, & in again.Inthemeantime,allyou candoiscrossfingersorplayitsafe inSomaliland. and order,humanitarianagenciesmaystep in andhelptheimpoverished . hope atthetimeofwriting. The Islamiststhat seized powerin2006hadrestored relative peace few and littlemediacoverage diplomaticsupporters tovoiceitsachievements. a currency, ButSomalilandremains elections! auniversity inlimbo,withvery andmultiparty ashes. Discreetly. Sodiscreetly thatnobody knowsthatithasaparliament,capital,flag, and Puntland (whilealittlemore stable),have longbeenriddledwithclanclashes. corner.perched inthenortheast The situationineachzoneisradicallydifferent. The south, ontheGulfofAden,andPuntlandone: Somaliainthesouth,Somalilandnorthwest country thatisstillknowninternationally asSomaliahaseffectively beenthree countries in a post-apocalyptic oftheHorn. feel inthis part anda host ofhumanitariancriseshave fightingamongrivalfactions of aidworkers, created Somalia hasbeenahorrorshowformore thanadecade. The lawofthegun,kidnapping Somalia & Puntland Somaliland, 734 © LonelyPlanetPublications Hopefully asafe andstable Somaliawillemerge trickling oneday.Andtravellers willstart Even inSomalia,thesituationmaybenotinsurmountable. There were afew glimmersof Amid chaos,there aphoenix,hasrisenfrom isasuccessstory: Somaliland,which,like it’sabitmoreIn fact, nuanced thanthat.Somaliaisapatchworkstate. Since1991the

     FAST FACTS       

Visa Time Telephone toAugust &JanuarytoFebruary)(July Seasons Population Money Languages (Somaliland), Bosasso (Puntland) Capital Budget Somaliland are opentotravellers) the DjiboutianandEthiopianborderswith Borders ATMs Area Somaliland US$30, Somalia US$25 (ifyoucan getone) 637,657sqkm GMT/UTC +3 None Somalilandshilling; US$1=SlSh1350 (Somalia), US$25toUS$100perday , EthiopiaandDjibouti(only Kenya, Wet(MarchtoJune &September toDecember), dry Countrycode Somali 10million(including 3.5millioninSomaliland) % 252; international access code % 16 Indian Oceantradingnetwork. part of theextensive Arab-controlledtrans- the 7thcentury,whenSomalicoastformed subject toastrongArabic since influenceever the from andhavesouthern Ethiopianhighlands, been hail probably Somalis Originally, HISTORY temperatures 30°C. donotexceed fromDecembertoMarch,season, whendaily climate istropical. In thesouth,nearborderwithKenya, the temperatures are unbearable, reaching 40°C. December toMarch). FromJulytoSeptember and toSeptember (July and twodryseasons (April toJuneandOctober toNovember) likegoes this:Somaliahastworainyseasons There are regional variationsbutgenerally it lonelyplanet.com which wasn’taltogether agoodidea. Puntland andsouthernSomaliawere united, ades, butitwasn’tuntil1960thatSomaliland, Mad theBritishfortwodec- Mullah’)fought (knownaffectionately as‘the Xasan Cabdulle got Puntlandandthesouth.SayidMaxamed muchbouti, Britain of thenorth,whileItaly powers. TheFrench gotthearea aroundDji- 1888 thecountrywasdividedbyEuropean a sourceof since)andthenin badbloodever nexed byEthiopia(aninvasionthathasbeen –ethnicallyapartofDesert Somalia–wasan- CLIMATE &WHENTOGO Travel ismuch easierduringthe winter dry In the19thcenturymuch of theOgaden

     LONELY INDEX PLANET      MUCH? HOW

Plate ofmeat andrice Souvenir T-shirt Bottled beer 1L bottledwater 1L petrol 1g ofgold(21carats) way) Airfare –Hargeisa Internet connection Entrance fee toLasGeel site day) Cost ofanarmedbodyguard(per US$15 US$1.50 SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND&SOMALIA ••Climate&WhenToGo Noalcohol isavailable US$3 US$0.30 US$1perhour US$16 US$2 US$85(one US$10 tional NationalGovernment (TNG) wasset of the country,Somalia’slame-duckTransi- controlacrossthewhole Designed toestablish Failure Utter still adisaster area. the faminetosomeextent, butthenationwas troops pulledoutin1995,having alleviated ofthat thousands Somalisdied.ThelastUN began,duringwhich it’sestimatedAideed theUS-UNandwarlordGeneral flict between tion. Withoutmuch ado anastylittlecon- distribute foodaidtothesouthernpopula- a UNmission (OperationRestore Hope)to the1990s, but in1992theUSled throughout southern Somaliatookplacethroughout warringfactionsFierce battlesbetween ofHope? Restoration maliland. Puntlandalsobroke away. quickly anddeclared independenceforSo- Somali NationalMovement (SNM)moved timethe tookMogadishu.Atthe same Aideed to Nigeria in1991after theforcesof General Barre, Somalia’slastrecognised leader,fled tear thecountryapart.Mohammed Siad (often warwithEthiopiahelped disastrous) rearmament bytheUSSRandoccasional the power of militias. Ithas hadto cowerin failed inpromoting reconciliation orcurbing proved itsruleand has tooweakto impose only internationally recognised body, ithas of international interests. it’sthe Although keep regarding itasacreature in thehands ognition fromits own peopleinSomalia,who up in2000.Alas,it didn’tmanage togainrec- Sadly, interclan tensions, radicalsocialism, local advicebefore settingoff. yourearstothegroundandseek said, keep dier (mandatoryatthetimeofwriting).That and Burcao,accompaniedbyanarmedsol- included Hargeisa, LasGeel,,Sheekh coverage tation. Then, ouron-the-ground from Jijiga()andusinglocaltranspor- Somaliland, entering thecountryoverland information maybeunreliable. research inSomalia andPuntland, sosome ing. Wewere unabletodoon-the-ground zoneatthetimeofwrit-absolute no-go ofSomaliaandPuntlandAll parts were an WARNING However, wecouldcover of someparts

