Things to see and do in Somalia

Attractions in Somalia

Be captivated by beautiful beaches

Somalia's beaches line the Indian Ocean in the east and are protected by a coral reef running from Mogadishu to the Kenyan border in the south. White sands and shimmering cyan seas offer a picture of paradise; whilst ghostly stretches of abandoned war-torn buildings have their own unique atmosphere.

Explore the former grandeur of Mogadishu

Were it not for the warlords, parts of the capital would be highly attractive to tourists. Crumbling now, the stone city walls were once grand fortifications that defended the city, whilst lighthouses, mosques and tombs shine a light on a more illustrious past. The Shanghai Old City was once the playground of the wealthy and remains a scenic spot.

See the cave paintings of Las Geel

Hundreds of well-preserved Neolithic paintings decorate the walls of this inter-connected series of caves and shelters in Somaliland. Las Geel deserves to be a UNECSO World Heritage Site but sadly, due to the current political state of Somalia, and the unrecognised status of Somaliland, this is unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Spot rare species at Kismayo National Park

With orange sands and green shrubbery, Kismayo National Park contains many common East African species such as elephants, zebras and giraffes, and the rare Hunter's hartebeest. Somalia other great savannah, Hargeisa National Park, situated outside the city of Mogadishu in the north, is a protected slice of oft unseen Africa.

Wonder at Hargeisa's unique War Memorial

In the heart of Hargeisa, the capital of the self-declared state of Somaliland, a war memorial stands to commemorate state's breakaway attempt in the 1980s. Shunning the grandiose or classical styles of traditional war memorials, the monument at Freedom Square consists of crashed MiG-17 fighter plane and a fresco of a citizen with bleeding limbs.

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