Yemen

The Arabian Peninsula, always an ultra-conservative region of the Middle East, has long held a fascination for travellers. Many centuries ago a few determined explorers entered the domains, usually in disguise, full of nerve and drive. Yemen was generally accessible for years until the late 1990s, but since then has remained a tragic example of instability. However, recently a few intrepid travellers and curious explorers have been fortunate enough to visit one of the most exotic destinations on earth in the eastern part of the country - the Wadi Hadramaut. Straight from the 'Arabian Nights', the mud skyscrapers, fortified villages, cliff-top citadels, animated souks, lush palmeries and oases are unique across the Middle East. Timeless visions engulf the visitor - women in conical hats herding goats, wild-eyed men in long clothing with ornamental traditional daggers, and ever-curious children. The vast empty desert has a special enchantment; strange outcrops, eerie canyons and whispering dunes lie silent under luminescent starry nights. Maybe one day soon travellers will again gaze in astonishment at the old city of Sana'a, the rugged mountain escarpment in the west of the country, or the fabled ruins of the Queen of Sheba at Marib. Whichever way one turns, Yemen is amazing.