Yemen
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Couchsurfing in Yemen
Yemen isn't the best country in the world for couchsurfing. Most Yemenis live with their families, and most women veil their faces - inviting male guests to stay means that the women would have to cover themselves at home as well, and it's just not practical.
On the other hand, Yemenis are incredibly friendly so if you're lucky you might end up couchsurfing with someone you happen to meet in a cafe or on the street. You'll definitely be invited back to people's houses for large meals, a lot of tea, and chewing qat. And there are always foreign students in Sana'a, so sometimes you can find a couchsurfer to stay with while you're in the city.
Hotels are usually reasonably cheap - about $15 for a double room in a standard hotel, or quite a lot less if you're a man and don't mind staying in very basic dormitory style places.
Camping is possible in the mountains, although not always easy. In most countries you wouldn't expect to find villages and farmland balanced on the most inaccessible mountains, would you? Still, that's exactly where you find them in Yemen. It can take a while to find somewhere to camp that isn't either a field or a rocky precipice, unless you're on a long hike and get to the really remote areas.
But is it safe?
It's depressing how misrepresented Yemen is in the media; browse the internet for news articles on Yemen and it doesn't look good. However, in Sana'a you can walk anywhere alone at any time of night and be perfectly safe. Crime is very rare, and most people love meeting foreigners and will go out of their way to help you. Foreigners who live in Sana'a will tell you that they feel much safer there than they do in their home towns.
There have been attacks targeting foreigners in the past, most recently an attack on a group of Spanish tourists in Ma'rib in summer 2007 and on a small group of Belgian tourists in January 2008. Ma'rib is a very lawless area and now any foreigners passing through have to have a police and army escort. The part of the Hadramawt where the other attack happened was also a rather lawless area (it also seems that the attackers weren't intending to kill anyone, but that fighting broke out when one of the drivers took out a gun). It is possible that things like this can happen. But there have been far fewer attacks than in Egypt, for example, and people never seem to be nearly as worried about travelling there. You also never read about the more positive aspects of countries like Yemen, where most people are so hospitable, kind and generous that they would happily give up their lives to defend a foreigner they didn't even know.
You have to get a permit from the Tourist Police to travel anywhere outside Sana'a. If there is an area where there have been tribal tensions or fighting, the Tourist Police will not give you a permit to go there. That simple. If you're allowed to go there, it's safe. If you feel uncomfortable about going somewhere with a lawless reputation like Ma'rib, don't go - there's plenty to see in Sana'a and in other much less disturbed areas.
Where to go
The only useful guide book is the Bradt Guide; there isn't much on Yemen in the Lonely Planet guide to the Arabian Peninsula.
The highlights:
Sana'a: Even if you don't get the chance to go anywhere in Yemen except Sana'a, it's still worth going. You should spend at least three days in the Old City wandering around the labyrinthine streets, admiring the incredible architecture, looking at all the strange and beautiful things for sale in the market, drinking tea, and taking in the atmosphere. One of the most amazing cities in the world. If you don't find a host you'll enjoy staying in one of the old tower houses in the Old City and waking up at dawn for the call to prayer.
Around Sana'a: There's Wadi Dhahr - the Imam's palace built on top of a huge rock - and old mountain villages like Thilla, Shibam and Kawkaban, all within easy reach of Sana'a.
Mountains: North-west of Sana'a the landscape is incredible, and even more so are the tiny villages that perch on the summits of almost inaccessible mountains far from the nearest road. In most villages life has been more or less unchanged for centuries, and if you go for a really long hike you can find places where you might be the first foreign visitor for decades. A day-trip from Sana'a to al-Mahwit is gorgeous, taking in the town of Taweela and stunning views on the way. If you have time spend a few days hiking around Manakha, or al-Bura' if you can get there (usually it means renting a car and driver, as there's no public transport).
The South: Aden is a bit disappointing, and not really worth visiting unless you've been in Sana'a for a long time and are desperate for a glass of wine. But Ibb and Jibla - about four hours away from Sana'a by bus - are very beautiful, as are the mountains when they're green after the rain.
Suqutra: Weird trees and perfect sandy beaches. Suqutra is beautiful, and you shouldn't miss it if you have time (you need about four days to get a good idea of the island). It isn't cheap, though - they take conservation very seriously and you're not allowed to go around on your own without a guide, which involves hiring a guide and 4x4 every day. Food is more expensive than the mainland too, as there's only one restaurant in Hadibu (the only town, if you can really describe it as a town). But it's gorgeous and the diving is amazing, so if you can afford to spend a bit more than on the rest of your travels in Yemen then it's well worth it.
Hadramawt: A green valley in the middle of the desert....while there isn't that much to actually 'see', the Hadramawt has a wonderful relaxed atmosphere and the landscape is beautiful. Shibam, with its mud sky-scrapers, is stunning. You'll need to rent a car to get around though, but it doesn't cost that much. Don't miss it.
