Travel to Sana'a these days?
 

I may be heading to Sana'a soon, it's somewhere I've always wanted to visit but I'd also like to return in one piece. Can anyone with first-hand knowledge give an impression of the security situation there at present? The UK FCO just says "don't go" - is this overly cautious or is Sana'a really too dangerous to consider for Westerners at the moment?

Re: Travel to Sana'a these days?
 

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-...h-africa/yemen

I think you would be mad to go there against this advise unless the company that you are working for has high security and an escape plan!

Re: Travel to Sana'a these days?
 

I am knocking about in Yemen at the moment, all is fairly peaceful nothing to be unduly worried about. There is a conference in Sana'a next weekend regarding the south/north problem so it might be better to avoid that.
You will struggle perhaps to get a visa as a tourist though but it mightn't be totally impossible.

Re: Travel to Sana'a these days?
 

Good to know, thanks. I'll be on a business visa if I go so no worries there.

Re: Travel to Sana'a these days?
 

Thanks Patsy. I find the FCO advice tends to be over-cautious, the impression I have is that the risk is low (within Sana'a at least). If you really want a good scare then check out the US warnings for just about anywhere: (http://travel.state.gov/travel/)

Re: Travel to Sana'a these days?
 

Better to have a local with you if you can at all, especially a good driver or someone who knows the score. Its not exactly wander about like a tourist kind of place at the moment.
Other than Sana'a, Taiz or Aden I wouldn't risk other places and certainly no trips into tribal lands. Sana'a is about the most dangerous by the way :p
Check out the old city, Dar al Hajr, Salah mosque and maybe a flight to Socotra if you get a few days and a few others I can't think of right now. Taj Sheba is a good hotel to stay at in Sana'a

Re: Travel to Sana'a these days?
 

I was suppose to go next week but our security team blocked it because of this conference.

Our resident guy there says its better than it was... he has been moved into a regular compound now rather than imprisoned in the Movenpick

Re: Travel to Sana'a these days?
 

Hi Millhouse, we'd like you to look at this situation we've got, it's in the Maldives?

No thanks, I'd rather go to Kabul.

You love a random fridge magnet eh.

Re: Travel to Sana'a these days?
 

I do try my best to collect fridge magnets from these places but they generally do not have them. That said, it is possible to buy a 35mm camera in Yemen Duty Free... I didn't check to see if they had film though. Probably not.

Re: Travel to Sana'a these days?
 

Good advice, thank you. I heard that the Burj Al Salaam was the best place to stay in Sana'a, do you know it? Unfortunately I won't be there long enough for a trip to Socotra, that will have to remain on the todo list for now.

Re: Travel to Sana'a these days?
 

Yeah I know it, its a small hotel in the centre of the old city. Nice roof terrace there also. Its a bit of a pain to get to with all the narrow crowded streets but if you are in no major panic or have an easy schedule it would be a nice spot to stay. You can stroll around the old city from there, you'll meet a hundred kids outside wanting to be your guide (and bring you to their mates shops) but you'll need one as its a total maze.
Nice Yemeni food restaurant called Al Shibani in a district called Hadda, go upstairs to the main area.
The movenpick hotel is on the outskirts of the city by the way, but used to have a fairly insane nightclub in the basement. Not sure if its still open

Re: Travel to Sana'a these days?
 

You can buy a jumbiya (the curvy knife) there also and carry it on the plane. Well on internal flights anyhow, Felix airways are like a bus with wings.

Re: Travel to Sana'a these days?
 

I went a few years ago and stayed at the Burj Al Salaam - it's a boutique hotel not chain etc - I liked it for a tourist stay, not sure if it's great for business and as mentioned it is right in the middle of the old part of town.

Here is a long thread about my trip

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...light=yemen+al

No idea on the safety now, but back then all felt ok.

I loved it there and would like to go back again sometime...

Re: Travel to Sana'a these days?
 

The movenpick used to sell drink also the British embassy bar. Is this still the case.?:drinkwine:

Re: Travel to Sana'a these days?
 

There is no problem getting alcohol in Sana'a, there were lots of hotels and bars up until about mid 2010 but then a lot closed with the outbreak of the trouble. But its still not hard to have a drink or even buy a few bottles of whiskey or whatever, its not like Saudi its all fairly liberal. You can pretty much carry gallons in through the airport with no trouble.
British Embassy bar is closed since 2010, it was an infrequent opener anyhow. And full of bloody Brits :p
Pretty good hashish found here also, with no real difficulties.And Khat of course if you like to eat your garden hedge.