Somalia Tourism

Though a large part of the country is inaccessible for the tourists but Somalia is truly a land of many natural attractions those can make for a wonderful holiday. With beaches, mountain ranges, waterfalls and national parks there is an amazing variety of natural attractions here. Al-Jazira beach and Lido beach in Mogadishu and Baathela and Batalaale in Berbera are beautiful beaches popular among the tourists.

Surely you don’t expect to find many cultural attractions in a country that has been ravaged by internal conflicts and civil war for more than two decades and where listening to music, dancing, watching movies and even playing football is banned and illegal. Mogadishu Cultural Center in Mogadishu is the only notable cultural destination in Somalia and apart from the National Museum of Somalia it also houses the National Library and the National Theater.

Somalia capital Mogadishu has a number of good African style restaurants like Summer Time Restaurant, African Village, Hadhwanaag and Man-Soor Hotel. At Ethiopian Restaurant you will find a variety of authentic Ethiopian dishes. A number of restaurants serving Mediterranean continental food are also there.

Most of the Somali dishes are meat oriented and goat, beef, lamb and chicken all are pretty popular. Fried, grilled and broiled dishes are popular here.

Listening to music is illegal in Somalia and there is a punishment of 30 lashes for committing this crime. You don’t have any chance of listening to live music in Somalia.

As per Islamic rules consuming all kinds of alcoholic drinks is prohibited in Somalia.

The open Bakara market is the largest open air marketplace in Somalia and sales a wide variety of goods and services. Located at the heart of Mogadishu openly selling arms is one of the major attraction of it. Central market of Hargeisa is a perfect example of a typical Somali market and is a wonderful place of shopping in the town. The Live Stock market in Hargeisa is another must visit market here.

Street markets are common in Somalia and you will find street markets in most cities and towns of the country.

Visiting the war ravaged country of Somalia is a great adventure in itself. While in Somalia tourist are advised to strictly avoid the war zones but still in the Somalian mountains and beaches you can spend some adventurous time. Watching wildlife in the Somalian national parks can also be a wonderfully adventurous activity.

The beaches of Mogadishu and Berbera are the best for spending some relaxing time in Somalia. All these beaches are on the Indian Ocean and are secluded and peaceful for a relaxing vacation.

This is by far the most popular of all monuments in Somalia and is visited by all tourists coming here. Located on Independence Avenue in Hargeisa town this is a Somali Air Force MiG jet which was used in the bombardment of the city in 1988 that killed more than 10,000 civilians and also almost completely destroyed it. The jet actually crashed during the bombardment and now lies on a stand that has colourful murals showing scenes from the civil war period.

With its unique Chinese style architecture the Shanghai Old City located at the heart of Mogadishu and is another must visit destination for tourists in the city. This is also one of relatively wealthier areas in Somaliland and one of the most beautiful part of Mogadishu that certainly worth a visit.

There are not many things for entertaining your kids in this war torn country. Most entertainment activities even listening to music, playing foot ball or going to a movie is now banned in Somalia and having fun in most of the militia controlled areas of Somalia are actually illegal. But that doesn’t mean that Somaliland is closed for family vacationers.

Islam has been present in the Horn of Africa since ancient times and Somalia has some of the oldest mosques and shrines in the entire continent. Having minarets is one architectural feature that makes Somalian mosques unique and distinct from other African mosques and Arba'a Rukun in Merca and Fakr ad-Din are excellent evidence of this architectural style. The massive round coral tower at Arba'a Rukun is about 13 meter high and is surrounded by multiple ordered recessed arches.

The National Museum of Somalia and Hargeisa Provincial Museum are two of the best museums in this civil over ravaged country. The National Museum is located in Somalian capital Mogadishu and houses a wide variety of historical artifacts of great importance. The museum is actually a part of Mogadishu Cultural Center that also houses the National Library and the National Theater.

Though a large part of the country is inaccessible for the tourists but Somalia is truly a land of many natural attractions those can make for a wonderful holiday. With beaches, mountain ranges, waterfalls and national parks there is an amazing variety of natural attractions here. Al-Jazira beach and Lido beach in Mogadishu and Baathela and Batalaale in Berbera are beautiful beaches popular among the tourists.