YPT are proud to bring back to the Horn of Africa this year again! So join us for a truly off the beaten track experience to two of the planet’s least visited destinations – Somaliland and Eritrea and for the first year, Djibouti.
We begin in the former French colony of Somalia, now know as Djibouti. While it is very small, Djibouti has some of the most outlandish sceneries in the world. We’ll be taking in its two most famous lakes, Lac Abbe and Lac Assal, which being salt and sulphur lakes, create some hellish, highly photogenic sights. It wouldn’t be a YPT tour without also sampling the nightlife of Djibouti rubbing soldiers, possibly, with nomads and some of the world’s military units stationned there.
Moving to another part of greater Somalia, we now move to what was a British protectorate and now the self-declared republic of Somaliland. This de-facto state declared independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991; however, no international organization has recognized its sovereignty.
Still recovering from a brutal civil war, today the area is very safe and the local people are extremely welcoming and interested in foreign visitors. Somaliland is fundamentally different from the other countries in the region — and almost anywhere else on the planet. We’ll take you to smoke shisha with the locals, swim in untouched waters and visit ancient cave art!
Next we move onto Eritrea. This fascinating country falls well below most travelers radars which makes it a unique off the beaten track experience. Eritrea boasts pristine coastline and untouched Red Sea islands as well as some of the best-kept colonial architecture in Africa. On top of all that we take part in the two-day festival to celebrate Eritrea’s independence!
Having been colonized in part by the Turks and Egyptians, Eritrea took on a European flavour with the arrival of the Italians in 1885 during their belated entry in the “scramble for Africa”. The legacies of successive foreign forces, combined with a rich mix of nine local ethnic groups have created a diverse cultural landscape that offers the best of African, Middle Eastern and European influences.
The Eritrean capital city of Asmara is like a film set from an early Italian movie, with vintage Italian coffee machines and outstanding examples of Art-Deco architecture. Although the country faces numerous hardships, it paradoxically remains one of Africa’s most peaceful, secure and welcoming destinations.
Group
|
Start Date
|
End Date
|
Price
|
---|---|---|---|
Djibouti+Somaliland | May 14th | May 23rd | $1895 |
Somaliland+Eritrea | May 17th | May 31st | $2890 |
Djibouti+Somaliland+Eritrea | May 14th | May 31st | $3395 |
Please note that the itinerary may change depending on the Somaliland government. Your safety is our top priority. Safety and security are the first questions in many people’s mind when travelling to a foreign country. If you are considering joining us on this exciting adventure, please note that Somaliland is NOT Somalia; and the country has been free from terrorist attacks since 2008. The Somaliland government does everything to ensure the security of their country, especially foreign visitors. We have a strong network in the country to provide us with the most up-to-date security information, including a leading international travel security consultant firm and the local government. We only lead our tours to protected regions. We will travel with Special Protection Unit soldiers when outside of Hargeisa. They are trained specially to protect foreign visitors. We also have several backup itineraries – i.e., in the unlikely event that an alert occurs in our destination, we will immediately change our itinerary.
In order to give you maximum flexibility in your trip as well as control over mileage programs, we chose not to include the flights between countries but have put recommendations in the itinerary. If you wish us to include the international flights (Djibouti to Hargeisa to Asmara) in your tour price this can be done for an extra $500. This price is valid until two months before tour, after which individual quotes will have to be given due to the fluctuation in flight ticket prices.
Thursday 14th May – Djibouti City
Friday 15th May – Djibouti City/Lake Abbe
Saturday 16th May – Lake Abbe/Lake Assal/Djibouti City
Sunday 17th May
Monday 18th May – Independence Day!
Tuesday 19th May – Hargeisa
Wednesday 20th May – Laas Geel/Hargeisa
Thursday 21st May – Berbera
Friday 22nd May – Hargeisa
Saturday 23rd May – Asmara
Sunday 24th May – Independence Day!
Monday 25th May – Asmara
Tuesday 26th May – Asmara
Wednesday 27th May – Massawa
Thursday 28th May – Massawa
Friday 29th May – Asmara
Saturday 30th May – Asmara
Sunday 31st May
Want to extend your YPT adventure? Join one of our great tour extensions
•All Transport (unless otherwise stated)
•All Accommodation on twin-share basis
•Breakfasts
•Some local tours (unless otherwise stated)
•Visa Fees (Eritrea – 70 USD).
•Lunchs & dinners
•Single supplement ($600 USD)
•International flights
•Personal expenses
•Local guide tips
We have expert guides ready to help answer any questions you may have.
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