735

& SOMALIA SOMALIA & SMLLN, PUNTLAND SOMALILAND, SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND & SOMALIA a potential ‘Balkanisation’ ofa potential theHorn.For ‘Balkanisation’ wary of anindependentSomaliland,fearing all of Somalia,anditsotherneighbours are UN stillhopesforapeaceagreement covering accept Somaliland’sindependenceisthatthe main reason whytheworldisreluctant to bytheoutsideworld.The state as aseparate national communityandisnotrecognised liland isstilltreated asapariahbytheinter- gain formalinternational recognition, Soma- itsleadersAlthough desperately to struggle the victoryof President DahirRiyaleKahin). oppositionpartiesdon’trecognise(although fore holdingfree presidential electionsin2003 voted forcomplete independencein1997be- 1991. Ithasgreat oilandgaspotential and remained largely since peacefulandstable dominance of ithas asingleclan(theIsaq), Somalia. Thanksmainlytothepre-unitary ofwas formedin1991after thecollapse Republicof Somaliland The self-proclaimed ofSomaliland&Puntland Case The of feuding warlords. leaving therest of thecountryinhands the westintownof itsredoubt, Baidoa, 736 (500km) To KENYA Liboi Ababa (400km) To Addis SOMALIA ETHIOPIA Mandera ERITREA Borama Jijiga Afmadu DJIBOUTI OAIAD UTAD&SMLA • itr SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND&SOMALIA ••History

Giuba Dolo River Bardera

Bajuni Islands Lugh Ganana Kisimayo DJIBOUTI CITY Giamana Loyaada Wajaale Gelib Zeila (Seylac) Geel Las

