Djibouti, Somaliland, Eritrea & Somalia: Horn of Africa Independence Combo Tour

Thursday 14^th May – Djibouti City

• Arrival at your convenience into Djibouti City – the capital city of Djibouti which is well connected from flights between Dubai, Doha, Paris, Istanbul and Addis Ababa.
• Meet our driver at the airport and dropped off at our hotel – Ras Dika Hotel.
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our hotel at 4:00pm to discuss tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and YPT guide.
• Head out on our exploration of Djibouti City. We’ll go see the two most famous mosques of the country, the Hammoud Mosque as well as the Al Sada Mosque, the local market, take a photo at the ‘I love Djibouti’ sign, and finish with a walking tour of downtown Djibouti city to purchase flags, football jerseys, magnets and other Djibouti souvenirs.
• After we’ve built up an appetite exploring around the city, we will head to the most famous restaurant in the city which has been around for decades and serves Yemeni style seafood dishes and other local dishes.
• Overnight at Ras Dika Hotel

Friday 15^th May – Djibouti City – Lake Abbe

Morning

• After breakfast, we will begin our excursion to Lake Abbe, located on the border between Djibouti and Ethiopia.
• On the road there, we’ll stop by the Little and Grand Bara, which are large fields of white clay, upon which mirages are frequently seen alongside the gazelles and antelopes.
• We’ll stop at a town that used to hold thousands of refugees from Yemen before they were relocated to other parts in Africa.
• On the road, we’ll arrange a stop to meet local nomad shepherds, who have made this desert region their home, even though it is amongst the hottest and most hostile places in the world.

Afternoon

• Stop for lunch along the way.
• Late afternoon arrival at Lake Abbe Camp, which is just on the border of Lake Abbe which offers pleasant night view. Here the land is flat apart from one hill and mixed with the clouds this is quite the view! The camp has basic shower facilities and a bathroom.
• Dinner and overnight in Lake Abbe Camp.

Saturday 16^th May – Lake Abbe – Lake Assal – Djibouti City

Morning

• Wake up early to check out the sunrise over Lake Abbe, a formidable sight as the sun rises unobstructed over the lake with hundreds of natural limestone chimneys, spitting out steam and sulphur. You will wonder if you just woke up on the same planet!
• We’ll trek along the lake before the sun rises and scorches the earth. The trek shall take two hours but may reward us with massive colonies of pink flamingos.
• During this trek, we might meet the local donkey and camel herders and our local guide will introduce us to them.
• Return to camp for breakfast, pack up and move on.

Afternoon

• We then make our way to the second lake of Djibouti, and certainly its most famous, Lake Assal
• On our way we’ll stop at Belvedere Sul Canyon – this spot offers fantastic views where the three tectonic plates of Africa, Somalia and the Arabian plate are pulling 2cm apart each year.
• Lake Assal is located no less than 150 metres below sea level, making it Africa’s lowest point and the world’s third lowest point. It is crowned by an almost alien chain of volcanoes spewing black lava. The border of the lake is surrounded by salt banks of a white so bright that it looks like snow. This lake is the world`s largest reserve of salt.
• Once we’ve visited the lake to our heart’s content, we will drive back to Djibouti City, arriving in the late afternoon.
• After our return to our hotel, we’ll partake in a well-earned shower and then dinner for a feast of fresh seafood, camel or salads.
• Head for drinks before overnight at Ras Dika Hotel.

Sunday 17^th May – Djibouti City – Hargeisa, Somaliland

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel
• Group A & C members: transport to the airport. We recommend booking and boarding the Ethiopian Airlines flight ET363 departing Djibouti at 12:20pm, transiting via Addis, and arriving into Hargeisa at 5:05pm on flight ET374. Flights not included in tour cost.
• Group B members: Arrive at your convenience into Hargeisa – the capital city of Somaliland which is well connected with flights from the majority of East Africa, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia & Dubai.

Afternoon

• Meet our driver and head to Damal Hotel to check-in
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our hotel at 7:00pm to discuss tour itinerary and to meet new fellow travellers.
• We will then take a walking tour around the city centre of Hargeisa to get a sense of the people and the city. Here you will see street money exchangers and their “chunk” of bills, the central market, and the MiG Jet fighter War Memorial which stands for the atrocities committed by the dictator during the Civil War. The War Memorial is in the middle of the buzzing centrum and an excellent place for a coffee and chats with Somalilanders about politics and history.
• Visit to the busy market in downtown Hargeisa for some evening shopping and people watching.
• Dinner at a lively canteen off the main drag of Hargeisa. We’ll have a chance to chat with them and hear how they find life in Somaliland.
• After dinner, you can walk around the bustling city centre in Hargeisa, and have some chai with the friendly locals or do some shopping for t-shirts and flags for Independence Day.
• Overnight in Hargeisa.

