Somaliland sits in the northwestern corner of Somalia along Djibouti and the Gulf of Aden. The self-declared state claimed its independence 25 years ago, though it\u2019s yet to be recognized by the Somali\u2014or any other\u2014government. But things are different here. There\u2019s law, order, and respect. Visitors are welcomed and feel safe. While two marine national parks bring the promise of future tourism.<\/p>\n
One of these parks sits off the coast of Zeila, an ancient city and one of the oldest ports in East Africa. The Sa\u2019ad ad-Din Islands are known for their splendid coral reefs, gorgeous beaches, and huge bird colonies. The six islands have no permanent residents. Local fishermen and the occasional tourist are the only ones who venture out here. It\u2019s left the islands peaceful and undisturbed.<\/p>\n
So how can these practically unknown, low-lying islands be the future of tourism in Somaliland? It\u2019s that coral reef. It\u2019s considered the largest, most diverse, and well-formed reef in the Arabian Sea. Ninety nine types of coral and more than 130 species of fish have been found in the crystal-clear water. It\u2019s a snorkeler\u2019s and diver\u2019s paradise. Add a historic lighthouse on Aibat Island and a sultan\u2019s shrine and 100,000 breeding birds\u2014like crab plovers and white-eyed gulls\u2014on Sa\u2019ad ad-Din Island for potential interest well beyond the water. If Somaliland can pull it off, Somalia is bound to follow, right?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s not that Somalia isn\u2019t high on your dream travel list. It\u2019s never been on your travel list. What little news trickles out of the East Africa country is never positive. It\u2019s usually about famine, pirates, or, lately, terrorism. But the country has an autonomous region that seems to be getting its act together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12963,"featured_media":19186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,33],"tags":[7,14,34],"class_list":{"0":"post-19189","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"category-travel","9":"tag-apie-project","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-travel"},"yoast_head":"\n