Little info aboutYemen

[Dingo]

Hello guys,

I have just spent the last 10 days riding down through Yemen from Salalah and must say that it was great! Nothing of the 5 days I waited for a boat to Djibouti at the end of it tho :-( The place is quite poor which you will notice as soon as you cross the border but the coast road is all Asphalt (Not good for TKC80 tyres)!

If you ride down through this country be prepared to be asked a million times how many $'s your bike costs and to have about 50 locals surrounding you when ever you stop! This even happens out in the middle of the desert, don't ask me where they all come from?

Fuel is plentyful and cheap, accomodation is cheap (didn't camp once) and people are super friendly! I did find every one I met real friendly except for one shipping agent at Al Makha who wouldn't let my bike on a boat!!! But the immigration guys are very friendly as well as the police there. As I was there for several days I got to know these guys very well. I was even invited for the Friday meal with the Chief of Police there, So there was me and about 30 of the Yemeni police and military sitting around eating arab style......haha. Then came the chewing of Qat!! Won't say anymore about this but you have to experience it at least once in your life. You will see it as soon as you enter Yemen, as well as the stained teeth of all the men!

Boat trip across took about 20 hours! When I put the bike on the boat and saw the rest of the load they had on I really thought that we would sink! I even kept all my valubles in my day pack so if we did I would have my passport and money anyway.....haha. Arrived Djibouti port at 19:00 Tuesday night and they said they would take my bike off next day. (If you do this trip over make SURE your bike comes off when you get there)!! I was back at the port next morning at 8 to collect the bike but the boat was 3rd in line to be unloaded. Bike didn't come off until 18:00 that night! Beware! Oh btw, you will constantly be hounded for money from guys at the port, who ever touches any of your gear wants money so insist that you can do it alone. Cost me $50US to get the bike taken off the boat but I it had to be lifted up onto the dock.

Ok, just a little info for this wonderful country, please go there and enjoy it.

Cheers
Ivan

[beddhist]

Yep, if I had to pick a favourite country so far it would be Yemen.

[StevenD]

Sounds good and i'm looking forward to riding there!
Do you think is will be easy to get on a boat from the Djibouti side?

[Dingo]

Hello Steven,

Yes mate should be no problem to get a boat from Djibouti side at all. The port there is massive and there will be more chance to go to either Al Makha or Aden, whichever you prefer?

I will send you some contacts that can handle everything for you next time I log on. (Don't have them with me now)! By the way, when do you plan to be in Djibouti? I will return there end of October to ride to TZ.

Cheers
Ivan

[DesertSoul]

Hi everybody,

Could somebody provide me with a reliable info on the possibility for an EU citizen to get a tourist visa on a LAND border crossing form Oman?

Thanks in advance and safe journeys,
DS

[Stephano]

Originally Posted by DesertSoul

Could somebody provide me with a reliable info on the possibility for an EU citizen to get a tourist visa on a LAND border crossing form Oman?

Speak to Lars or Peter for fairly recent EU citizen info regarding Oman into Yemen.
Stephan

[Samy]

Hi,

I've spent 20 days in that great country called Yemen and loved it.
I've been nearly everywhere in the country, we rented a 4x4 and passed desert too.
People is very poor yet brave and friendly.

When I was back I made a photo exhibition about Yemen at Taksim/Istanbul.

I can visit Yemen once a year with great joy.

Sami

[Samy]

Now wondering Oman, intended to visit there someday.


Anyhow Yemen looks more interesting...

[StevenD]

Originally Posted by Dingo

Hello Steven,

Yes mate should be no problem to get a boat from Djibouti side at all. The port there is massive and there will be more chance to go to either Al Makha or Aden, whichever you prefer?

I will send you some contacts that can handle everything for you next time I log on. (Don't have them with me now)! By the way, when do you plan to be in Djibouti? I will return there end of October to ride to TZ.

Cheers
Ivan

Good new's, dont know what place i prefer.

On the 11'th of 11 i'l start my trip in Cape town riding up west, then Zambia and up to Kilimanjaro, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia and then Djibouti.
On the date i'l be in any of those places i cant say anything becouse i dont know I have all time i need to do the trip and plan to take it slow, probably in TZ around februari or so.

Thnx for the contacts!

[beddhist]

Originally Posted by DesertSoul

Hi everybody,

Could somebody provide me with a reliable info on the possibility for an EU citizen to get a tourist visa on a LAND border crossing form Oman?

Thanks in advance and safe journeys,
DS

The official word from the ministry in Sana'a is that Schengen citizens get 90 days at the border. As I got only 30 days I went there for an extension, which raised eyebrows and I got the exension for free.

My advice: make sure they give you 90 days before they fill in the sticker. If the official refuses demand that he rings head office.

Now, whether your country is already a Schengen member I don't know.

===> Carnet de Passages is required for Yemen, but not Oman and UAE.

[Dingo]

I was told at the border that I did not require a Carnet and it was also not reconised in Yemen Peter. I sat there for nearly 2 hours and they would not have a bar of it and said that I would have to pay 90 OMR for their (Yemen Carnet). What they ended up doing though was write in my passport that I took a bike into Yemen and when I left from Al Makha the customs there wrote that I took it out. This I showed to all the checkpoints enroute and did not have a problem at all. So this may be another cheaper way to go? I still have my carnet unused as they didn't want it for Djibouti either!

Cheers
Ivan

[beddhist]

Sorry, I don't quite understand what you write. Sounds like one person told you Yemen doesn't recognise the carnet and the next person then wanted to sell you one.

When I turned up they asked for the carnet, I didn't volunteer it. It was correctly processed at entry and exit, although they had lots of discussions amongst themselves. I also saw other people with Omani or UAE carnets.

Time to update the Wikipedia carnet page, me thinks.

[Dingo]

I didn't give them mine either, but one of the officials said that the Carnet that I had purchased in Oman was not reconised in Yemen. It also stated this in the list on the back where Yemen wasn't mentioned at all either. Anyway after a lot of talking and yes, again discussions between themselves one guy said that I had to purchase one from them which only covered Yemen!

This I kept saying that I wouldn't do and then they finally decided to place the statement in my passport. I believe that it all depends who you get at the border and how much Khat they have had to chew......haha!

Also my bike is regestered in Oman so I am not sure if this is a problem at all?

Cheers
Ivan

[beddhist]

Yes, most carnets are not valid in all countries. You need to state where you want to go when you take it out, so something went wrong there.

Good for you they had enough Qat already.

[trui_gaea]

hi all,

simple question: as far as we heard you can just pick up these tree visa at the border. can anyone confirm that and tell us what they cost?

cheers

g and t