SOMALILAND
This is a “country” that you don’t want to miss as it is so unique. A fundamentalist Islamic state with an e-money system that has to be experienced.
Easy to do on your own by personal tour. The land border between Djibouti and Somaliland is open and not a problem.
Visa. In Djibouti, it is easy; Leave passports and return the next day, 1 passport photo, 11,000 DJF. Hours Monday – Thursday 9-1. but often they close early. Do NOT lose the receipt they give you, they check it at the border and at the police checkpoints along the overland journey.
I was not allowed to board my flight in Djibouti without an ongoing flight and an accommodation reservation which became very complicated to make. I had to connect to the airport wifi using a QR code. I had to find the Oriental Hotel email address and phone number. My Skype had to be logged into. I sent an email first and phoned the landline which was not answered. I phoned the mobile number 5 times before he answered and eventually sent me a reservation by email. The whole process took about an hour.
Visa Upon Arrival. I was directed to a wicket to the right and had to show my accommodation reservation and departing flight. Get a stamp, not a full-page visa. Pay US$ 60, exact amount and get a receipt that must be kept as shown at police checks.
Money. Somali Shillings – Somaliland uses its own SS with the largest denomination of 1000 SS. 1 US$= about 8900 shillings. Currency SS of US$
Credit cards are not accepted. Be sure to get a local SIM and sign up for the e-money service. The locals pay by mobile phone banking even in very small amounts. Every shop or merchant has a money transfer code with big signs. Even bribes are paid by phone money transfer. Beggars have a sign with their money transfer number. Or bring small US$ bills. Supposedly you can get US$ from ATMs, but everyone uses the local e-money.
Exchange DJF for both Somaliland Shillings and USD is easy at Dahab Shill banks; since inflation is so high you get a huge stack of bills and convert the rest to US$ (they accept US$ in Somaliland. Euros must be converted to US$ at Dahab Shill Bank 50€ = US$52.
The exchange rate is really good at the border compared to Hargeisa, so exchange as much as you can.
There are guys on the street selling SS in large blocks of money. Buy 1 million SS for 115-117 US$. A friend said that one of the most interesting things about Somaliland was the huge wads of cash necessary to pay for anything. That has resulted in the e-money system that everyone uses.
The e-money system is very complicated. I loaded my phone with $50 which is converted into SS for payment of any amount less than $100. You get a money transfer code and a full page of instructions on how to use it. On my first day, I could not figure out how to pay for my $3 dinner or my hotel room or anything. Use the phone icon on your phone. Three values are put in for every transaction separated by * – the code for the type of currency, your code or the business code and the amount followed by a #, enter your pin. A pop up window has 10 different types of transactions 1-10.
SIM card. Telecom SIM card for 4 US$, 1$ for the SIM card and 3$ for 5 GB. There are stores for SIM cards and signing up for the e-money system, both together everywhere. The data was fast and necessary for the money system but it gave me a hotspot.
Security. Religious extreme. An armed guard is mandatory to travel outside of Hargeisa. Fly into Hargeisa and do a loop through Borama, Zeila and Berbera and back to Hargeisa. Very safe and most don’t feel like the guard served any purpose. There were several checkpoints on the roads so I’m not sure if going without a guard and using public transport would work.
Tours. Avoid the expensive travel agents particularly Somaliland Travel, an arrogant Somali man who lives in the Netherlands and charges double.
Taxi. The airport taxi drivers association demand 20 US$. One traveller bargained for 15. I bargained down to $10 and then $7 without much effort. A regular taxi costs 10 USD for the 6 km downtown. I stopped at a bank to change $10 into change to pay. On my return to the airport, a young guy (not a taxi) took me out for $8.
Islam. About half the women wear a veil – the ninjas. All businesses close for about an hour during each prayer time ie five times a day. The entire evening sermon is transmitted over loudspeakers and can get annoying as it lasts so long. I wore earplugs in my hotel room.
Djibouti Overland to Hargeisa. A long, bumpy ride to Hargeisa, no roads, just tracks in the sand. Rent a 4X4 where all the 4x4s line up across from this khat stand – 7000 DJF each for the front seat, leave at about 4 pm, make a reservation early in the morning and come back at 2 pm.
It takes about an hour to drive from Djibouti City to the border, after Somaliland customs, have dinner, get sim cards, and exchange money. Stop every couple hours at random camps on the side of the road where there were latrines, food, and people resting. At 4 AM, everyone gets out, lays mats under the stars, sleeps until 6 AM, and arrives in Hargeisa at 10:30 AM.