Monday 18^th May – Hargeisa: Independence Day!

Morning

• We’ll get up nice and early for a quick breakfast before hitting the streets to observe the military and civilian parades. Everyone will be dressed in the national colours on the street, and this is one of the only places on earth to take part in an Independence Day celebration in an unrecognized country!

Afternoon

• Traditional camel meat and other local dishes at Ararat Restaurant
• Take a short break from the heat, we’ll visit the Somaliland National Museum and Cultural Centre. A great place to chat with some local young people.
• Visit the best view of Hargeisa, the Massala View – here we’ll be able to spot most of the important buildings of the city but also the twin hills called Naaso Hablood, also known as Hargeisa’s landmark.
• We’ll stop by the cemetery for British Soldiers who died here battling against the Italians during the Second World War.
• We will have a traditional dinner at Summer Time Restaurant, an institution in town, that evening and toast to this unique nation!
• A special national day concert is held where government VIPs and local celebrities join and spectate in performances and live music. Optional to attend and ticket prices are announced a few days before, usually around $15USD for entry.
• Overnight in Hargeisa

Tuesday 19^th May – Hargeisa – Laas Geel – Berbera

Morning

• After breakfast, we will take a visit to the livestock market where locals will allow you to purchase your own camel or black headed sheep! For those who can’t fit a camel in their luggage, this market will provide excellent photo opportunities and an insight of how they do business.
• Begin our 160km journey north to Berbera on the coast which is also the largest seaport of Somaliland. Berbera was the former capital of the British Somaliland protectorate before Hargeisa and served as the prominent port of the Ifat, Adal and Isaaq sultanates between the 13th and 19th century.
• On our way we’ll stop at Laas Geel – the most important rock art site in all of Africa. These caves contain some of the oldest cave paintings on the horn of Africa; the vibrant colours and well-preserved paintings are estimated to be over ten thousand years old.

Afternoon

• We’ll stop for lunch on the way at popular restaurant
• Upon our arrival in Berbera, we will visit the historical Ottoman Mosque and Ottoman houses.
• We’ll begin exploring around the historic town of Berbera where you’ll find countless Ottoman, Persian, and British architecture. This will be an excellent chance for some unique photographs.
• We’ll also explore an area known as Moscow District – during the 1960s and 70s Soviet military servicemen and labourers were based in this exclusive zone building the Berbera airport and expanding the port. The Soviets were given 24 hours to leave when they leaked information about impending invasion by the Somalians to the Ethiopians. The Stalinist buildings left standing are now occupied by families.
• Catch the sunset before checking into our hotel.
• We will have fresh seafood on the waterfront for dinner.
• Overnight at hotel in Berbera

Wednesday 20^th May – Berbera – Hargeisa

Morning

• Breakfast and head to the port to spot the fisherman bringing in their fresh catch and a quick tour of the fish markets next door.
• We’ll then board a boat to hunt for shipwrecks in the Gulf of Aden whilst passing interesting vessels that anchor off an unrecognised country.
• We then take some time off and head to a gorgeous spot on the beach for a swim near the lighthouse – it’s not uncommon to catch local youths and families enjoy their time in the sun. Due to local culture we ask our female travellers to cover their body including their arms and legs in the water. For those who have their diving license, we can arrange a diving excursion.

Afternoon

• Seafood lunch in town along the coast before we begin making our way back to Hargeisa.
• Our last dinner in Somaliland where we’ll farewell our local guides and friends.
• Overnight in Hargeisa

Thursday 21^st May – Hargeisa – Asmara, Eritrea

• Breakfast at hotel
• Group A members: tour concludes in Hargeisa, Somaliland – YPT is able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for ongoing flights
• Group B & C members: transport to the Hargeisa airport. We recommend booking and boarding the FlyDubai flight FZ662 & FZ645 departing Hargeisa at 7:40am and arriving 10:05pm into Asmara via Dubai. Flight cost not included in tour cost.
• Be greeted at the airport by our Eritrean driver and dropped off to our hotel – Savannah Hotel
• Overnight in Asmara

Friday 22^nd May – Asmara – Massawa

Morning

• After breakfast at the hotel, pre-tour meeting will be held in the lobby of our hotel at 8:00am to discuss tour itinerary and to meet new fellow travellers.
• Tour Highlight: We’ll head to Asmara Railway Station – frozen in time, and we’ll board our YPT chartered classic Italian 1938 mallet steam locomotive and ride 19km down the line towards the coastal city of Massawa. The line was constructed between 1887 and 1932 during the Italian Eritrea colony. We’ll stop at Arbaroba – a name that translates to “Friday-Wednesday,” which was the original timetable for the train back when it ran under Italian occupation before WWII. Here the train will turn around using a clever technique and take us back to Asmara.

