A yacht carrying a quartet of Americans was recently seized by Somali pirates, the latest in a string of hijackings that reaches back millenia. According to MSNBC, the seized yacht, the "S/V Quest," is owned by Jean and Scott Adam - a couple on a worldwide quest ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Somalia
10 breeds of pirate - Somalis to Vikings to Japanese Pirate Ninjas
A yacht carrying a quartet of Americans was recently seized by Somali pirates, the latest in a string of hijackings that reaches back millenia. According to MSNBC, the seized yacht, the "S/V Quest," is owned by Jean and Scott Adam - a couple on a worldwide quest ...Somali pirates capture American couple and crew on round-the-world adventure voyage
Putting an abrupt stop to the voyage of a lifetime, a US-flagged yacht with four American citizens on board was hijacked 240 miles off the coast of Oman by Somali pirates Friday.
The s/v Quest, a Davidson 58 Pilot House Sloop, was in year seven of a ten-year ...2010 -- a record year for Somali pirates
For all the "extremes" of the natural world in 2010 – record-setting rainfalls, droughts, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions – man managed to rack up some big numbers too.
Particularly those persistent Somali pirates who picked up the pace on the Indian Ocean, ...It's time travel writers stopped stereotyping Africa
Pop quiz: where was this photo taken?
OK, the title of this post kind of gives it away, but if I hadn't written Africa, would you have guessed? It was taken in Dar es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania. This isn't the view of Africa you generally get from the news or travel ...Piracy reached record levels in 2010
Pirate hijackings in the Red Sea and nearby waters reached their highest levels ever, the Associated Press reports.
Pirate hijackings worldwide claimed 1,181 hostages and 53 vessels, a rise of ten percent since 2009. Of these, 49 ships were taken by Somali gunmen in the ...Somalia's Al-Shabab bans handshakes between men and women
As if you didn't have enough reasons to avoid visiting Somalia, Al-Shabab has given you another. BBC reports that the Islamist group has banned handshakes between men and women in the town of Jowhar. It's also illegal to walk with or chat with a member of the opposite sex ...Gadling t-shirts go on adventure travel around the world
One of the best things about blogging for Gadling is seeing where my coworkers are off to next. Like me, they're sure to pack that essential item for every adventure traveler's kit: the Gadling t-shirt.
We've collected photos of Gadlingers flying their colors in some of ...My year in adventure travel: a look back and a look forward
Happy Boxing Day everybody! As I sit here stuffed with my mother-in-law's cooking after a traditional Spanish Christmas, I'm thinking back on all my travels in 2010 and looking forward to 2011. One of the best parts about my travel year has been sharing it all with you. I ...Shop the Bakaara Market: five gifts from Somalia
It's always hard to figure out what to get your friends when you're on vacation. I usually just give up, and they've learned to accept that my gift-giving ineptitude has led to laziness. There are some trips, however, that leave you with no excuses. If you decide to head ...Ancient cave art discovered in Somaliland
Somaliland is little-known as an adventure travel destination. The breakaway region of northern Somalia isn't even recognized as a nation, but traveling in Somaliland I found it to be a fascinating and friendly country. Its biggest draw for visitors is the well-preserved ...Uganda defies terrorists and remains open for business
Way to go, Uganda.
A week after a bomb ripped through a crowd watching the World Cup, Uganda has thumbed its nose at the terrorists and declared it is open for business.
The country's tourism minister says they've beefed up security at public gatherings and are ...Somaliland: the next big adventure travel destination?
Can a country that doesn't officially exist develop a tourism industry? Some entrepreneurs in Somaliland think so.
Abdi Abdi, owner of the Oriental Hotel in Hargeisa, already runs a tour company. Other hotel owners are following suit and experimenting with special tours. ...Somaliland: building a nation
The most interesting thing about traveling in Somaliland is that you get to see a country in the process of creating itself.
When it achieved independence from the rest of Somalia in 1991, there wasn't much to work with. The capital had been destroyed, a large number of ...Somaliland adventure: Bumbling in Berbera
Besides the painted caves of Laas Geel, the most promising road trip from Somaliland's capital Hargeisa is to Berbera, 160 km north of Hargeisa and the country's main port on the Red Sea. Nobody knows how old Berbera is, but it's been an important port since ancient times ...Khat: the legal high of East Africa
East Africa is addicted to leaves.
Khat (also pronounced "chat" or "qat") is a leafy shrub found in the mountainous areas of East Africa. It's a major cash crop for Ethiopia and a popular high in the whole region. For the Somalis, as well as the Hararis in Ethiopia, it's ...Laas Geel: Somaliland's ancient treasure
Before becoming a writer I worked as an archaeologist, and one of the things that inspired me to choose that profession was the beautiful cave art of Europe--places like Lascaux, Altamira, Chauvet, and so many others.
One of the things that inspired me to go to Somaliland ...Exploring a Somali camel market
Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, is built on an oasis used by nomads since ancient times. It's been a center for camel and livestock trading for centuries. Hargeisa's camel market, the Senlaola Hoolaha as it's called in Somali, is a huge and dusty field a mile from the ...Hargeisa: a capital in search of a country
For a people without an official nation, Somalilanders sure love their flag.
It's everywhere--painted on doors, flying from government buildings and private homes, hanging from rear view mirrors, worn on belt buckles and even knitted into a cap like this barber is wearing ...Somaliland adventure: getting to nowhere
One of the tempting things about travel in Ethiopia is the proximity to other nations offering a variety of different experiences. I decided that my two-month trip would include a side trip to Somaliland.
The first reaction most people have when I say I've been to ...Somaliland: the other Somalia
There are some places you just can't consider for a vacation. While even Iraq has recently opened up to carefully handled tours, Somalia remains out of bounds. What with an Islamist movement proudly proclaiming its ties to Al-Qaeda, and a decades-long civil war between rival ...