Scebeli Baidoa Hargeisa

(Chisimaio) Waqoyi Galbed Waqoyi

Brava River Giohar Berbera Ogaden SOMALILAND Sheekh Desert Merca 250miles 400km 0 0 Burcao (Burao) O CEAN Belet Huen I NDA Gulf ofAden MOGADISHU Bulo Burti Togdheer SOMALIA Las Anod Sanaag Erigavo Sool Galcaio Garoe Equator PUNTLAND Obbia Bosasso Gardo Eil Hordio the verge of conquering thewhole of Somalia, the time of writing,the Islamic courts were on ernment started negotiations withtheCIC.At international pressure, thetransitional gov- sharing with thenewleaders. Finally,under ernment, which atfirst anypower opposed tosupportthetransitional gov-near Baidoa Islamist ideology atitsdoorstep, troops sent state. a terrorist safe haven andaTaliban-esque which suspectsthattheCIC couldbecome fear outside,especially intheUSA, raised tyranny of thewarlords.Thishardlinehas rule of Islamichardliners over thedeadly by years of toprefer chaos, seemed theharsh democracy, butordinarySomalis, exhausted and there wasnoroomforWestern-style it clearthattheQuranwasconstitution swathes of southernSomalia. TheCIC made control of theravaged Thentheytook capital. warlordsfrom Mogadishuandtook secular of IslamicCourts(CIC),ousted US-backed, under anumbrella theCouncil callingitself turning point:Islamistmilitias, operating June andJuly2006marked animportant Somalia Today dispute over borderprovinces. several neighbouring Somaliland:there’s aterritory by wagingalittlewar. Puntlandisatoddswith after losinganelection,apointhereinforced dent ColonelYusufrefused down tostand did reasonably wellupuntil2001,whenPresi- the capital. tive of foreigners oncetheyventure outside the localauthoritiestend tobeoverprotec- the international scene. This explains why itscredibilitycountry andmakingitlose on ers withtheaimof thefledgling destabilising entered aidwork- Somalilandandshotseveral story:‘terrorists’ fromMogadishuillegally sad African Union. tobebacked bythe and Norway,seem tions withKenya, Ethiopia, theUK,Germany Somaliland’s leaders have nurtured goodrela- vain, sofar. Butthere are somesignsof hope: AfricaandinNorthAmerica – in in East best toinfluencediplomaticcorpsinEurope, SomalilandersExpat have kept doingtheir lawandorderintheircountry. to establish Unlike therest of Somalia,theyhave managed Somalilanders, thissoundsprofoundly unfair. In 2003 their efforts wereIn 2003theirefforts partlyruinedbya Ethiopia, fiercely opposed toanykind ofEthiopia, fiercely opposed Puntland isadifferent kettle of fish. Ittoo lonelyplanet.com at itsdoorstep. toaccept anIslamicstate notseem opia does of conflictwithneighbouring Ethiopia–Ethi- to betested. and gaininternational recognition hasyet and theirability nationalunity toestablish more enduringpeaceremains tobeseen, 2006. Whetherthey’llmanage toforge a of Mogadishu’sportandairportinAugust law andorder,astestified bythereopening pled in1991.Sofar,theCIChasrestored for thefirst timesinceSiadBarre wastop- and perhapsbringsomerelief toSomalis victory inthesouthmayatleastrestore order situation inyears. in 2006,creating thebleakest malnutrition was affected bytheworst inadecade drought since 1991. something which noothergrouphasmanaged lonelyplanet.com norm inrural areas. andarranged marriage is stillthe scarves, national identity. Mostwomen wearhead- ofis extremely totheSomali sense important of dollars backtoSomalia each year. together hundreds theysend East; of millions across Europe,North AmericaandtheMiddle the south. dominates inthenorth,butItalian in used names, isvery common.Englishiswidely 1973) andspellingvariation,especially place in scriptwasestablished (the SomaliLatin Written Somaliisavery younglanguage tremendous oral(often tradition. poetic) a tendency toignore strangers, buthave a PEOPLE Somalis canbequietanddignified,with influence onSomaliculture. decades of conflict. from?’ Thisinterclan rivalryhasfuelledtwo ‘Whom are youfrom?’than‘Where are you lans. Somalisare more likely toaskastranger divided intosixmainclansandloads of subc- tribe,whichSomalis allhailfromthesame is of ishardtoimplementhere. amodern‘state’ culture, which partlyexplainswhytheideal The clanstructure isthe mainpillarof Somali CULTURE At thetimeof publicationthere wasathreat As southernSomalia ifthiswasn’tenough, There issomehopethatacomprehensive All Somalis are Sunni Muslimsand Islam Well over amillionSomalisare scattered The nomadiclifestyle alsoexerts amajor SOMALILAND cellent views. Goodnews: fornow,mostof a couple of decent hikes andahatful of ex- the terrain towarrant istorturousenough resting than in neighbouring Djibouti,but for divers. Sure, thelandscapeisfarless ar- tothenorth,will onedaybeamecca Zeila, divers intheknow swearthattheislandsoff will take your breathBerbera away;and unspoiled stretchesmense, of white sand, beaches –ifallyouwantistolazeonim- about 50kmfromHargeisa;Geel, pristine for travelati. Thecountry’sbigdraws?Las is theroadless travelled, andvirgin territory break themouldof conventional travel. This sents ing (‘youare suicidal!’). where condescending incredulity (‘You’re going and thereaction isquite likely tobeoneof Tell friendsthatyou’re goingto Somaliland, SOMALILAND strictly prohibited andnotavailable. camel’s milkare alsowidespread. Alcohol is isthepreferredCamel sourceof meat. Rice andnoodlesare alsocommonstaples. a flatbread similartotheEthiopian Somalia isfriedliver withonionsand Somalia. breakfast Thestandard throughout Goat andcamelmeatare populardishes in FOOD &DRINK off thecoastof Somaliland. Red Sea the relatively Islandslieinthe pristineSeylac longest beaches intheworld.Coralreefs and of thecountry. continuestoplaguethesouth rious drought prone toovergrazing Se- anddesertification. areasweeping of pasture rich, rainy-season nating southernSomalia),andtheHawd, a barren, region hotandhumidcoastal (domi- theGuban,arelativelythe GollisMountains; regionhighland inthenorthdominated by graphical features: theOogo Somalia isdistinguished bythree maintopo- terrain, orsemidesert bydesert Characterised ENVIRONMENT afraid –discover! to independent travellers. Goon, don’tbe this cultural andnaturalwealth isaccessible Whatever, Somalilandcurrently repre- Unsurprisingly, Somaliahassomeof the Tea isthefavourite drink.Sheep, goator ?’), atthevery best,orof warn- serious the Shangri-la whodare forthose to , a mountainous amountainous anjeero, injera 737

.

& SOMALIA SOMALIA & SMLLN, PUNTLAND SOMALILAND, SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND & SOMALIA

Highlights Somalia. with neighbouring Puntlandandtherest of A compoundingissue isthebitter relations life asitgets.the Somalilandese isastough nature, all theirfriendlinessandself-reliant investments to rebuild theeconomy.For crumbling anditdesperately lacksforeign The countryispoor,itsinfrastructure is when wevisited. Hargeisa wasoneof thesafest citiesinAfrica is taken very inSomaliland,and seriously lers are welcome. The safety of Westerners has nothingtodowithSomalia. Here travel- we’re guessingyouare), rest easy:Somaliland 738 may be too poetic for a capital thatstill bears for a capital may betoopoetic image of a butterfly emerging from itscocoon sion. Relax: Hargeisa is not Mogadishu. The No guns. roadblocks.No fear. Nooppres- pop 1million HARGEISA    

