Mogadishu posts
by Dave Seminara (RSS feed) (5 months ago)
Dec 24th, 2012 at 10:00AM: I'm the kind of person who can conjure up an excuse to visit just about any place. I grew up in Buffalo, America's most unfairly maligned city, and so I identify with underdog destinations – places with bad weather, crime, ugly people, rude people, you name it and I probably still want to go there.
But there are some places on this planet that even I do not want to visit. Places where you ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Mar 20th, 2012 at 11:00AM:
Who ever thought going to a play could count as adventure travel? Now it can, because the Somali National Theatre has reopened in Mogadishu, Somalia.
This is the latest sign of growing normalcy in the battered capital. Traffic cops have returned to the streets, the markets are thriving and there are now regular commercial flights to Somalia from Turkey.
The theatre closed in the early ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Mar 9th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
Will Somalia become the next big adventure travel destination?
Short answer: Not anytime soon.
Long answer: For the first time in two decades, there's a ray of hope shining across that chaotic land. The Islamist terrorist group Al-Shabab is on the defensive as it gets pummeled by Kenyan, Ethiopian, African Union, and Somali "government" forces. They've fled Mogadishu and several other ...
by Justin Delaney (RSS feed) (1 year ago)
Jan 6th, 2012 at 8:30AM: Update: Check out the World's Worst Places of 2013 here
What comes to mind when you think of the world's worst place? While it is easy to complain about rural Wal-marts, La Guardia, Applebee's, and any government office with motor vehicle in its title, none of those places escalate the game from nuisance to immediate danger. All of them can be horrible, yes, but a threatened ...
by Justin Delaney (RSS feed) (2 years ago)
Apr 1st, 2011 at 10:30AM:
After years of murders, kidnappings, and heists, the lawless sea near the horn of Africa seems to be getting worse. A Dubai firm is capitalizing on these pirate infested waters with a strange new form of pirate tourism. The tour company, Dubai based Seahunters LLC, sells both 7 and 14 day cruises embarking from Salalah, Oman and Abu Dhabi, UAE. Unlike the quintessential cruise, the cruisers ...
by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (2 years ago)
Nov 3rd, 2010 at 8:00AM: 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 into Mogadishu, for example, you'll be expected to bring home plenty for your friends and family.
In a place like Somalia, it ...
by Sean McLachlan (RSS feed) (2 years ago)
Jul 20th, 2010 at 2:00PM: 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 checking public places such as bars and restaurants to improve day-to-day security. Serapio Rukundo, the tourism and wildlife ...
by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (3 years ago)
Jan 25th, 2010 at 8:00AM:
Obviously, I mean five tips for travel to Mogadishu if you ignore the most important one: Don't go!
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.gadling.com/2010/01/25/five-tips-for-travel-to-mogadishu/'; tweetmeme_source = 'Gadling';
This is perhaps the most dangerous city on the planet. Its citizens, if you can call them that absent any meaningful form of government, often opt for piracy given a dearth ...
by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (4 years ago)
May 20th, 2009 at 3:00PM: You've been bombarded with pessimistic accounts of the travel industry's decline. And, yes, I am fully aware that I'm part of it. Frankly, these reports are true. There is a problem – i.e., people aren't traveling – and it's driven by a combination of macroeconomic challenges and company mismanagement. But, these conditions also mean there's no time like the present to get out on the ...
by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (4 years ago)
Jan 20th, 2009 at 9:00AM:
Mogadishu is the adventure traveler's version of sex in public. The risk of getting caught defines the thrill. Unfortunately, the consequences cannot be compared. While a romp on your neighbor's front lawn might get you a fine or some community service, a misstep in Somalia can cause nightmares for the rest of your life.
So, quiet simply, don't go. If you don't believe the United States, then ...
by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) (4 years ago)
Jan 3rd, 2009 at 12:00PM: The world's hot spots have become hotter, according to MSNBC's Christopher Elliott. He lists Cuba, Iran and North Korea among the countries that are attracting American tourist interest and offers some smart advice for anyone interested in taking the plunge. These and other countries on the U.S. State Department's list of travel warnings dangerous destinations are fun, though, specifically because ...
by Jeremy Kressmann (RSS feed) (4 years ago)
Jun 12th, 2008 at 3:00PM: As you might realize, there are certain countries that are considered "no-go's" for American travelers, be it for political or economic or other reasons. Publication Foreign Policy took a closer look at this question of prohibited places, recently creating a list of the "Top Tourist Spots Americans Can't Visit," a rundown of the top tourist attractions in otherwise "taboo" locations like Iran, ...