Little info aboutYemen
 

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

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

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?

Djibouti to Al Makha
 

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

Land border Yemen visa
 

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

Oman into Yemen
 

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

Yemen is GREAT
 

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. :clap:

Sami

Oman
 

Now wondering Oman, intended to visit there someday.


Anyhow Yemen looks more interesting...

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!

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.

Yemen Carnet
 

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

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.

Oman rego
 

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

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.

visas uae, oman, yemen
 

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

Djibouti in February
 

Good blog and also some handy info, I will be going from Djibouti to Yemen later early next year, currently in Pretoria leaving in a fortnight heading up the East coast so any one out there may see you on the road.

Cheers all
Robbo

Hi,

UAE: no visa, just a stamp for 30 days. 20 Dh. to pay when leaving.

Oman: 6 OR at the border, one month

Yemen: 90 days at the border, 15 or 17 OR (depending on which border you use!). You may have to insist to get 90 days (before they glue it in!) as they gave me only 30 days. This is the only of the three where you need a carnet.

This applies to Schengen citizens, others will have to check elsewhere.

Visa's
 

Hello G&T,

I take it from you post that you are European. Ok, for what I know is that you will automatically get a visa for the UAE and Oman, either at the border or airport. For Yemen though, you will have to get a visa in either of these countries or before you leave home. I got mine in Dar Es Salaam ($60US) and several days. My wife got hers in Muscat (14 OMR) and 1 hour. So I suggest that you go to the emabassy once your in Muscat and get it there, even here people are friendly and helpful!

If your flying into Sana, Yemen. Then I hear that you can get one from the airport but don't quote me on that.

Hope that helps.

Cheers
Ivan

Does that mean i cannot get my Yemeni visa on arrival from Djabouti?

Visa for Yemen
 

So from what replies there are can i get my visa for Yemen upon arrival in Aden??? or should I get it elswhere??

Yemen visa
 

Rob / Joe,

I am really not sure if you can get one in Djibouti I didn't see a Yemani Embassy there. I would first try Addis, they would have one there and it is cheaper that Djibouti to stay for a few days. Djibouti really hasn't that much to offer and is expensive.

Rob, I don't know about Aden I sailed from Al Macha as have most people, I have heard that the large boats won't carry you and there is no ferry. I will send some pics to your email mate.

Cheers
Ivan

Can i get some photos of the crossing etc by any chance to JoeSheffer@Hotmail.co. uk

CHEERS
Joe

Hi

Whilst you were dealing with the boats to Djibouti, did you notice anything big enough to take a 4x4?

Thanks

Daniel

visa at border
 

no need to worry. you get the visa at the border, valid 90 days. can't remember how much we paid, but wasn't that expensive. enjoy aden, we loved it.

Hi everybody,

Anybody knows anything about a rumour which says you're not allowed to leave Yemeni cities alone if you're travelling with your own vehicle???

Thanks,
DS

Rumour!!
 

As far as I know, it is just a rumour. I rode all through there alone and went in and out of Aden, Taizz etc with out any worries. I never went to Sanna though mybe Beddhist could tell you more?

Cheers
Ivan

rumour indeed
 

just get a permit at the police station and you can go to most places. only if the police feels certain areas are really unsafe, they'll give you an escort, or if they don't feel like it, redirect you. but there's always one route open.

enjoy

police escorts in yemen
 

Just left yemen. Entered from Djibouti at Al Mokka, and traveled escort free through Taiz to San'a.
In San'a the tourist police would not issue a travel permit east to Shibam through Marib (the normal escort city) because of the Belgium killings.
Only option was to go south to Aden and along the coast to Oman. Made it 20km from San'a before the escorts started. Lots of phoning around and waiting for the police to decide what to do with us. The police in a Hyundai Sante Fe crammed with soldiers would bring us to the next police stop where sometimes they would exchange us for a new escort, or sometimes continue to the next. Take lots of photocopies of your travel permit. Everybody wants one. 20 would not be too many.

At sunset trying to get to Shuqra (with Yemens only slow driver at the wheel of the escort car) the police would not let us go to the town (2 km from their police checkpoint) and we camped behind the garbage dump - i mean their office.

After Al Mukulla on the way to Oman was the only part of the trip where we were allowed to travel without escort, and had a nice couple bush camps on that stretch.

There would be plenty of super bush camps and dirt roads all over the show if one would be allowed to go there.

It is hard to be angry with the police for being cautious or concerned for our safety, but nothing says "TOURIST COMING YOUR WAY" more than a blue and white police car with lights flashing and siren wailing leading a motorcycle or two. We met with the director of security of Taizz and his explanation of the shooting was tribal conflict between the tribe in Hadramut and the government.
Rene

escorts etc
 

apparently it just depends on who you run into. a dutch biker & friend of ours who's there now got a permit for the sayun-marib-sanaa road and even camped there. had to take an escort with him to visit the marib site, though.

the coastal escorts vary. we didn't have any when going, but one on the way back.

g&t