Kevlar vest; check. Military entourage; check. Somalia, here I come.

A traveller to Somalia is spoilt for choice in the number of things that can go wrong.

Where To Go: Las Geel
Somaliland
50km S of Hargeisa, off the road to Berbera
How to go there: car

Las Geel is undisputably Somaliland's pi?ce de r?sistance. Hundreds of magnificent neolithic rock art paintings in perfect condition adorn the walls of several interconnected caves and shelters. Some paintings exceed one metre in length and their state of preservation is exceptional.

Were it not in Somaliland, this fantastic site would immediately be declared a World Heritage Site and swamped with masses of tourists. Sadly (well, not quite), as long as Somaliland is not recognised by the international community, all attempts at protecting Las Geel will be unsuccessful and it will remain a hidden gem.

Hargeisa
Somaliland
SW of Berbera
How to go there: bus
from Berbera, Sheekh, Burcao and the Ethiopian border

Hargeisa still bears the scars of decades of civil war but it is emerging from the strife, energised and full of good vibes. Although tourist sights are rare, just being the only foreigner wandering in the streets is an astonishing experience. People are genuinely surprised to see a real 'tourist', so be prepared to be the focus of attention.

Despite the lack of visitors, Hargeisa has a surprisingly good tourist infrastructure: decent hotels with English-speaking staff, a couple of tasty restaurants, internet caf?'s, tea shops, markets... but no alcohol. It's a free economy, and it shows. The streets are bustling, the roads busy and the air thick with a very bearable cacophony of mobile phone ring tones, vehicle horns and calls to prayers. Throw in the mandatory dust and you'll have an idea of present-day Hargeisa's attire.

Hargeisa Markets
Hargeisa
Somaliland

The best sights in Hargeisa are its lively markets. Buy yourself a durable souvenir at the camel and goat market on the outside of town or something a little more gaudy at the gold market, just near the Oriental hotel. In the city's main street you'll find a flurry of goldsmiths, all selling the precious metal, wrought into necklaces and bracelets and sold by the gram.

Transport
In Somaliland there are a few sealed roads (the one from Berbera to Hargeisa is one of the few), and medium-sized buses and crowded 4WDs service routes between major Somaliland settlements. However, foreigners are asked to rent a car with driver and guide when travelling outside Hargeisa.

Timezone: +3
Weights Measures System: Metric
Capital City: Mogadishu
Leader Name: Nur Hassan Hussein
Leader Type: head of government
Leader Title: Prime Minister
Government Type: transitional
Language Spoken Type: other
Language Spoken Name: Italian
Religion:
Sunni Muslim
Currency Code: SOS
Currency Name: Somali Shilling
currency Symbol: >So
Currency Unit: shilling

Weather
With a generous serve of desert, it's no surprise that Somalia is as dry as a wafer in the sun. Inland and along the northern coast temperatures can be ferociously hot between May and September, making the coastal humidity particularly treacherous. In the south, temperatures are less severe but the humidity is significantly higher.

Visas Overview:
You need a visa to enter Somaliland, but arrangements are much looser in Puntland and Mogadishu, where entry probably won't cost more than 40.00. Onward visas are not available in Mogadishu.

Electrical Plugs:
European plug with two circular metal pins

Electricity Voltage: 220V. Electricity Voltage: 220V

Relative Cost Rooms:
Cost low: US$3-5
Cost middle: US$10-30
Cost high: US$5-10

Relative Cost Meal:
Cost Low: US$3-5
Cost Middle: US$3-5
Cost High: US$5-10
Country Dialling Code: 252

History: Originally, Somalis probably hail from the southern Ethiopian highlands, and have been subject to a strong Arabic influence ever since the 7th century, when the Somali coast formed part of the extensive Arab-controlled trans-Indian Ocean trading network.In the 19th century much of the Ogaden Desert - ethnically a part of Somalia - was annexed by Ethiopia (an invasion that has been a source of bad blood ever since) and then in 1888 the country was divided by European powers. The French got the area around Djibouti, Britain much of the north, while Italy got Puntland and the south. Sayid Maxamed Cabdulle Xasan (known affectionately as 'the Mad Mullah') fought the British for two decades, but it wasn't until 1960 that Somaliland, Puntland and southern Somalia were united, which wasn't altogether a good idea.

Modern History: Sadly, inter-clan tensions, radical socialism, rearmament by the USSR and the occasional (often disastrous) war with Ethiopia helped tear the country apart. Mohammed Siad Barre, Somalia's last recognised leader, fled to Nigeria in 1991 after the forces of General Aideed took Mogadishu. At the same time the Somali National Movement (SNM), moved quickly and declared independence for Somaliland. Puntland also broke away.Fierce battles between warring factions throughout southern Somalia took place throughout the 1990s, but in 1992 the US led a UN mission (Operation Restore Hope) to distribute food aid to the southern population. Without much ado a nasty little conflict between the US-UN and warlord General Aideed began, during which it's estimated that thousands of Somalis died. The last UN troops pulled out in 1995 having alleviated the famine to some extent, but the nation was still a disaster area. Thanks mainly to the predominance of a single clan (the Isaq), Somaliland has remained largely peaceful and stable since 1991. It has great oil and gas potential and voted for complete independence in 1997 before holding free presidential elections in 2003 (although opposition parties now don't recognise the victory of President Dahir Riyale Kahin). However, the fledgling state is not officially recognised by the international community, which still hopes for a peace agreement covering all of Somalia.Puntland is a different kettle of fish. It too did reasonably well up until 2001, when President Colonel Yusuf refused to stand down after losing an election, a point he reinforced by waging a little war.

Recent History: Designed to establish control across the whole of the country, Somalia's lame-duck Transitional National Government (TNG) was set up in 2000. Alas, it still controls only about a third of Mogadishu and is periodically kicked out of its offices for nonpayment of bills. In 2002 the Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council (SRRC) created a government for southwest Somalia; later that year 21 warring factions in the south and the TNG agreed to a cessation of hostilities for Kenyan-sponsored peace talks, although most of the delegates seemed more concerned with their private fiefdoms and quality of their Kenyan hotel accommodation than creating a viable state.In January 2004 talks in Kenya led to a breakthrough: political and militia leaders struck up a deal to form a new parliment. By August, the new transitional parliament was up and running, and as its first task set about scouting around for a president. Though 2800 miles (4500km) from the epicentre of the earthquake, Somalia lost an estimated 300 people to the December 2004 tsunami, with a further 50,000 people displaced. In June and July 2006, Islamist militias, operating under an umbrella calling itself Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), toppled the warlords in Mogadishu and imposed their rule over southern Somalia, except in the Baidoa area, which is still controlled by the transitional government.

Warning:
Travel AlertSomalia remains one of the world's most dangerous destinations. Travel is possible in the northern self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland, with the exception of the Sool, southern and eastern Sanaag regions and Buhoodle districts. These areas are in dispute with neighbouring Puntland which remains a no-go area..
Extreme Danger