Somalia – The Promising Tourist Destination

Globally known as Somalia, this nation is actually a cluster of three countries namely, Somalia in the south, Somaliland in the northwest on the Gulf of Aden, and Puntland in the northeast. Somalia has a lot to attract its tourists ranging from natural beauties to historic sites and cultural aroma.

My friends and I planned to visit some of the most important and worth visiting sites here.

Prime Attractions

Somaliland

The minute you say that you are visiting Somaliland, you get reactions such as, “Why are you going there?”, “Do you want to suicide?” This is because of many humanitarian crises in Somalia. However, keeping in mind your security, this is the land that provides maximum safety to its visitors particularly in Hargesia.

Attractions here are its clam and unspoiled beaches for relaxing on white sand, Hargesia, Berbera that will mesmerize you, and the islands off Zeila to the north, Zeila itself, decent hikes, and some captivating views. Adding to your excitement, most of these are accessible to self-reliant travelers.

Berbera

Located in Somaliland, this was once an active port town that has been left with collapsing buildings and mud-and-thatch houses. Attractions here are the historic and imposing  Ottoman architectural buildings and some idyllic beaches offering marvelous sea cliffs located at a distance of 4 km from the centre, the famous being the Baathela Beach. Do not miss to see the vast landing strip that was built in the early 1980s for an urgent landing of the NASA space shuttle.

From here, we headed towards Hargeisa that was really fantastic.

Hargesia

This is the place of no fear and oppression despite the civil wars in past and offer good environs. Here, we visited the notable Freedom Arch and the war memorial in the core of the city. Among the natural attractions around the region, we visited the Nasa Hablood that are the twin hills in the periphery, which is considered to be a superb natural attraction.

The other main attraction at 50 km from this city is the Laas Gaal cave paintings near the city Hargeisa  discovered by a French archaeological group in 2002. Bear in mind that only a limited number of visitors are allowed to enter these caves. The caves are well maintained by the government and locals.

Here, you can stay in some courteous hotels, eat in a good restaurant with special delicacies, and shop in markets.

Sheikh

This is the historic town situated close to Berbera where you can explore ancient British colonial buildings in its original shape and size well maintained in their lifetime of forty years.

Zeila

This is the famous historic town that was a part of the Ottoman Empire in the ancient days. According to its history, this city was a dependent territory of Yemen and Egypt and a major trade hub of the 19th century. Do explore its old colonial sights, offshore mangroves and coral reefs, and lofty cliffs and beach. If you love to, you can discover the nomadic culture of from the nomads residing in the countryside.

Burcao (Burao)

This is the second-largest city in the nation. Known as the capital of the Todgheer province, this city’s alluring part is the rugged experience around the edges as compared to Berbera or Hargeisa. There is nothing much to see here, but you can be the center of attention here, as people are always awaiting to see a tourist or can drench in the environs of the livestock market.

Best Time to Visit Somalia

Somalia witnesses two rainy seasons – April to June and October to November along with two dry seasons – July to September and December to March. It is not recommended to travel in the months of July to September, as temperatures are quite high even up to 40°C.

So, visit this nation during the dry season of winter – from December to March.

Accommodations

Most of the good lodging options are in Berbera and Hargesia that can fit in your budget and tourist destinations.