world, like Yemen. Make sure you have some qat.


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## ace4 (Dec 12, 2006)

i can't believe i haven't commented yet on this wonderful travel thread... anyway i'd like to thank you for the amazing pics you've shown here and i get to really understand life in Yemen...:cheers: anyway it's nice this time you explore more of Sana'a and have many pics to share...:banana:

so do you think you will be coming back here in the future? i'd really like to visit as well...


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

I must admit that this report isn't as good as ( with considerably less pics than ) the 1st vist, since there was a big problem with my camera,



Xusein said:


> :drool::eat:
> 
> The best fried fish that I ever ate was from the Gulf of Aden...at the other side of the Gulf, in Berbera.
> 
> Nice update, btw. :banana2:



Hmm well I don't know how food looks like in Somalia, but food in Yemen is just so-so in my opinion. Food in Sana'a/North isn't tasty and they seldom eat fish , but in Aden/South food is generally "good" (but not excellent as in Southeast Asia or Gulf ).





egypt69 said:


> Hey Skyprince! Yemen looks great! Much better than I expected, gosh the media makes everything seem like crap hno:
> I hope you had a good time.
> 
> P.S. I thought you liked your trip to egypt, what's up with all the critisicm?
> ...


Well my real stand on Egypt:

I miss Egypt alot, that's due to very friendly and hospitable Egyptians I met in the South. I got terribly sick when I was in Luxor and one Egyptian stranger took me to his house for rest ( very poor family ) and we went together with his mother to clinic for treatment . And he paid 100 EGP for my treatment which takes half his monthly salary! The mother took care of me very well as if I was her own kid, she even wanted me to stay forever in Luxor , it was so depressing and emotional when I was to leave after 3 days in their house. They are the nicest people I've ever met in my life.

However I will never reccommend Egypt for *tourism*, even for the most extreme backpackers like me. It was very harsh especially very aggressive salespeople and massive bribery in the country; One security lady at Cairo airport threatened not to allow me on board the flight and would throw me to jail if I didn't pay her money. 



Sukkiri said:


> Looks great Skyprince! You always take good photos and find hidden jewels in the world, like Yemen. Make sure you have some qat.





ace4 said:


> i can't believe i haven't commented yet on this wonderful travel thread... anyway i'd like to thank you for the amazing pics you've shown here and i get to really understand life in Yemen...:cheers: anyway it's nice this time you explore more of Sana'a and have many pics to share...:banana:
> 
> so do you think you will be coming back here in the future? i'd really like to visit as well...


Thanks dudes, for sure I want to return again and again to Yemen; It's so exciting that it keeps appearing on my dream! Sukkiri I know you like SouthEast Asian destinations including Malaysia but I'm afraid you'll find them boring after visiting Yemen.........

Anyway next trip I want to cover Hadhramowt, Mahrah and Marib.. plus Socotra Island!


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## OshHisham (Nov 14, 2005)

Skyprince said:


> Zinjibar a small town in South Yemen


i wonder if this photo were somewhere in Malaysia... i believe you will mercilessly bash the government, the peoples and the country.....:lol:


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Distance sign from Sana'a



Taken during Dubai-Sana'a flight -- The World and Dubai skyline




Me with Yemeni friends in Dar'saad neighboorhood of Aden


My best friend Mr. Raof


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)




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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

Road between Hodeidah and Taiz, along Red Sea coast.


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## isakres (May 13, 2009)

*Gr8 pics*

Great pics Skyprince...thank for sharing,,,

Yemen looks very interesting and the people looks very friendly.......

I recently hear that Yemen has a few Islands down into the red sea ....Its good to know that there are (still) countries like Yemen to discover....

Cheers,


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## WasanUKboy (Jul 10, 2008)

YAY MAN!!!! rolf


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

isakres said:


> Great pics Skyprince...thank for sharing,,,
> 
> Yemen looks very interesting and the people looks very friendly.......
> 
> ...


Can;t wait for my third visit there, this September .

The island you mean is Socotra ?


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## FREKI (Sep 27, 2005)

Great and very interesting pics mate - thanks for sharing!


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Skyprince said:


> Sana'a captured from the roof of Golden Daar hotel


Perfect shot of Sana'a  the big building (looks like glassy-type building) behind the old city its a hotel?


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## isakres (May 13, 2009)

Skyprince said:


> Can;t wait for my third visit there, this September .
> 
> The island you mean is Socotra ?


Cant really remember the name skyprince...hno:...but i remember the islands where located down into the ocean just off the african coast of Somalia. They were all untouched islands and there were some touristic projects on the table for the near future....


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## Arpels (Aug 9, 2004)

the old city see from the roof of Golden Daar hotel :drool:


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## Shezan (Jun 21, 2007)

breathtaking scapes


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## Skyprince (May 2, 2006)

christos-greece said:


> Perfect shot of Sana'a  the big building (looks like glassy-type building) behind the old city its a hotel?


Thats probably a hotel or a hospital built by Chinese



isakres said:


> Cant really remember the name skyprince...hno:...but i remember the islands where located down into the ocean just off the african coast of Somalia. They were all untouched islands and there were some touristic projects on the table for the near future....


I think that's the Perim islands between Yemen and Djibouti ?



Arpels said:


> the old city see from the roof of Golden Daar hotel :drool:



Amazing, isn;t it ? Now see why I like Yemen- it's totaly different world!


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