English site Deutsche Seite Page Français Pagina Italiana Página en Español	Search your travel package after destination, tour, operator, hotel, restaurant or other travel services. Listings are according to alphabetical order and destination. Important travel tips and information you will find under each country link. Please contact webmaster@yemen-explorers.com for listings in Middle East Travel Exchange directory.
Yemen	Main destinations				Activities
	Tours and operators	Travel services	Hotels	Restaurants	Rent a car	Airlines	Handicrafts and shops	Institutes
Official name	Al-Jamhuriya Al-Yamaniya (Republic of Yemen)
Head of State	President Ali Abdullah Saleh
Area	527,968 square km
Population	18.28 million (2000); annual growth: 3.4 per cent (1999)
Capital	Sana'a (over 1 million inhabitants in 1998)
Official language	Arabic, English is spoken by many businessmen
Currency	Rial (YR) = 100 Fils
Exchange rate	YR173.70 per US$; YR151 per Euro (March 2002)
Weights/ measures	Metric system
Time	GMT plus 3 hours
Legal system	Based on Islamic and English common law and local tribal customs
Country code	967
Voltage	220/230 V, 50 Hz
Entrance/Visa	Passport must be at least valid for 6 months, Visa ca. 60 US$ in advance by Yemen Embassies
Customs/Duty free	600 cigarettes or 60 cigars or 500g tobacco, 1 perfume or Eau de Toilette 2 bottles alcoholic drinks (only non-Muslims)
Health advice	Vaccinations against Hepatitis, Typhoid and Polio are recommended, also anti-malaria prevention - (Malaria has been endemic in Tihama - coastal region). Bilharzias is widespread and gastric upsets common. Visitors should be careful about the strong sun and the extreme changes of the altitude during traveling through the country. Therefore the traveler should have protective sun lotion, chap stick and mineral tablets in his bag. It is recommended to drink only purified water.
Climate	The climate in Yemen is various and depends on the different altitudes of the regions. There are no distinctive limits between the seasons. Generally there are two main seasons (summer and winter). During summer the climate is hot with high humidity dominating in the coastal area. In winter the climate in the coastal area is relatively moderate. Occasional rains in the summer are caused by the monsoon coming from the Indian Ocean. These rains decrease the high temperatures in the coastal area during the summer. The weather in the mountain area is moderate in summer and relatively cold in winter. During winter it becomes especially cold in the night and in the early morning, with pleasant sunny days.
Travel season	best season between September and April, during summer avoid Tihama, Hadhramaut and desert regions
Attractions	variety of landscape, unique clay architecture, local people and their hospitality, magnificent walking treks, eco-tourism at Soqotra Island
Accommodation	big cities: 3 - 5 Star hotels, countryside: local guest houses
Transportation	All main cities are connected by roads, therefore collect taxis and busses are going daily to these cities. Furthermore the local airline company Yemenia serves following destinations in the country: Sana'a, Aden, Taiz, Al-Hodaidah, Al-Mukalla, Sayun, Al-Ghaidhah, Ataq and Soqotra Island. In the cities travelers may find collect taxis to almost any place in Yemen, the charge is YR15 (March 2002). All taxis have yellow plates. Who wants to rent a private taxi should inform the driver about time (empty leg or waiting time). It is also for the locals usual to bargain the price in advance. The taxis of the big hotels have fixed rates based on time and distance. Furthermore tour companies are offering cars with experienced drivers, this service is much recommended for travelers who want to go to remote tourist destinations and areas. Hertz and Europcar have also branches in Sana'a and Aden.
Main destinations
Sana'a	Sana'a alone is worth a trip, compact old city with traditional market, superb architecture
Sana'a mountain region	great terrace and mountain landscape, ancient fortified villages, good for trekking
Wadi Hadhramaut	unique landscape with sand rock mountains and clay brick architecture, visit cities of Sayub, Shibam and Tarim and Wadi Doan
Soqotra Island	good preserved biotope with nice beaches, coral reefs and unique flora, sustainable ecotourism
Activities
Trekking	excellent trekking paths in regions surrounding Sana'a, Hajjah and Ibb
Diving	Red Sea, especially Hunaish Islands - Indian Ocean, Soqotra Island
Bird watching	Yemen is winter location during bird migration, recommended regions: coastal line of Red Sea, Taiz mountain region and Bab Al-Mandab coast