1. Hargeisa
Anyone in Hargeisa will tell you that the city isn’t even a part of Somalia; rather, it’s the self-declared capital of Somaliland, a breakaway state that has operated independently without the approval of either the federal government of Somalia or the UN since 1991. And although if the political machine that is headquartered in Hargeisa’s mansions is unofficially nonexistent, at least in the view of foreigners, there is still plenty to commend this former vassal of British East Africa.
To begin with, the area is largely calm and nonviolent.
There are respectful memorials to the heroic resistance against Siad Barre’s dictatorial reign in the 1990s, as well as unique indications of law and order such as traffic lights, police, and even prisons.
occasionally, a tourist!
2.Laas Geel
The Laas Geel live between the arid ridges and hills just outside of Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, leading us neatly on from our previous hotspot.
The numerous alcoves and subterranean passages in this area present a raw and unsettling view of antiquity in these regions and are home to some of the earliest cave paintings ever uncovered on the Horn of Africa.
You may discern colourful depictions of cattle, creative representations of shepherds caring to their flocks, and even what are supposedly deified cows! But what is the finest thing? Visitors are left alone with history at the Laas Geel since it is seldom ever developed.
3. Zeila
The settlement of Zeila, which is in Somaliland rather than Somalia, continues the subject of
(also spelled Seylac) entices intrepid tourists to the remote northwestern region of the country, where the barren and dry environment of sand dunes and rocky hills smashes into the sparkling blue of the Aden Gulf.
The location, which is only a short distance from the Djiboutian border, can only actually be reached by 4X4. Upon entering, tourists are exposed to a patchwork of decaying Muslim palaces and worn-out colonial buildings that stand like dust-coated ghosts of a bygone past.
Others will travel to the stunning Zeila Coast, where the Indian Ocean’s rollers spew whitewash into the air and rusted shipwrecks litter the coast.
Island of Sa’ad ad-Din
The mythical Zeila Archipelago’s first half, which made this list, is also the most
One of the six islets that are situated off the coast of Somaliland, within a short distance from the historic city of Zeila.
This park, which was just recently designated as one of the nation’s few national parks, has everything from glistening coral reefs to turquoise bays, white beaches, and jagged peaks of sandstone rock.
Under the water, where unusual critters of the Red Sea combine with bigger animals of the Indian Ocean to produce a true marine life display, you may expect to witness multicoloured schools of fish.
4.Aibat Island No
Another island in the stunning Zeila Archipelago is called Aibat (or Ceebaad in the local dialect).
Just a few kilometres away, it emerges from the Indian Ocean’s waters.
Sa’ad ad-Din Island, which is described above, has the same tropical mélange of mangrove-fringed cliffs and snow-white beaches.
Even a rustic lighthouse is tossed into the mix, and the water is no less teeming with incredible marine life.
One of the great attractions is the abundance of intriguing bird species that may be seen flying around the skies.
5.Berbera
The city of Berbera is inextricably related to its mercantile past since it was formerly travelled by Ottoman imperialists and served as a hub for traders from all across the Indian Ocean basin, including as far away as Mumbai and Goa and as near as Arabia.
One of the few deep-water ocean ports on our continent made it feasible for this history to occur.
littoral of the African Horn, and the city is still regarded as the region’s principal harbour today.
The stunning desert-like hinterland of Berbera, as well as the town’s nearby sun-kissed beaches of Batalale and Bathela, will be praised by locals.
6.Iskushuban
The historic hamlet of Iskushuban, one of the main attractions in the autonomous area of Puntland in the northern regions of Somalia, boasts crenulated walls of dust-caked stone and lovely arabesque defences from centuries ago.
One of the major power centres of the Majeerteenia Sultinate, which dominated the extreme tip of the African Horn for most of the 19th and 20th centuries, is believed to have been at this location.
Nevertheless, aside from history, most guests come here to view
the nation’s second-largest waterfalls, which erupt during the appropriate season!Lag Badana-Bushbush National Park, number eight
You could imagine the Lag Badana-Bushbush National Park to be a true paradise, with its waxy palm trees, golden sands, stilted bamboo huts that muscle their way into the coconut orchards, and the steady wash of the Indian Ocean kissing the coast.
