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TravelTips24 : Africa : East Africa : Somalia : Somaliland : Hargeisa

Hargeisa

Hargeisa is the capital of the self-proclaimed republic of Somaliland. It is one of the safest places in Somalia.

Culture and History

Hargeisa, with 1,200,000 inhabitants according to a 2000 estimate, suffered greatly during the regime of former Somalian president Siad Barre. Barre wanted to wipe out the Isaaq clan, and over 50,000 people are believed to have been killed during the bombings of the city. A MiG fighter jet in the centre of the city serves as a memorial of the brutality.

Travel to Hargeisa & Visa Requirements

Hargeisa International Airport (HGA) connects the city with Addis Ababa, Djibouti City, Dubai, Bossaso, Mogadishu and Dire Dawa. Please note that all arriving foreigners are required to exchange USD 50 to Somaliland Shilling. Tickets can be reserved at the site of Daallo Airlines[1]. You need a Somaliland visa to get in, Somali visas are not accepted. The only place to get a visa is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia or maybe at the London liaison office but Addis is preferred - see the Get in section of the Somaliland page for further information.

Tours & Getting around Hargeisa

Hargeisa has a bus service. Hargeisa has working traffic lights and traffic laws are respected. All residents entitled to drive must hold a photo driving licence. All cars bear Somaliland licence plates.

Travel and Tour Agency

Dalxiis Tour and Travel Agency [2]

Hargeisa city tours

Hargeisa souvenirs & shopping

By the main street you'll find lots of goldsmiths, and there is also a gold market. On the outskirts of the city there is a camel and goat market, if you need a pet.

Hargeisa Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Hargeisa nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

You will not find any alcohol in Hargeisa.

Hargeisa cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

  • Ambassador Hotel[3], Airport Road, Hargeisa (about 1,4 km from the airport), +252 21 38895, +252 25 26666, email: info@ambassadorhotelhargeisa.com. Classy and recommended. Features a fitness centre, a tennis court, swimming pool, internet and restaurants. Rooms from USD 35.
  • Maansoor Hotel[4], +252 225 3638, +252 225 3639, email: maansoorhotel@hotmail.com. Another elegant hotel, this one is closer to the city centre than the Ambassador. Singles USD 40, please note that only married couples are allowed to share rooms.
  • Red Sea Hotel Clean, new, and budget. No hot water. Located on a street parallel to Independence Road. 1/2 mile, exactly, from city center. Helpful owner will often personally drive guests around. $15/day. (7 nights for the price of 6 enticement.)

Stay safe

Get out

  • Located in a countryside outside Hargeisa, Laas Gaal (Laas Geel in Somali) is a definite must-see. It is a complex of caves and rock shelters that contain excellently preserved cave paintings. The paintings represent some of the earliest known art in the Horn of Africa and the African continent, dating back to 9,000 B.C.
  • There's plenty of wildlife in the Sheikh mountains and the Daallo mountains near Hargeisa. You may spot Kudu, wildebeest, gazelles and different species of birds.

This page was last edited at 00:15, on 7 September 2008 by Hu Jintao. Based on work by Jani Patokallio, Wikitravel user(s) WindHorse and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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