Day 1 Sat Jan 14
I arrived and bargained the taxi down from $20 (6 km) to $7.
HARGEISA (pop 1.2 million in 2019) is the capital city of the Republic of Somaliland.
Hargeisa was founded as a watering and trading stop between the coast and the interior by the Isaaq Sultanate. Water was necessary for the vast livestock herds of the Arab clans who were joined by the current clans of Hargeisa. In 1960, the Somaliland Protectorate gained independence from the United Kingdom.
Hargeisa is situated in a valley in the Galgodon (Ogo) highlands at an elevation of 1,334 m (4,377 ft), so it is relatively cool at night. It is a commercial hub for precious stone-cutting, construction, retail services and trading.
History. Sheikh Madar Shirwa was the founder of the Hargeisa religious commune of Little Harar (Hargeisa) in 1860. Somali pastoralists who followed rain and pastures developed an agricultural and stationary lifestyle based on large sorghum plantations. A common religious identity developed rather than identifying solely by tribe.
British Somaliland. Protectorate was formed in 1888. During the East African Campaign, Italy invaded in August 1940, but the country was recaptured by the British in March 1941. In 1945 the British tried to control the wadaads (Shiekhs) as they opposed modern education and agricultural reforms. Several were arrested and on June 4, a mob of several thousand rioters were fired upon with one dying and dozens imprisoned. The protectorate gained its independence on 26 June 1960 as the State of Somaliland, before uniting as planned, days later with the Trust Territory of Somaliland (the former Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic.
1960–1991. In 1988, the Somali National Movement (shortened SNM) attacked Hargeisa. 500 men and 84 vehicles eventually overran the city. Dictator Siad Barre’s response was of unparalleled brutality. He shelled and air attacked the major cities in the northwest targeting civilians and destroying Isaaq dwellings, settlements and water points.
After the collapse of the Somali central government and the unilateral declaration of independence of the Republic of Somaliland, a slow process of infrastructural reconstruction began largely financed by local entrepreneurs and Somali expatriates. Single-story buildings downtown were replaced by multi-story high-rises.
Climate. Hargeisa has a hot semi-arid climate with very warm winters and hot summers. However, despite its location in the tropics, due to the high altitude, Hargeisa seldom experiences either very hot or very cold weather, a trait rarely seen in semi-arid climates. The city receives the bulk of its rain between April and September, averaging 16 in of rainfall annually. Average monthly temperatures in Hargeisa range from 18 °C in December to January to 24 °C in June.
Demographics. The population in 2005 was 560,028, and 760,000 in 2015.
Transportation. Buses are used in Hargeisa. Intercity bus services connect Hargeisa to Burao, Berbera and Borama.
Hargeisa International Airport (HGA) is served by Ethiopian Airlines, Air Djibouti and flydubai.
Accommodation. 1. Oriental Hotel 2. Saacid Hotel next to the central mosque, basic, clean and with a private bathroom $10.
War Memorial. Sitting on a large white limestone platform are five columns joined at the top. A real camo design airplane sits on top.
ON Oriental Hotel for $18/night, decent wifi, clean, breakfast included – order off an extensive menu. All the cafe lattes you wanted. Built in 1953, it is pleasant enough with 1950s decor in the rooms – pink with green and Indian red panels. The bed is very hard but I slept ok.
Day 2 Sun Jan 15. I went on my usual walkabout to see more of Hargesia. Only a few streets are paved and most are dusty dirt with a lot of unevenness. Some are rocky and almost need a 4WD. Most cars are right-hand drive.
All the shops have English-only signs. There is an amazing variety of stores – building supplies, electronics, supermarkets (small), dentists (braces are common), labs, pharmacies, jewelry, and gold shops. The informal economy is evident everywhere. Some streets around the hotel are devoted markets with an astonishing number selling shoes, less for clothes and some with books and the money men selling SS.
Hargeisa Central Mosque. Downtown, it has 2 minarets. I wanted to go in and they pointed at my bare legs, so I put on my zip-on legs. Then the problems started. Basically, all said I could not enter as I was not Moslem. When I said I only wanted to look around for a minute, younger guys thought this was OK. I soon had a crowd of 20 around me but few spoke good English. Some older guys got angry about entering. They couldn’t understand that simply standing in the doorway was all I wanted to do. I finally stood about 10 feet from the door moving around to see inside, then finally stood at the door and had a good look. It is low-ceiling with 42 columns and is plain inside. I could not get a good look at the mihrab. I thanked them and smiled. They all seemed happy.