And it is, in fact.
Or at least it would be if it weren’t for the horrible wars that have enveloped the southern Somalian regions where the reserve is located.
These have changed from interactions with radicals now to the civil war of the 1990s and 2000s.
Maybe after they’re done, this gorgeous country of tropical beauty will still be there.
7.Mogadishu
There is no getting around this difficult topic: A forest of AK-47 barrels often rumbles alongside warlords and roving gangs as they travel the city of Mogadishu’s bumpy roadways. In truth, there hasn’t been much of a secure period in the capital of Somalia since the fragile conclusion of the civil war, which fought there until 2012 in various forms. There are some indications that things are starting to shift, though.
There are now jet lines to Istanbul and Dubai thanks to Turkish investment in the Aden Adde International Airport, and there is always opportunity in the bustling Bakaara Market and the picturesque Mogadishu Old Town, which cascades down to the Indian Ocean in a splash of crenulated stone.
Italian-style homes.
8.Lamadaya
Waterfalls are essentially the only thing Lamadaya has to offer visitors.
The Cal Madow mountains, which run parallel to the Gulf of Aden and straddle Puntland, Somaliland, and the northern edges of the country, are the greatest in the country and cascade over sheer-cut cliffs.
These incredible natural phenomena have cut through the earth’s ochre-colored granite, created deep plunge pools at their bottoms, and created intriguing mineral formations underneath their flow.
9.Bosaso
The massive seaport that encircles Bosaso’s coastal reaches is where all of the city’s activity and energy originates.
This 700,000-person metropolis, which serves as Somalia’s principal and biggest harbour, has experienced a significant increase in the years after the war ended.
during the civil war. The local airport has just received millions of dollars in funding from Dubai finances, and business and industry have taken over. There are also new schools and infrastructural investments.
There are lots of things to do, including the sandy beaches that run down the shore to the east and west of the town, the imposing peaks of the Cal Madow, which lure hikers to the horizon, and the nearby ostrich farms in the desert.
10.Xaafuun
Just a ghost of what it once was, Xaafuun is what it is now.Simply said, this place has a rich, fascinating past.To give you an idea, Mycenaean pottery fragments from the Greek Heroic Age have been found in the town’s dusty cracks and fissures.
settlement, but several artefacts from the Majeerteen Sultanate litter its headland.
A less-than-appealing sprawl has replaced the former spice depots, which were replaced by fishing conglomerates and Italian mining corporations in more recent years, giving the area an industrial appearance.
In truth, Xaafuun is a location to lament the more glorious past.
11.Galkayo
The hub of Somalia’s much praised federal structure is really a divided city.
While the majority of the town is governed by the Somali government officially in the south, the north is ruled by the self-declared state of Puntland (yes, there are many de facto governments in these regions!).
However, if you’re not very interested in Somalia’s convoluted political history and the institutions now supporting the
e condition, then it’s probably true that this dusty town has nothing of actual interest — not that anyone would travel there these days, anyhow!
12.Garoowe
The autonomous state of Puntland, which asserts dominance over Somalia’s northernmost regions and the African Horn, has its municipal centre in Garoowe.
The community is rapidly growing and has recently added hospitals, paved roads, new libraries, and NGO headquarters.
It was once one of the cities that made up the Majeerteen Sultanate until it was ruled by Italian Somalia during the colonial era.
There aren’t many historical remnants left, and Garoowe is today a community that is strongly focused on the future.
13.Bardera
Although it is now completely engulfed in Somalia’s war-torn southern area, green Bardera formerly served as one of the country’s agricultural titans.
It is located in the stunning Jubba Valley, which runs through the centre of this region of East Africa, and is surrounded by several rural towns that produce leather, dairy products, and other goods.
People would visit this area to observe the attractive steel Dutch bridge and the Webi Jubba River’s twisting courses before the outbreak of sectarian warfare.
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