Enjoy the smug feeling of impressing lively markets. andexplore thecapital throughout its Hargeisa Somaliland!’. your fellow travellers: ‘Yes, I’ve to been archaeological site. lia’s mysterious pastat thisexceptional graphic Las Geel Beach. fish andtake asoothingdipatBaathela Berbera That said, SomalilandisnotDisneyland. That said, If you’re issues worriedabout (and security in afew years,whenthesituationwillbe considered safe perfectly forforeigners. treatment –andatUS$15perday,itisapittance!This slightlyrestrictive ruleissaidtobelifted all, atthattimeIwastheonlytraveller inthiscountryandIhadnever experiencedsuchaVIP to resurrect again,onlytoaskfordinner. hispresence SoIdecidedtotake nottooseriously.After qat terrorists armedtotheteeth ontheroadtoBerbera. chewing By2pm,myguardianangelstarted wouldhave beenofanyhelpifwehad falleninanambushledby honest, Idon’tthinkSaheed ofthecountrytogaininternational recognitionthe wholediplomaticefforts are ruined.Tobe seriously thesafety ofWesterners, andforgoodreason. If otherforeigners encounter a ‘problem’, my hotel. Sincethemurderofthree very bySomaliansin2003,localauthoritiestake aidworkers to accompanyandprotect meduringmytripoutsideHargeisa. ‘Forsafety reasons’, Iwastoldat wastechnically boy:hewasanarmedsoldier whosemissionwas andliterallySaheed myescort boyduringmystayinSomaliland.Don’tbeconfused, Hewasmyescort namewasSaheed. His CAVORTING AROUNDWITHMY ESCORTBOY OAIAD • agia SOMALILAND •• Hargeisa (leafchewedasastimulant) ( p741 aplate) Scoff of grilled ( p740 ) Feel like a ( below ) Wanderdumbfounded explorer andspeculate onSoma- National Geo-

and wascompletely stoneduntil7pmatleast, whenhestarted car hire. matters,with visa an armed bodyguard and the Ministry of Fisheries), whocanalso help the Ministry of building as Tourism(same [email protected]; the or contact from thecentre. a goodlandmark. Theairportisabout 5km Most streets don’thave names; theMiGjetis around themain drag,IndependenceRd. places of interest totravellers are onor You can’treally get lostinHargeisa. Most &Information Orientation turn todelve in. of present-day Hargeisa’s attire. Nowit’syour the mandatorydustandyou’llhave anidea vehicle hornsandcallstoprayers. Throwin able cacophonyof mobile-phone ringtones, are busyandtheairthickwithavery bear- and itshows. Thestreets are alive, theroads too goodtobetrue!).It’safree economy, noalcohol (itwas taxis…but bus stations, stores, bureaux dechange, teashops, markets, food,internetwith tasty cafés,electronics acoupleof restaurantsEnglish-speaking staff, decenthotels with traveller couldhopefor: thatHargeisasee hasalltheconveniences a not, it’shassle-free. Andit’ssoastonishingto be prepared tobethefocusof attention. Fear areal ‘tourist’,so genuinely tosee surprised foreigner wandering inthestreets. People are itfeelshen’s teeth, soexotictobetheonly energising citywithlotsof goodvibes. country inthepastdecades,butHargeisa isan the scars of thecivilwarthatdestroyed Although tourist sights are touristsights Although asscarce For touristinformation, askatyourhotel Director of Tourism of Tourism Director h 8am-1pm Sat-Thu) lonelyplanet.com ( % , inside 2424561; a flurryof imposing on theoutskirtsof town.Inthecentre, the Hotel,Oriental andthe including the Airforce except perhaps thewarmemorial–aSomali ually, Hargeisa hasnothingmuch of interest of explorationthataresense thepullhere. Vis- historic buildings.It’stheambienceand befrank:you’reLet’s nothere or formuseums Sights also possible. from anumberof countries(see p742 ) are change cash (andonlycash).Moneytransfers habshiil numerous bureaux dechange, including main strip(about US$1perhour),aswell Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com very goodEnglish.Yes! usuallyspeak Djibouti. What’smore, staff and much better valuethaninneighbouring is much thaninEritrea higher orinEthiopia, The overall qualityof thelodgings wevisited were safe andsecure atthetimeof research. in thecentre orontheoutskirtsof town.All value optionstosuitallbudgets, scattered HargeisaSurprise: hasasmattering of good- Sleeping US$16 pergram(21carats). your beloved, justknowthatgoldcostsabout If youwanttobuyanecklaceorbraceletfor Rd; 1 2 HARGEISA There’s aprofusion of internet cafésonthe h 14 SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION MiG Jet...... Jama Mosque...... Goldsmiths...... Gold Market...... Dahabshiil...... (1.8km); Man-SoorHotel(3km);4WDstoDjibouti(3km) Ministry ofForeignAffairs(1.4km);ZambeziRestaurant (1.2km); EthiopianTradeOffice(1.4km); To DirectorofTourism(1km);XarafRestaurant

9 7am-noon &1-5.30pmSat-Thu) Independence

( % MiG jet MiG Jama Mosque goldsmiths A 521152; www.dahabshiil.com; Independence 521152; www.dahabshiil.com; gold market

