Planning A Trip To Yemen
The only difficult part of the planning was deciding on air since it was a group tour.
Air? Lufthansa had a route from Frankfurt to Sana'a, Yemen. This was easy...cashed in United miles for roundtrip tickets from Frankfurt and bought United (our airline of choice) to fly Chicago-Frankfurt. Your only other airline choices to Sana'a are: Yemen Airways, Turkish Airlines, KLM, and Egyptair.
Hotel? None necessary. Wonder of wonders, no misconnects on this trip.
Visa? You must have a Yemen visa. U.S. Citizens contact The Embassy of Yemen. Everyone else, browse World Travel Guide.
Travel Insurance? Never travel without it and even though Geographic Expeditions includes a Medical and Accident Insurance and Assistance Plan on all tours, we still needed cancellation insurance. We use Travel Guard. Travel insurance starts at $30..
Health? Malaria pills again. Our drug of choice is Lariam, (Mefloquine is the generic). We prefer the once-a-week Lariam to the once-a-day Malarone - but it's your decision. I always check the Centers for Disease Control updates to see what they suggest. Geo-ex also suggested water purification tablets and massive health supplies. There is little health care and medication available in Yemen.
Consumption of Alcohol? In one word...forbidden.
Clothing? It was going to be hot. Lightweight, loose-fitting clothing, sun hats, absolutely no shorts, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts for women. Modest dress is be extremely important in this Muslim country and only our face, hands and ankles were allowed to show. Men were allowed to wear short-sleeved shirts -- NOT FAIR! I was prepared to sweat off 10 pounds in the heat. No fancy clothes required.
Included? All best available hotels; all meals; guides; bottled water in the vehicles; all domestic air transportation and airport taxes within Yemen; arrival and departure transfers; leadership services, local guides, Bedouin guides and drivers; Medical and Accident Insurance.
Money? No ATM's. Cash for only for tips, shopping and other incidentals.
...We were ready...
