"Luckily, the mysterious attraction of distant Yemen appeals to an elite, the better kind of tourists, the ones who want to get away from the beaten path, who do not travel to the ends of the earth merely to bore themselves to death on a sandy beach they could find anywhere, who don't fall into depression if they are deprived of golf, a shopping centre and assorted night clubs. Yemen is the last resort for those who have seen everything but would like to be "astonished" in Cocteau's sense. Eclectic travellers, fascinated by the mountain landscapes, exotic nights on the Red Sea, the nobility of an as yet unspoiled nature, the prodigious splendour of an architecture unique on earth, the vestiges of civilization thousands of years old, barely exposed even by archaeologists, and, most important of all, a population that has remained pure and proud, only recently in contact with the outside world, but hospitable, open and generous."
"YEMEN, INVITATION TO A VOYAGE IN ARABIA FELIX." Jacques Hebert 1989

The Republic of Yemen was formed on the 22nd of May 1990 by the spectacular merger of North Yemen (the Western-oriented Yemen Arab Republic, or YAR) and South Yemen (The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen - the first and only Marxist Arab state in the world). The event ended a separation that had lasted hundreds of years.

History
Yemen is one of the oldest inhabited regions in the world. According to tradition, Shem, the son of Noah, founded the city of Sana'a. Whether this is folklore of historical truth, we do know that Yemen's history dates to the dawn of mankind.

Geography
Yemen's Arabic name, al-yaman (to the right - of Mecca), suggests its geographic location the the southernmost tip of the Arabian peninsula. Yemen lies on the shores of the southern Red Sea and the southern part of the Arabian Sea. The seas are joined by the narrow strait of Bab al-Mandab which separates the peninsula from the African continent. Yemen shares borders with Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the east. The Arabian Peninsula is an immense plate of granite. Yemen itself is some times referred to as 'the roof of Arabia'. Its topography offers remarkable variety, with flat sandy plains ending abruptly at mountainous regions, and fertile high plateaux. Several parts of the highlands to the east are still volcanically active.

Culture
Yemen is a poor country, but when we consider cultural achievement, Yemen boasts a tradition of complex architecture and elaborate craftsmanship, of legal sophistication and refined literature, which have flourished both in urban centres and also in remote tribal areas.

Travel in Yemen
With an area of only 532,000 sqkm, Yemen is smaller than France.
Touring in Yemen is comfortable with an excellent road system through some magnificent scenery. Standards of accommodation are good, and the climate is temperate and extremely pleasant at this time of year.

Yemen is arguably the most fascinating but least known country in the Arab world . Be amongst the first travellers to visit this tribal land of enormous touristic interest.

AUTHENTICITY
Closed for centuries to the outside world, sealed by its geography and the isolationist policies of its imams, Yemen is the original Arabia. In contrast to the oil-rich nations of Arabia with their modern high tech cities, Yemen is medieval, steeped in a culture that has survived intact into the 20th Century.

ARCHITECTURE
Complete mud brick and stone towns of tower houses (the world's oldest skyscrapers) exist as "living museums". The major locations of the old medina of Sana'a and the legendary oasis town of Shibam (the "Manhattan of the Desert") have been classified by UNESCO for preservation and listed in 1982 on the World Heritage list..

LANDSCAPE
The mountains of Yemen - the Rooftop of Arabia - leave an indelible impression. Few landscapes combine softness and grandeur to the same extent as Yemen. No peak is too high, no site too inaccessible for the Yemeni builders and terrace farmers.

HISTORY
Known as "The land of Bilquis"(the legendary Queen of Sheba), 3000 years ago the ancient kingdoms of South Arabia were famed as the source of the most desirable and the most expensive of incense materials in the Middle East and the Mediterranean lands - frankincense. Today we can follow the caravan route of the Frankincense Trail from the southern coast of the Arabian Sea.

PEOPLE
Yemen is known as the cradle of the Arabs. Here we find "a people pure and proud"..... with "original grace and innocence" (Jaques Hebert) - a strong cultural identity and pride in their heritage.  More than a tour of the sights, our program has been developed to give you an insight into the culture and lifestyle of the Yemenis . As a conservative traditional Islamic society, many aspects of life in Yemen are not readily accessible to tourists . We take you "behind the scenes " for intriguing glimpses into a different world, a different reality.

EXPERIENCE
Aromatic Arabia
A guided journey through fascinating Yemen. Chose either our set date guided tour, or look at making a private guided tour.