Transport
It's easy to get around Sana'a (well, kind of....assuming you know a bit of Arabic or are very good at communication without words) as there are shared minibuses to most places or you can get a taxi to the other side of the city for the equivalent of about $2.
When you travel to other parts of Yemen journeys can take longer than you might expect because of the winding mountain roads. Transport is fairly good though: comfortable coaches run from Sana'a to Aden or Ibb, as do shared taxis. The shared taxis are cheap and go almost anywhere (although you have to close your eyes sometimes as they hurtle along the mountain roads), although you're usually very squashed.
To get to more out of the way places, though, you need a car. It's not that expensive to hire a 4x4 with a driver (about $70 per day at the time of writing), and the driver will know where to go and make things much easier. If there are four of you it's definitely worth it. Recommended guides/drivers are Anwar and Muammar (website under construction) - both are very friendly and trustworthy, have many years of experience, speak English, drive well, and have good cars.
Learning Arabic in Yemen
Yemen is a fantastic place to study Arabic, whether you're planning to live there for a year or just take a short introductory course. It's cheap to study and to live, and not many people speak English so you have to practise Arabic wherever you go. There are several language schools:
YCMES / YLC: American-run, and therefore far more organised than anywhere else. There's actually a course, and classes! Also rather too institutionalised for many people, and a lot of students say they didn't get out of the campus very often and ended up spending most of their time in Yemen talking to Americans. And much more expensive than the other schools. Located near Tahrir Square, in a quiet area not far from the Old City.
YLC is the only school that genuinely runs group classes. The others are so small that there are hardly ever enough students of the same level to run a group, so you'll be having private lessons.
SIAL: In the Old City right next to the Sa'ilah. SIAL has a garden, and cats, and if you're lucky and get a good teacher then it can be great. The administration is not so great, and it can be frustrating if you need them to arrange your visa or something. Nice student houses, but men can't go into the female student house and vice versa so sometimes socialising can be difficult.
CALES: Right in the middle of the Old City next to the market. Better organisation than SIAL, but again everything depends on your teacher. They have more resources than SIAL (but no garden). The student house is mixed and friendly. Definitely recommended.
The Saba Institute: Next to the Sa'ilah in the Old City. This school only opened recently and hasn't really got going yet, but it looks promising: the director is very friendly and helpful, and has been teaching Arabic to foreigners for over twenty years.
Women travellers
Yemen is one of the best countries in the Middle East for women travelling alone. As long as you dress respectfully you will get very little hassle from men, far less than in countries like Egypt or Jordan.
Men and women live in two different worlds in Yemen. Male travellers can only see the men's world, but as a woman you can see both. Most men are happy to treat foreign women as honorary men, and you can also sit with Yemeni women. You can meet women at the public baths in Sana'a, or if you visit a Yemeni friend's house you'll meet all his female relatives. You might be invited to a women's wedding party - not to be missed. Be friendly and smile at women in the street, even if you can only see their eyes and aren't quite sure if they're smiling back....
Bear in mind that in Yemen there is a different way of showing respect for women than the one you're probably used to. If you're travelling with a male companion, local men will always talk to him and often act as if you're not there. This is a way of showing respect and they're not being rude (even if it can be a bit annoying sometimes). Many men prefer not to shake hands with women, so you usually shouldn't offer your hand if you meet someone. On public transport everyone will move so that, if possible, you can sit next to another woman, and women don't usually sit in the front seat in taxis.
Dress: You should wear long sleeves and long baggy trousers that hide the shape of your body. It's a good idea to buy a 'baltoo', the long black dress that local women wear (about $15 or less). That way you can wear whatever you like and put the baltoo over the top; you're always appropriately dressed, you can keep cool by just wearing a vest top or t-shirt underneath, and you feel a lot less conspicuous. Many female travellers also prefer to cover their hair with a scarf. It is not considered odd by Yemenis and many people really appreciate it.
Etiquette
Don't take pictures of women. If you're a women it's ok to ask, but in general it's a no. Men often don't mind photos and many enjoy it, but you should always ask first, and children usually love it and will run after you shouting "Sura!" ("picture!")
On public transport people will move so that a woman doesn't have to sit next to a strange man. If a woman gets on the bus, be prepared to move. If you're a couple, make sure the man is sitting on the outside so that another man can sit next to him.
People don't haggle in Yemen as much as they do in many Arab countries. Don't assume that everyone is overcharging you. In the market you may be able to bargain the price down by about 20%, but more than that is usually rude and the shopkeeper will just say no. It helps to have a Yemeni friend or someone who's lived there for a while to go shopping with, so you have a general idea of how much things should cost before you get to the bargaining stage.
Nothing goes to plan if you're travelling in Yemen. Accept it. Enjoy it. Don't worry or expect things to go too smoothly. When you're friendly and make jokes then people are much more likely to help you, so in the end you'll probably get where you going more quickly.