Hargeisa Camel Market. I walked the 1.4 km from the mosque to the market. There were many herds of camels with about 60-100 camels in each. Most had green writing painted on them. On the south side are thousands of goats – most in small groups tied together and minded by women under umbrellas. I took pictures of the goats but one woman brandished a cleaver!!
Taxi $4 to with the most popular time at 9 AM – noon. Some people welcome photos.
Jameeco Mosque. I could not find this particular mosque easily. I walked another 1.4 km to a small mosque but didn’t enter. I also entered two more mosques as there are so many. One had only lino. The mihrab was simply a rectangular inset with a lectern for the imam.
Saryan Museum. Temporarily closed.
I had dinner both nights in the same very busy restaurant. With a large menu, all I could understand was a chicken burger with fries and salad (some lettuce to add to the sandwich). There are huge buckets of tired fries so I requested fresh and they complied. They pour very weak ketchup all over them. The highlight is a flavoured milkshake.
Each time I was there, someone who spoke good English sat beside me – first a guy from Birmingham and second a guy from Kitchener. He was here to get married “Somali women are much more laid back”. She had no desire to go to Canada so even after being separated most of the time in Canada, he was happy. An electrician in Canada, he was going to work and then visit as necessary.
After paying for my hotel ($36/2 nights) and my two meals here plus a few other expenses, my e-money wallet (deposited $50) was down to 4900 SS (50 cents) – good planning.
ON Oriental Hotel
Day 3 Mon Jan 16
Two days in Hargeisa is enough, but interesting to see another impoverished country with an interesting e-money system.
Flight. Hargeisa to Samara, Eritrea @12:00-17:10 via Addis.
I left for the airport at 9:15 and walked down to the main street. I asked a young guy for a ride to the airport and bargained down from $10 to $8 (I was told at the hotel the cheapest would be $15). He let me off at the gate to avoid paying the airport entrance fee and I walked about 300 m to the airport terminal. I tipped with all my left over SS, about 60 cents.
BERBERA
Nice squares and the lanes of the old city are good. The best public transportation minibus service is Sahal (bright yellow buses) – $5 one way to Berbera, 4 hours, try to escape the police escort.
Hotels: Alloore Hotel Berbera ($20 no AC, $30 with AC) nice and clean. Damal Hotel 8-13 USD
Taxi to Batalaale Beach $4 for sunset, ocean clean and clear.
Airports: Berbera (BBO)
Masaajidka Central Mosque
Berbera Beach
Las Geels Rock Paintings. Neolithic rock art dating from the 5th to 2nd millennium BC in ten rock alcoves. The paintings show human figures with their hands raised and facing long-horned, humpless cattle. Only 3-5 are in excellent condition and many more faded or overlapping.
Somaliland has numerous such archaeological sites, with similar rock art and/or ancient edifices such as the Dhambalin rock art.
Your hotel in Berbera can arrange transport to Las Geels and then to Hargeisa – $100 and with police connections since technically you need a permit to visit; was a formal driver with a military badge in a 4×4 Landcruiser and had no issues but the driver needs to talk their way through. 52 km away – 2 hours to reach the Las Geels turn-off. $25 each for entry (? issued only in the office of the Ministry of Tourism 8-12 every day except Friday). Require a security guard waiting in the yard of the ministry. 30 USD per guard. Police check post at the exit of the city checks the vehicles and they will turn you back if you are without police escort. $100 transportation in tiny taxis for half day +25 entry +30 guard – total 155 USD, two 90 USD. 5-10 USD to the guard of the site to show you around.
Oriental Hotel charges 150, no discount if you are two or more.
Another trip report: Permit at Ministry of Tourism, Hargeisa (9.557416, 44.053166 about 20-30 mins walk from the centre of town) $25. Takes half an hour. Organize the (mandatory) guide required to unlock the gate to enter the site. Meet the guide at the beginning of the road to Las Geel just before the village of Dhubato at a sign. Guide $10 – $25. Walk the 12km round trip to the site.
Get there. Las Geel is on the main road between Hargeisa and Berbara. Many minibuses 3-$4. Police state that an escort is required on the bus (may have to bribe). Walk 12km roundtrip through semi-desert, usually very hot on an easy, flat path.
Cave paintings in three areas that take 20 minutes. Well preserved but average.