7

3 Rd 12 –andacoupleof markets, 1 onthemainstreet, too. 10 is worth a peek. There’s isworthapeek. camel andgoatmarket , ashort from stagger 5 4 3 2 1 B1 D2 A1 C2 A1 11 , where youcan 5 Internet café SOMALILAND ••Hargeisa BC To Camel &GoatMarket (1km);StarGuest House(2.5km); Ambassador HotelHargeisa (4km);Airport (5km) SLEEPING Oriental Hotel...... Jirdeh Paradise...... uysmpaaHtl...... D2 Guryosamoplaza Hotel...... 13 Da- , Telesom [email protected]; s/dUS$15/30; [email protected]; salubrious bathrooms, workingfans(butno salubrious a vast,sun-filled patio,well-furnished rooms, façade; inside,it’smuch more agreeable, with inthecentre.right Ignore thefairlydecrepit immerse yourself inthisquirkycity –it’s near thegoldmarket, isidealifyouwantto favouritesecond inHargeisa. Thelocation, ously blueishfaçade. Airlines office;youcan’tmiss theincongru- up inthelobby.It’soneblockbehind Daallo the timeof theBritishProtectorate greet you and acentrallocation.Pictures datingfrom cious rooms,tiledbathrooms(hotshower) runner-up iftheothers are full.Itoffers spa- it’sanOK happy toendupinhell!Thatsaid, if thisplaceisconsidered we’llbe paradise, Meals are available onrequest. Aim forthedoubleswithprivate bathrooms. up butoverall thisplaceiswellmaintained. spare atouch andsomebathroomscoulduse gles withshared bathrooms.Roomsare atrifle apartments withbalconiestowindowlesssin- rooms of allshapesandsizes,fromfamily this quirkypilewithapinkish façadehas the A mbassador. town. Womentravellers shouldstickwith which willgive youamore ‘real’ feel forthe down inoneof themore centralplaces, thenhunkerfirst attheAmbassador, night Rd; rUS$5-25) Jirdeh Paradise A hint:get yourbearingsbyspending Guryosamoplaza Hotel Oriental Hotel Oriental

2 Independence 8 New Mosque About 300mfromJama Mosque, 8 7 6

C1 A1 Rd

( % Transport toBerbera...... Ethiopian Airlines...... Djibouti Airlines...... Daallo Airlines...... ZambeziRestaurant...... London Bar-Restaurant...... Transport toBerbera&Burcao... TRANSPORT EATING fia xrs iwy...... A1 Buses toMan-SoorHotel& African ExpressAirways...... 2528792; s/dUS$10/15)

( ( % % 0 0 2521399; Independence 2514999, 8289296; D 15 4 i Frankly, 0.1 miles Municipality 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 ) 200 m 9 6 Our 739 D2 A1 B2 A1 B1 A1 D2

16

& SOMALIA SOMALIA & SMLLN, PUNTLAND SOMALILAND, SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND & SOMALIA not l –boo!English-speakingman- icensed mosque. There’s abartoo–coool!Sadly,it’s the urge toaskforanydeity’sprotection, a internet accessand, shouldspeedy youfeel tworestaurants, afitnesscentre, satellite TVs, white walls,white-glove-test-clean bathrooms, villas,virginal doubles and11self-contained with45diaphanous facilities andservices, to recommend thisplace. Itscores on high bunk downwhenintown,which isenough ThisiswhereAmbassador… foreign bigwigs curledupinthe ultrasecurecomfortably Hargeisayou’ve survived andthatyou’re s/d US$35/55; Ambassador. fectly OK,butitlacksthecharisma of the It’sper- size andappeal,goodservices. sprawling gardens,cleanroomsthatvaryin the Maan-Soor isanother soundoption,with rant onthepremises. bathrooms. There’s afoodstore and arestau- andsparkling firm bedding,frillycurtains features tiledroomswithfans,satellite TVs, to theairport,about 2kmfromthecentre –it in terms of charm orlocation–it’sontheroad erone you,andahire car). their logistics(read: soldiertochap- asecurity will gotheextramiletohelpforeigners with the well-travelled, English-speaking owner, kebabssoups, salads, Abdi andpasta. Abdi, dishes, lambandbeef you cantuckintotasty lent restaurant (mainsUS$2toUS$4)where There’sair-con) anexcel- andgoodservice. 740 are the goatmeat and fish dishes. Sit undera you’ll eatitwith your fingers, anyway), as Hmm, the riceistrulyfinger-licking here (and decent eateries. rest yourhead, butyou’llalsofindastringof Not onlywillyou findsecure places here to Eating &Drinking centre, near theairport. matters. rideto the It’s a 4kmminibusortaxi car hire, tour guides,policeescortandvisa anexcellentjob withlogistics, agement does with the prices. Although nonetooinspiring with theprices.Although of cal midrange digswon’tfeature inthepages r US$25-80; 2526666; www.ambassadorhotelhargeisa.com; Airport Rd; Airport 2526666; www.ambassadorhotelhargeisa.com; .com; Airport Rd;s/dinclbreakfast US$20/25) .com; Airport Zambezi Restaurant Maan-Soor Hotel Maan-Soor Star GuestHouse Condé Nast Traveler Ambassador Hotel Hargeisa Ambassador Hotel SOMALILAND •• Las Geel SOMALILAND ••LasGeel pai pai

( ( % ) % Onthefaredge of town,

(mains US$2; ) Quick,tell yourmum 2526699; deeqadheeg@hotmail 8283638; www.maansoor.com; butit’shardtoargue h

