Eastern desert region of Yemen, Hadramaout is particularly famous for Shibam, a city with breathtaking architecture. It is necessary to count two days of travel if you take Yemenia (Paris 9am - Sanaa 18h / Sanaa 1h - Paris 7h30) and maybe three days with indirect flights.
Day 1: Shibam
Day 2: Seyoun and Tarim
Day 3: Ouadi Doan
Day 4: Descent to the Arabian Sea
Day 5: Towards Canaa, ancient port of Hadramawt
Day 6: Bir Ali and its occupied islands
©Dmitry_Chulov
The starting point of this journey is Seyoun where you arrive by plane, often in the early morning. As this region is hot, it is better to relax and rest in the afternoon, in the shade. The first visit is to Shibam, this city built of buildings in charge of which we visit certain buildings. You must then climb on the piton which dominates it so that you have a panoramic view on the site.
Seyoun, with its souk and the Sultan's palace which also contains a small museum. From Seyoun we head towards the city of Tarim, built by the Al Kaf family, originally from Singapore, who built about twenty palaces there and made the city famous. You can swim in the shaded swimming pool of one of them, the Quba Palace. Along the road, you will see lime kilns, mausoleums with dome of Sufi saints.
Its entrance is marked by a famous crossroads where young camels are traded; a restaurant even offers tasting, but it is a very firm meat that requires a lot of preparation. The valley of all beauty, trapped between several canyons, is declined according to the villages clinging to their sides, including Hajjarin, Sif, Khourayba. Take your time before arriving at the Buksham Hotel where you are recommended to stay: an eight-storey building built of cedar and adobe, with a multicoloured exterior that stands out.
The road goes over the hotel and you stay on the plateau. It is then a succession of landscapes: desert plateaus, arid mountains, sandstone valleys dug by the last glaciation, expanse of sand as Moukalla approaches. You will arrive in this main city of the Arabian Sea for lunch. Then visit the city after diving in the ocean, at the cool of the sunset, with a fruit juice on the jetty converted into coffees.
Visit the Sultan's Palace before taking the road to Chaboua. For three hours, landscapes will flow under your eyes. Beautiful coves where wooden boats are floating, black volcanic stone that weaves the yellow sand, gigantic craters and finally the rocky piton of Bir Ali, ancient port of Canaa. It is on the beach, in the built huts, that you will spend the night.
After your first bath of the day in the Arabian Sea, climb on the piton to discover the antique tanks at its summit. Visit the fish hall and watch the landings of mackerel, sharks and lines. Take a boat to go to one or more islands and swim in the middle of colourful fish. Then you need three hours to go to Moukalla Airport.
Each Travel Idea is customizable according to your wishes