Afternoon

• Lunch in town at a famous Italian joint where you can try classic Italian cuisines or popular Eritrean dishes.
• Begin our 120km journey to Massawa – a colourful port town mixed with Italian, Egyptian and Ottoman architecture built along Africa’s Red Sea coastline. On the way we’ll stop for scenic photos. We’ll also stop to explore the abandoned sparkling water factory, a tank and an abandoned railway station.
• Check into our hotel reminiscent of the era of the Italians, the Grand Dahlak Hotel.
• Dinner at Almaz Bar & Restaurant, YPT’s favourite meal in Massawa. There, we can try Ja-Ja fish, an incredible stir-fry made up of thick pieces of fish
• Explore the nightlife of Massawa and find some bars to mingle.
• Overnight in Massawa

Saturday 23^rd May – Massawa – Asmara

Morning

• Breakfast at our hotel and begin our walking tour to take in the unique mixture of Turkish and Italian architectural designs stopping at all sites of interest – Massawa was the capital of the Italian Colony of Eritrea until the seat of the colonial government was moved to Asmara in 1897. Decades of war during Eritrea’s struggle for independence, which it won in 1991, have taken their toll on Massawa’s buildings, many of which are now on the brink of collapse.
• Explore the former winter residence of Emperor Haile Selassie which was originally constructed in 1872 by the Ottomans.
• Visit the Northern Red Sea Regional Museum – artifacts from 800BCE all the way to the struggle of the independence war is displayed and explained by a local English speaking museum guide.
• We’ll then board a boat and set to Green Island located 5km off Massawa – one of our favourite beaches in all of Africa. The white sandy beach and crystal blue waters offers a fantastic spot to unwind and enjoy a swim. Snorkelling is also available.

Afternoon

• Lunch at our hotel, this will also give a chance to shower and refreshen up before returning back to Asmara
• On the way we’ll stop at the 3 Tanks Monument – a memorial of three tanks (Tiger, Jaguar, Commander) that were instrumental in Operation Fenkil which led to the liberation of Massawa after a brutal Ethiopian occupation.
• On arrival into Asmara check into hotel.
• Tonight, Harnett Street is packed with carnival celebrations so we’ll head there to check out the various pre-Independence Day celebrations including modern and folklore dances, live music and possible fireworks!
• Dinner and overnight in Asmara

Sunday 24^th May – Asmara – Hmberti – Asmara: Independence Day! 

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel
• We will begin our morning walking tour of Asmara. You will see the spectacular art deco of Asmara built by the Italians at the turn of the last century, such as the Fiat Tagliero building, Cinema Roma, the former Opera house of Asmara, the Post Office built 1916, Albergo Italia built in 1899, the Hotel Hamasien built in 1916, the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, the metal recycling market, the central fish market, and many other sites along the way!
• Visit the City Hall to see various photo displays in commemoration of the thirty-years bitter struggle and the post-independence progress. The City Hall was established by the Italians in 1890 and is one of the oldest institutions in Africa. There will also be various inventions on display by young people.
• Explore one of the largest tank graveyards YPT has ever discovered. APCs, Soviet tanks, aircrafts, vintage cars.. this place has it all! Most are leftovers from the war with Ethiopia.
• Visit the Italian cemetery which is still funded and looked after by the Italian embassy in Asmara.

Afternoon

• After lunch, we’ll head out of the capital to the small highlands village of Hmberti. Here you’ll have a chance to meet locals of the area, visit traditional homes and hike to see ancient rock carvings dating from 800-400 BC. The area is stunning as the village is supported by the lakes and wetlands below.
• Return to Asmara and visit our favourite bar to watch the Eritrean President address the public and deliver a speech on the occasion of the Independence Day live on TV.
• Stop by the Eritrean bowling alley for a game – a 70-year-old relic of the 20th century and first used by the US military servicemen during their stay at Kagnew station in Asmara. There have been no upgrades or changes to the bowling alley, and visiting it is like stepping back in time.
• Dinner and drinks to close out the Independence celebrations at a traditional restaurant, Hed Mona, where you can sample injera and Asmara gin.. followed by more celebrations on the streets!
• Overnight at the hotel in Asmara.

Monday 25th May – Asmara

• Group B & C members: tour concludes – YPT is able to arrange post-tour accommodation or advice for ongoing flights