These typi- These ( lunch &dinner) % 2138895, .com; IndependenceRd) .com; IndependenceRd) pendence Rd) a hidden gem. will remain unsuccessful and it willremain munity, all attempts at protecting thesite is notrecognised bythe international com- Sadly (well, notquite), aslongSomaliland ofwould beswamped withmasses tourists. ately bedeclared aWorld Heritage Site and fantastic Here’s asecret: were it notinSomaliland,this LAS GEEL bus fromthecentre. canbereached Restaurant bymini- Zambezi Man-Soor Hotel and a free pick-upservice. has US$10 totheairport.TheAmbassador Rd shouldcostnomore thanUS$3,andabout rideinthecentreA taxi fromIndependence Around Getting depending onthedestination. pian border. ItcostsfromUS$5toUS$10 Burcao andtheEthio- Sheekh, geisa, Berbera, and4WDstravelRegular buses Har- between LAND Somaliland. Turn to p743 to/from onflights fordetails Ethiopian Airlines Djibouti Airlines Daallo Airlines Rd) Airways Express African Airlines withoffices inHargeisa: AIR &Away There Getting lar withlocaloffice workers. street astheMinistry of Tourism,andispopu- andchicken.fish dishes,pasta It’sinthesame excellent Somalifood,withanemphasison why.Ittrotsout locals, andit’seasytosee & dinner) ing expatSomalilanders. charge youngholiday- thebatteries andmeet has toagroovy café.It’sagoodplacetore- US$2; juice. It’sontheroadtoBorama. bounce inyourstep withaglassof mango gazebo intheplant-filled gardenandputsome Xaraf Restaurant Xaraf London Bar-Restaurant h Thiseatery esteemby isheldinhigh lunch &dinner) site Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com

( (admission US$20) % ( % ( %

523003; www.daallo.com; Inde- ( % The closest thingHargeisa Theclosest 21523555; www.djiboutiairlines 21528444; www.flyethiopian ( 2523866; mainsUS$4; %

(off IndependenceRd;mains 2134636; Independence wouldimmedi- h lunch room US$3; conjuring images of tropicalports,spicesand The namealonesoundsimpossiblyexotic, BERBERA Hargeisa. vehicle toget there, botheasilyarranged in aguideand aprivate You’llneed to Berbera. team of French archaeologists. in 2003,followingresearch conducted bya chaeological tolight wonder wasonlybrought are somevery even risquéscenes…Thisar- likely tohave them.There the minute yousee nothing canconvey thesortof response you’re isexceptional– ofand theirstate preservation shelters. 1minlength Somepaintingsexceed walls of interconnected several caves and representing humansandanimals,adornthe lithic rock-artpaintingsinperfect condition, de résistance Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com a series ofa series well-furnished ‘cottages’ scattered The Maan-Soor hasa resort-style feel, with well-scrubbed bathrooms. option, withluminous roomsand acceptable fromtheAlMadiina,tance this isanother US$20, rwithoutbathroom US$3; one-storey yellowandgreen building. There’s a smallstore acrossthestreet. It’sa all budgets. Thebetter roomshave air-con. with amixed bagofin Berbera, roomstosuit cal, Dahabshiil isagoodplacetodropanchor Hotel Al Madiina Sleeping &Eating ing stripfortheNASAspaceshuttle! built intheearly1980sasanemergency land- Italsohasahuge runway, Beach. Baathela beaches isalsoboundedbyblissful the coast.Berbera ful andthere are along some majestic cliffs sea friendly port. to land-locked foracheap, Ethiopia’sneed It’s anicelittleearnerforSomaliland thanks buildings andmud-and-thatch houses. this shadytownconsistsmostlyof crumbling wasonceanactive porttown.Today Berbera it,but while. whenyousee It’shardtobelieve it’s nonethelessagreat placetochill fora palm oil.Ifthereality isalittlemore prosaic, It’s about 50kmfromHargeisa, off theroad Somaliland’s isundisputably Geel Las Maan-Soor Hotel Maan-Soor Hotel Dahabshiil The journeyfromHargeisa tohere isbeauti- though. potential isimmense, Berbera’s , about4kmfromthecentre, including a ) . Hundreds of magnificentNeo- Centrally located andeconomi- Centrally

( %

( ( % % 2720254; rUS$5-20,withoutbath- 2447845; rUS$5,with air-con 2447975; s/d US$40/50; a ) Stumblingdis- SOMALILAND ••Berbera pièce a )

as wellbureaux dechange inthecentre. you’ll besomewhat of anovelty here! ket andenjoybeingthefocusof attention – soak uptheatmosphere atthelivestock mar- nothing of interest tangible here, butyoucan Hargeisa, butthat’spartof itsappeal.There’s or aroundtheedgesbit rougher thanBerbera province, ofcapital Todgheer Burcao feels a The second-largest cityin thecountryand (BURAO) BURCAO around acourtyard. ordinary roomsset ( break at upyourodyssey andBurcao(busUS$2),soyoucan Berbera excavatedsite hasnotbeen yet. century. There’s asthe notmuch tobeseen, called Ferdusa, which dates fromthe13th lowland areas. boastsasmall Sheekh which isawelcomerefuge fromtheheatof road andstopatthehilltownof Sheekh, to thecentralplateau ontheBerbera–B urcao beautiful journeyalongtheswitchback ascent plain,it’sa andthecoastal From Berbera SHEEKH (US$5,150km). geisa andBerbera and4WDstravelRegular buses Har- between &Away There Getting expectingatidbit. and seagulls you’ll besurroundedbyplentyof cats,crows owner, Ali,speaksalittleFrench. Whileeating leave withasmileonyourface. Theamiable tious eatery overlooking thebay,andyou’ll juice andscoff agrilledfish atthisunpreten- mains US$3; if it’sslack. side of theGulfof Aden.Pricesare negotiable ish friezes,are this we’ve thetackiest seen ever Oh, andtheloossinks,sportingblue- drawback isthatit’safairwayoutof town. ding, air-con andanattached restaurant. Its excellentbed- laundryservice, satellite TV, the beach. It scores onfacilities,with high around alarge from propertyspittingdistance rooms, buttolerable if theCity Plazais full. bare-bones musty bath- rooms and slightly room US$5) Hotel Gabay-Xaddi Sleeping &Eating % You’ll findinternet andtelephone outlets, isapproximatelySheekh halfwaybetween &Fish House Restaurant Al Xayaat 2730164; s/dinclbreakfast US$10/20) A bitnibbled aroundtheedges, with h lunch &dinner)

