4 Hidden Destinations in Asia
Yemen
Destinations
Yemen · Wadi Dhar, near Sana'a
Imagine a majestic palace that seems to defy gravity, organically sprouting from a colossal rock pinnacle in the middle of a desert wadi.
This magnificent 18th-century 'Rock Palace' was built by Imam Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din as a summer retreat. Its multiple stories are seam...
Yemen · Sana'a Governorate
Perched precariously on a sheer cliff face in Yemen's rugged Haraz Mountains, this medieval stone village seems to defy gravity, its ancient houses blending seamlessly into the mountain like an organic extension of rock and sky.
For centuries, the inhabitants of Al-Hajjarah have carved their lives out of the formidable landscape, constructing multi-story homes direct...
Yemen · Hadhramaut Governorate
A city of towering mud-brick skyscrapers, dubbed the 'Manhattan of the Desert,' rises abruptly from the Yemeni wadi, looking like a mirage from another time.
Shibam is an astonishing example of vertical construction from the 16th century, with multi-story buildings made entirely of sun-dried mud b...
Yemen · Socotra Governorate
Step onto an island so alien, its ancient trees bleed red sap and its landscapes seem plucked from a science fiction film.
Isolated in the Arabian Sea, Socotra is a biodiversity hotspot boasting flora and fauna found nowhere else on Earth, including the iconic Dr...