Tuesday, May 05, 2009

To Yemen, or Not to Yemen?

Am considering a weekend trip to Yemen. If you've never heard of the place (the reference in Friends doesn't count) it's only a hop, skip and a jump from Dubai. And very cheap to get to you. Though of course it's the cultural diversity I'm interested in.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has this to say in terms of travel advice:

"We advise against all but essential travel to Yemen due to the threat of terrorism and tribal violence. You should take all necessary steps to protect your safety; this includes having confidence in your personal security arrangements.

There is a high threat from terrorism in Yemen including against Western, and British, interests. You should avoid places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers, including in Sana'a and other urban centres. On 18 March 2009 there was an attempted suicide attack on the airport road in Sana'a. Also on 15 March 2009 a group of South Korean nationals were attacked at Shibam in Hadramaut Governorate. Four South Koreans are known to have died. At least 17 people were killed in a terrorist attack on the US Embassy in Sana'a on 17 September, including six terrorists. We believe that terrorists continue to plan attacks."

Friendly, eh? Mind you, they advise against travel to a) The Middle East (when I of course live here) and b) Sri Lanka, which I visited without incident only last week.

Hmmm.

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