( % 224400; rUS$10, withoutbath- Lap upareviving fruit Lap Mashaallah Hotel Mashaallah , which has

( % necropolis 2740224; 741

,

& SOMALIA SOMALIA & SMLLN, PUNTLAND SOMALILAND, SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND & SOMALIA are andbusinesses All shops,offices closed BUSINESS HOURS Djibouti andbetter equippedthanEthiopia. cities. Theyare generally better valuethanin midrange and main optionsinthecapital in Hargeisa, andasmattering of budget and two hotelsinternational meeting standards prices.Thereoptions, atvery affordable are In Somalilandthere’s afairlygoodrange of ACCOMMODATION DIRECTORY SOMALILAND (US$5 toUS$10)viaBerbera. Bus and4WDtransportleaves forHargeisa &Away There Getting humanity, too. Andthepapayajuiceisvictoryfor tailspin. ourtastebuds ona with basmatiricesends ing abouttheultratender kidmeatserved of abridge (askfordirections). Justthink- River, offthemainroad,atfoot Todgheer dinner) Anod,pasttheairport. Las also anon-site restaurant. It’sontheroadto you wanttostrew around.There’s yourstuff (US$2 perhour).Treat yourself toasuite if andinternet access bathrooms, goodservices a leafycompound,stoutbedding,salubrious with well-appointed roomsarrayedaround Plaza isperfectly secure andcomfortable, are forbiddeninsideof thehotel’); theCity (‘all kindof weaponsandallkindof knives dating signattheentranceof theproperty US$33, allinclbreakfast; 742 which claims those provinces.which claims those currently unsafe due toconflict in Puntland, the Sool and Sanaagregions of Somaliland is the situation whileinHargeisa. All travel in beturned backatcheckpoints.might Check geisa. Ifyouventure outwithout aguard,you becompulsoryoutsideHar-tour guidemight anda armed soldier(at yourownexpense) willtell you–anFollow whathotel staff DANGERS &ANNOYANCES breakfast, lunch anddinner daily. on Friday,butmostrestaurants are openfor Shamaxle Restaurant Burao CityPlazaHotel OAIADDRCOY • comdto ••Accommodation SOMALILAND DIRECTORY The best option in town, right bythe Thebestoptionintown,right ai

(mains US$3; ( % ) Ignore theintimi- 2710658; rUS$17,ste h lunch & Church, VA 22041) takes about three days. at the airport inHargeisa. The whole process faxed back, youget which avisa, youwill pay will befaxed toHargeisa. Oncetheapproval is a copy ofyou’ll need your passport,which aphoto.cost US$30.You’ll need InDjibouti, (see the SomalilandLiaison Office above ) and Ababa. are Visas daythrough issued thesame most convenient placetoget isAddis avisa a You willneed to enter Somaliland. The visa VISAS (less thanUS$0.50perminute). from Somalilandare thecheapest inAfrica Telecom. International telephone callsmade panies inSomaliland,includingTelesom and There are numerous private telephone com- TELEPHONE the USA,amongothers. theUKand Holland, Ireland, NewZealand, inAustralia, Canada, Dahabshiil hasoffices inHargeisa.the variousDahabshiiloffices (www.dahabshiil.com) towireIf youneed money,try chance of changing your travellers cheques. also acceptpaymentinUSdollars. There’s no and bureaux dechange. Mosthotels andshops can beexchanged forshillingsinhotels, shops of USdollars (vastlypreferable toeuros)that tocarryconsiderableamounts so you’llneed There are noATMs anywhere inSomaliland, MONEY 26 June 1 January public holidays: rica Directory ( p1106 are), these theprincipal As wellasreligious holidays listed intheAf- HOLIDAYS USA UK Ethiopia Djibouti the following: embassy. 2421214; Hargeisa) Somaliland isthe foreignThe onlyofficial representation in EMBASSIES &CONSULATES Cavel St;LondonE12JA) ) ( Somaliland Liaison Offices abroadinclude Somaliland LiaisonOffices ( % % 020-7961 9098;[email protected];102 IndependenceDayinSomaliland ( ( 202-467 0602; 3705 South George Mansion, Falls Mansion, 202-467 0602;3705SouthGeorge % % IndependenceDayinSomalia Book accommodationonlineatlonelyplanet.com 355526; PlateauduSerpent) 11-635921; fax 11-627847; Bole Rd District, 11-635921; fax11-627847;BoleRdDistrict, , which serves asadefacto , which serves ; transfers can be madeat Ethiopian TradeOffice Dahabshiil

