| Travel
hints |
|
Location | Area | Population | Language | Religion
Entry regulations
| Entry ports and places | Currency
Health regulations
| Photography | Clothing | Official working hours Alcohol | Administrative
divisions | Geographical divisions
Traditional handicrafts
| Flight connection | Electricity
| Climate Ramadan |
|
Location
The Yemen Republic is located in the south-west corner
of the Arabian Peninsula (Southwest Asia). It is situated between the 12th and the 20th
northern latitude and between the 41st and 45th eastern longitude. The Yemen is bordered
by Saudi Arabia in the North, by the Arabian Sea and from the Gulf of Aden in the South,
by the Sultanate of Oman in the East and by the Red Sea in the West.  |
Area
The Yemen has an area of more than about 550.000 km². (without the
desert "The Empty Quarter") |
Population
After the last counting of the population in 1994 the
Yemen had (15.804.654) inhabitants. Although there is a different population concentration
in the various regions, the average is about 28 inhabitants/km². |
Language
Arabic language is the official tongue and the English language is the
most important language in the country after Arabic. |
Religion
Islam is the state
religion and almost all Yemeni are Moslems except for a small minority of Jews. |
Entry regulations
Entrance visas for Yemen are available very easily from all Yemeni
embassies or consulates in your home country on payment of certain fees. Where Yemeni
diplomatic missions do not exist, visitors may get a transit visa valid for 96 days -
possibility to renew - at the entrance port. Every official visitor to Yemen receives
immediately after arrival a permit to stay one month. Within this period you do not need
to register with the police or to get a departure permit. However, there are departure
taxes which all persons leaving - Yemeni or foreigners - must pay at the port of
departure.
You need a passport which is valid for six months after your
application and two photos. Maximum stay is one month. Price depends on the kind of visa
and your nationality:
+/- 30 US$ for a tourist visa single entry
+/- 60 US$ for a double entry visa
Your visit to the country has to be done within three months of your
application. |
Entry ports and places
It is possible to enter the Yemen through all
international airports of Sana’a, Aden, Al-Hodeidah, Al-Rayan and Taiz. Furthermore
someone may enter through the seaports of Al-Hodeidah, Al-Makha on the Red Sea, Aden on
the Gulf of Aden and Al-Mukalla and Nashtun on the Arabian Sea. Also it is possible to
enter through the three places of entrance: Haradh and Al-Buq‘ in the North (border
to Saudi Arabia) and Habrut in the East (border to Oman). |
Currency
The currency in the Yemen is the Rial. One Rial is 100 Fils. The Rial
is available in bank notes and coins. There are 1000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, and 1
Rial bank notes in circulation. There are also 10, 5, and 1 Rial coins. Every visitor may
change the money at the bank or at official money exchangers.
Credit cards (only American Express and Visa Card) and
traveler cheques (also in banks) are only accepted in the big hotels. Therefore, visitors
need cash money.
The US$ has the best exchange rate and the money
exchangers prefer new and big Dollar notes.
Small American Dollar notes are needed for
buying souvenirs and giving tips for services. |
Health regulations
It is a requirement for visitors to Yemen - who are
coming from certain countries (registered by international health organizations) - that
they have an accepted vaccination certificate for epidemic diseases. Children under the
age of one year are excluded.
Visitors should be careful about the strong sun and the
extreme changes of the altitude during traveling through the country. Therefore the
traveler should have protective sun lotion, chap stick and mineral tablets in his bag.
It is recommended to drink only purified water. Mineral
water is everywhere - even in the remote areas available. |
Traditional handicraft
There are a lot of traditional handicraft industries in
Yemen with many different branches and professions - existing for generations. You may
notice their beauty and their charm especially when you see the quality of the art work in
such as fields of architecture, the jewelry production, traditional weapon production,
weaving production, stone and clay pottery, leather production and the production of
articles made from palm leaves. All the products of these industries are available in the
traditional markets of the towns, villages and in all the different provincial weekly
markets. |
Climate
The climate in Yemen is various and depends on the different altitudes
of the regions.
