| Yemen
Ten days itineray:
7 nights on board and 2 night in hotel
A journey to discover the islands and the coast of Yemen, a paradise for divers and nature lovers.
Every day we will visit different corners of beaches, lagoons and coral reefs of the twenty archipelago islands, of which only one is inhabited by some fisherman.
On all the other islands we will come across seagulls, gannets, pelicans and pink flamingos who fly up from among black and red lava rocks over the turquoise sea.
Seven days of sailing, snorkelling, diving and tablefuls of fresh fish in a untouched, precious sea where you can explore magnificent coral reefs and swim among schools of multicoloured tropical fish
 at the restaurant  Sana'a  houses  Mohammed island  Al Badi lagun  beautiful sea  sailing  birds  mountain village  Sana'a  house towers |
SAT – 1st day: Sana’a On arrival, scheduled for the evening, meeting in the airport with the local assistant and transfer to hotel (Hotel Burji al Salam or similar). SUN – 2nd day: Sana’a-Al Hajjarah–Manakha–Al Salif Early in the morning, we’ll leave Sana’a, to head towards the coast and cross one of the most beautiful mountain landscapes in Yemen, made up of villages, relieves covered with terraces cultivated with qat and thousand-year-old fortified villages. As for example the mountain village of Manakha, with its fortress-houses in stone – that differ from the surrounding rocks only by the white paint that frames the windows of the facades – or the fortified villages of Al-Hajjarah and Hoteib. Then we will cross large valleys cultivated with banana plantations, while the climate changes and one begins to breathe the air of the Red Sea. Lunch at Al-Hajjarah, and in the afternoon arrival at the port of Al-Salif for embarkation. Raise the anchor! Dinner and first night on board. MON/SAT – from 3rd to 8th day: sailing among the islands The sailing begins in the crystal clear waters, a sea full of intense colours that still remains outside the circle of mass tourism. The archipelago of the Kamaran and Zubayr islands will be waiting for us. The first are flat coral atolls with shell beaches, where fishermen arrive on their coloured dhows and where huts have been built to keep their fishing nets. The Zubayr hide completely deserted white beaches which contrast with the dark colour of the lava and of the extinct volcanic cones from where they originate. Up next is the island of Uqban! Here Eric Hansen was shipwrecked in 1978 as he tells us in his book ‘Motoring with Mohammed’: “I began to enjoy being on my own, going around exploring the island. Every day the sea brought me new gifts…” And here he buried his diaries, then retrieved them after endless adventures: ”…The smallest and most precious parcel contained, together with maps, the diaries relating to seven years of travels”. Our days will be spent swimming, snorkelling and exploring: we will arrive by dinghy on islands with white beaches and multicoloured rocks; we will do excursions to mangrove forests and to the village of Kamaran, on the top of a volcano You will see colonies of flamingos fly up from lagoons, ospreys nose-diving on the surface of the water and the “first steps” of the gannets that are learning to fly. You will see dolphins and manta rays play around the boat, many coloured fish that chase after each other among the corals and you will get to know the monsoon, constant in direction and intensity, which seems to carry the boat across the waves. On land you can bargain with and chat with the fisherman: they wear narrow “futa” – a sort of sarong – the red “sumata” – turbans – and wait for night before going out to fish on board the “houry”, their smallest boats. In the evening dinner will be under a starry sky… SUN – 9th day: Al Salif – Hajja – Kohlan – Sana’a Disembarked at the port of Al Salif, the nostalgia for the past days at sea is eased by the beauty of the journey to Sana’a. We’ll come to Kohlan, a mountain village built on such a steep slope that the ground floor of one house is the same height as the roof of the next house. We’ll have lunch at Hajja, ancient Zaida capital, today a small modern town with a little market and some mosques. In the late afternoon, we’ll arrive in Sana’a. You’ll have time to settle into the hotel – Burji al Salam or similar – before dinner. MON – 10th day: Sana’a Sana’a was built on a plateau of 2,350 m at the foot of the Jebel Nuqum, the Collera Mountain. Entering into the old city, one has the impression of going back in time and “being” in one of the tales of “The Arabian nights”: with splendid medieval architecture, clay houses with multicoloured glass doors, facades decorated with white and ochre arabesques, windows of alabaster, white domes and minarets. The town structure is still the same as the medieval city topped with towers: in the city walls, dating back to the XII° century, up until a few years ago, the eight city gates were able to be opened. The Sana’a wadi, a river which remains dry for a good part of the year, crosses the city from south to north and runs under the walls through large arches. In this “dreamy” setting, crowds of noisy young boys move around, while women are graciously wrapped up in multicoloured veils and men in turbans chew qat. We will dedicate the whole day to visiting Sana’a, to discover the attractive corners, the small shops, the windows of a particular style, the ancient mosques and definitely … the bazaar. The smell of the spices will hit you, displayed in small piles together with fruit, ropes, thalers of Maria Teresa and silver bracelets. In the evening, transfer to the airport and board the flight to take us back to Italy TUE – 11th day: Arrival Arrival at destination in the very early hours of the morning. ————– ————– |
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WORTH KNOWING Although the climate during the cruise is pleasantly hot and breezy all year round, there are some things to take into consideration. From April to October the wind blows from the North-West – meaning less wind and warmer temperatures – while from November to March the wind blows from the South-East, bringing with it a drier and fresher season. In winter, the weather conditions sometimes prevent us from reaching the archipelago of the Zubayr islands, and therefore the best places for diving. Each season, however, has its advantages and disadvantages. Any variation is at the complete and final discretion of the Captain, as is every assessment and decision made about the route and sailing. NB: One is travelling in remote places and in some way outside normal time: |
