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 symbolic memorials to the heroic resistance against Siad Barre’s dictatorial reign in the 1990s, as well as unique indications of law and order: traffic signals, law enforcement, even the occasional
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 town of Zeila (also known as Seylac), which continues the Somaliland (as opposed to Somalia) motif, entices intrepid tourists to the remote north-western corner of the country, where the parched and arid plain 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.
4. Sa’ad ad-Din Island
The first of the famous Zeila Archipelago’s two halves to reach this list is also the most visited of the six islets that are located just offshore from the historic city of Zeila in Somaliland.
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.
5. Aibat Island
Another island in the stunning Zeila Archipelago is called Aibat (or Ceebaad in the local dialect).
Just a few kilometres from the aforementioned Sa’ad ad-Din Island, this island emerges from the Indian Ocean, displaying the same tropical mélange of mangrove-fringed cliffs and pearly-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.
6. Berbera
Once trodden by Ottoman imperialists, and having reigned as a focal point for traders from right across the Indian Ocean basin – from as close as Arabia and as far afield as Mumbai and Goa – the city of Berbera is closely linked to its mercantile past.
It’s a history that was made possible by the presence of one of the few deep-water ocean ports on this section of the African Horn, and today, the city is still known as the major harbor in the area.
Locals will champion Berbera’s gorgeous desert-like backcountry, along with the sun-kissed beaches of Batalale and Bathela that fringe the Gulf of Aden close to the town.
7. 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, history aside, the majority of visitors come to witness the region’s second-largest waterfalls, which gushe while in season.
8. Lag Badana-Bushbush National Park
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, were it not for the brutal conflicts that have engulfed the southern regions of Somalia where the reserve makes its home.
These have changed from interactions with radicals now to the civil war of the 1990s and 2000s.
Perhaps this lovely country of tropical beauty will be on the menu once more once they are through.
9. 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 flight routes to Istanbul and Dubai thanks to Turkish investment in the Aden Adde International Airport, and there will always be potential in the bustling Bakaara Market and the lovely Mogadishu Old Town, which cascades down to the Indian Ocean in a dash of crenulated Italianesque mansions.
10. Lamadaya
Waterfalls are essentially the only thing Lamadaya has to offer visitors.
The Cal Madow ranges, which run parallel to the Gulf of Aden and cross Puntland, Somaliland, and the northern edges of the country, are the largest 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.
11. 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 rise in the years after the conclusion of 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.
12. 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, this town’s dusty corners and cracks have been found to include pieces of Mycenaean pottery from the Heroic Age of ancient Greece, while the headland has been strewn with artifacts from the Majeerteen Sultanate.
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.
13. Galkayo
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.\
14. 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.
15. 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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