Where is hargeisa located

But the chance to see a bit more of the country on your own for a day is still worth it. Hargeisa is more than just a staging point. The city lacks for landmarks. There are theatres or clubs, and minimal entertainment and nightlife. Sometimes it can seem like the only thing to do is drink tea or chew the mild narcotic khat. But every year, more and more Somalis return to the city from the diaspora, eager to revitalize Somaliland and bring with them new developments.

In the evenings, the streets and restaurants are hopping with people meeting and greeting, chatting and dealing, often in English as well as Somali, because some have returned from America and Europe.

And during the days, there are even a few cool new sporting teams—acrobats and martial artists—holding low-key public exhibitions, which are striking to see on the dusty red streets. Hargeisa might not have the most institutional fun on tap. But you can still have a good time—and simultaneously challenge your media-soaked preconceptions about a region, which is more than you can ask from most vacation spots in the world. Join our newsletter to get exclusives on where our correspondents travel, what they eat, where they stay.

Free to sign up. Mark Hay investigates. Host Nathan Thornburgh finds himself, yet again, in a Japanese love hotel watching porn and knocking back shochu with his old friend, the Tokyo journalist Toko Sekiguchi. Oct 01 Author: Mark Hay ,. A Somaliland Member of Parliament relaxes at a restaurant in Hargeisa.

All photos by Mark Hay. Dentist artistry in Hargeisa. Customers at an Oromo Cafe, which serves Ethiopian food. Hanging out in a wadi. A barber and member of the the Gaboye community, a marginalized group in Somaliland. Being a barber is a traditional but threatened Gaboye caste job. Camel meat. From the caves of Las Geel, looking out at the wadi. Las Geel is a trip visitors can make without a minder. Rock art at Las Geel. Japanese Love Hotels with Toko Sekiguchi Host Nathan Thornburgh finds himself, yet again, in a Japanese love hotel watching porn and knocking back shochu with his old friend, the Tokyo journalist Toko Sekiguchi.

Featured City Guides. More Guides. Come p. Hargeisa might be the capital of a country that technically doesn't exist, but after a civil war in the s the city barely existed in reality. On the walls of the Oriental -- built in , it's Hargeisa's oldest hotel -- are photos of the building, bullet-ridden and half demolished during the civil war.

But next to these are also new posters depicting Somaliland's beaches and historic sites under the hopeful banner: "Wonderful Somaliland -- The Newest Tourist Destination in Africa. Remarkably safe. Much of the construction in Hargeisa has been funded by the Somaliland diaspora, pitching in as Somaliland has had to go it alone. This can-do attitude against the odds gives the city and its inhabitants much of their animated charm; and explains why locals are so pleased to meet unexpected foreign visitors.

Somalilanders are not shy -- walking down Hargeisa's streets visitors will likely encounter numerous questions about where they are from.

Queries are often followed by friendly entreaties not to forget that they are in the one and only Somaliland, and to tell others about it. Hargeisa is remarkably safe for foreigners, in spite of all the negative associations with Somalia.

Visitors can sit at ease beside a busy street drinking a cup of Somali tea. That's not to say there aren't problems. With the international community refusing to recognize Somaliland's independence, its economy remains cut off from large-scale international assistance and global financial systems.

Meanwhile, concerns are being voiced about stricter Islamic customs increasingly influencing society. For now, though, tourists taking their government's travel advisories with a pinch of salt can visit Hargeisa in relative safety.

Since then, most of the residential and commercial buildings have been repaired or rebuilt, and many new buildings have sprung up as well. In downtown Hargeisa, high-rises have become an increasingly common sight. The city is located within Woqooyi Galbeed, a district in the north-western part of Somaliland.

Woqooyi Galbeed is bordered by the Gulf of Aden to the north and Ethiopia to the south. Woqooyi Galbeed is one of the most populous parts of Somaliland. In addition to the capital city, it is home to notable ports and plenty of fertile farmland. There is no stock market or other exchange in Somaliland. Nor is there one in Somalia.

This makes the area one of the few areas in Africa that are not served by a local stock market. Establishing a stock market in the area is of huge importance to unlock the hidden economical potential of the area and help lift the nation s out of poverty, The lack of stock market is one factor that prevents large areas of Africa from attracting outside investments. This is true despite the fact that most of Africa features local stock markets.

Most of these stock markets are however too small and unknown to attract foreign investors and capital. These smaller stock markets need to be merged into exchanges that are large enough to attract the interest of international investors.