( % 252

istry of Foreign Affairs istry ofForeign US$20 andaletter fromtheSomaliland twophotos, You’llneed issue Ethiopianvisas. ( The EthiopianTradeOffice opposite ) can forOnwardTravel Visas airport (US$30). uponarrival atthe be issuedwiththevisa backtoyouandyou’llthen fax thedetails toorganise Theywill thevisa. at leastaweek ofdetails yourpassport pages andgive them Tourism (see p738 tofaxthem ). You’llneed (see Ambassador p739 ) ortheDirector of local sponsor,suchHotel, astheOriental a optionistogothrough straightforward Anotherthe SomalilandLiaisonOffice. lonelyplanet.com takes about 1½ totwo hours, depending on tothe border town ofbus traffic Wajaale. It From Jijiga ineastern Ethiopiathere’s regular ETHIOPIA at Loyaada. geisa (aboutUS$25). Thebordercrossing is DjiboutiandHar-truck journeybetween Djibouti isopen, but it’sagruellingtwo-day Somaliland and The landborder between DJIBOUTI Land andontoDubai. to Mogadishu,Berbera and Dubai. minutes) andfromHargeisa toAden(Yemen) flies fromDjiboutitoHargeisa (US$100,45 return, twohours), whileDjiboutiAirlines fromAddisAbabaflights toHargeisa (US$285 US$192, twohours). EthiopianAirlinesoffers (Puntland; destinations, includingBosasso fromDjiboutito othersmallerSomali flights Mogadishu (southernSomalia).It alsohas connections toHargeisa (Somaliland)and and Paris to Djibouti,fromwhere there are fromJeddah, London services ates weekly Daallo Airlines,thenationalcarrier,oper- Air THERE&AWAY GETTING SOMALILAND IN TRANSPORT Hargeisa) forward andtakes lessthanaday. In the UK or the USA, you can contact In theUKorUSA,youcancontact From Nairobi,AfricanExpress Airwaysflies . Thewholeprocessispretty straight- TRANSPORT IN SOMALILAND •• Getting There INSOMALILAND &Away ••Getting TRANSPORT ( % 22253871; IndependenceRd, Min- Djibouti. is Bosasso. but are claimed byPuntland.The‘capital’ dle districtthatcurrently lieinSomaliland, ern andeastern Sanaagregions andBuhoo- There are alsoflashpoints intheSool,south- coast isrenowned forpiracyandkidnapping. only isthepoliticalsituationpretty fluid,the withdanger.spot but,alas,isfraught Not Xaafuunshouldoccupyatop tinent. Raas land istheeasternmost region of thecon- Forming thetipof theHornof Africa, Punt- PUNTLAND is extra).Apoliceescortcostsabout US$15. Somaliland settlements. major routes between crowded 4WDsservice toBurcao).Medium-sizedBerbera and buses (such asfromHargeisa andfrom toBerbera In Somaliland there are roads afew sealed AROUND GETTING Somalia toKenya orEthiopiaatpresent. There’s noway youcanget overland from KENYA a coupleof checkpoints, butnohassles. US$4) toHargeisa (twohours, 88km).Expect (aboutUS$30)oraminibus a taxi checked. andyourvisa be stamped Thentake immigration shack,where yourpassport will street), cross no-man’s-landtoSomaliland’s office (lookfortheMAObuildingonmain outattheEthiopianimmigration stamped Get the numberof punctures, andcostsBirr15. some signsof InJuly2006 the hope,though. most dangerous place inthe world. There are time of writing, Somalia wasconsidered the opened this guideonthewrong page. Atthe If you’re looking for goodnews, you’ve SOMALIA Daallo Airlines has flights to Bosasso from toBosasso Daallo Airlineshas flights You canhire forUS$60perday (fuel ataxi obliged tochangeUS$50attheairport. able incash.ArrivaltaxisUS$20.You’re also International taxisUS$30, pay- departure DEPARTURE &ARRIVAL TAX

743

& SOMALIA SOMALIA & SMLLN, PUNTLAND SOMALILAND, SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND & SOMALIA © LonelyPlanetPublications US$120 forapoliceescort. about US$60(fullboard).Addanextradaily and theHotel Sahafi,which rent roomsfor a reader hasrecommended theHotel Shamo foreigners. Should youbeforcedtoget there, city intheworldandadefinite no-go zonefor of lers’ itinerariesanytimesoon. welcome, anditishardlylikely tobeontravel- thatforeigners seem aredoesn’t mademore of unityandorderinsouthernSomalia. Butit lords inMogadishuandrestored asemblance Islamic Courtsreplaced theUS-backed war- 744 the above - ‘Do the right thing withour content.’ the above -‘Do theright the termsandconditions onoursitefor alongerwayof saying youknow, orresell it.See everyone site,massemailit to only. Inother words,please don’t uploadthischapter toapeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethink it’sfairtoask you touseitforpersonal, non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapter isnotdigitally Tomake At thetimeof writing,theravaged capital Mogadishu SOMALIA waspossiblythemostperilous ways have toMogadishu. flights kill-fest 15 hours (asdocumented intheHollywood special forcesunitswere pinned downforover the infamouslocationwhere and USRangers were popularwithexpats.The coves alongthecoastandpristinebeaches to get. thewar,anumberof Before isolated ries of its13th-centuryheydayasit’spossible It’s probably nowabout asfarfromtheglo- untilthe20thcentury? and ruledbysultans in the10thcenturyADbyArabmerchants Daallo AirlinesandAfricanExpress Air- What’s leftof thiscitythat wasfounded Black Hawk Down ). lonelyplanet.com Bakara Market Bakara is