There are no distinctive limits between the seasons. Generally there
are two main seasons (summer and winter). During summer the climate is hot with high
humidity dominating in the coastal area.
In winter the climate in the coastal area is relatively moderate.
Occasional rains in the summer are caused by the monsoon coming from the Indian Ocean.
These rains decrease the high temperatures in the coastal area during the summer.
The weather in the mountain area is moderate in summer and relatively
cold in winter. During winter it becomes especially cold in the night and in the early
morning, with pleasant sunny days. |
Clothing
Because of the mild and warm climate it is recommended
to bring light, loose cotton clothes with you. Women and men should cover their upper arms
and legs. Furthermore everybody needs solid footwear and head cover because Yemen is a
mountainous country.
In the winter months, during night and in the early
morning the temperatures in the mountain areas are relatively cold. Therefore, a pullover
or a jacket should be included in your baggage. |
Official working
hours
The government offices are open daily from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. except
Friday (weekend). Private institutions and offices are open from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. and 4
p.m. until 8 p.m. except Friday. Almost all private shops and stores are open during the
day until late in the evening. |
Administrative
divisions
Yemen consists of 17 provinces and its capital is
Sana’a. Each province is organized in several districts and each has several centers.
The provinces are Sana’a, Aden, Taiz, Al-Hodeidah, Hadhramaut, Saada, Al-Djof, Marib,
Al-Mahra, Shabwah, Abyan, Al-Baidha, Dhamar, Ibb, Lahdj, Al-Mahweet and Hajjah. |
Geographical
divisions
The Yemen could be divided according to its natural
geography in five regions: highland, high plains, coastal plains, the desert al-Rub'
al-Khali (The Empty Quarter) and Yemeni islands. |
Photography
Yemen is an interesting, beautiful and extremely
photogenic country. Therefore it is recommended that you bring enough films - especially
slight films - with. It is only possible to buy films (slide films only in Sana’a) in
the big cities. |
Electricity
The voltage in Yemen is 220v. Five star Hotels provide
both options i.e. 110v or 220v. Travelers using electric or electronic equipment need also
adapters for the sockets, because there are different kinds of sockets. |
Alcohol
Yemen is a traditional islamic country, therefore
alcohol is prohibited. Visitors should respect this ethic value.
Every guest may bring with him one liter of alcohol.
Alcoholic drinks are only served in the big hotels, (Sana’a - Sheraton Hotel, Aden -
Mövenpick Hotel, Taiz - Marib Hotel, Hodeidah - Ausan Hotel, Ambassador Hotel and Bristol
Hotel). It is recommended and requested not to drink alcohol during the day tours. |
Flight connection
Following airlines are coming to Yemen:
- Yemenia from Frankfurt, London, Paris, Rome
- Lufthansa from Frankfurt
- Royal Jordanian from Amman
- KLM from Amsterdam
- Egypt Air from Cairo
- Emirates from Dubai
- Gulf Air from Bahrain & Abu Dhabi |
Ramadan
Ramadan is the holy month for the Muslim community.
Everyone will fast according to his health condition. Fasting means to neglect food,
drinks and all other pleasures between dawn and sunset in order to commit oneself to God.
All daily activities like markets in the cities and in
the countryside will continue as usual. Therefore sightseeing is unrestricted. Even the
visitor will get the impression of the Arabian Nights because the nightlife in the urban
places will go on until sunrise. The official institutions change its working hours: 11 am
– 3 pm. It is recommended for visitors not to drink, to eat and to smoke in the
public.
But the hotels and the local rest and guest houses will
provide all services unlimited for the traveler's need. Ramadan dates for the next three years:
09.12.1999 - 06.01.2000
28.11.2000 - 26.12.2000
17.11.2001 - 15.12.2001 |
