Places to Visit in Burao, Somalia, East Africa, Africa

Places to Visit in Burao, Somalia, East Africa, Africa

Burao is a Somali city, situated in the Burao district in the northwestern part of the country, at an altitude of 1037 meters. It is the administrative centre of the Togdheer province belonging to the autonomous region of the country, Somaliland. Geographically, Burao features a grassland savannah, which attracts a larger number of migrating animals, including wild boars, zebras, warthogs, antelopes, the Somali Wild Ass and wild goats. Burao is located at 09°31′27″ N 045°32′13″ E, around 210 km east of the country’s 2^nd largest city Hargeisa and 1250 km north of Mogadishu, the capital and largest city of Somalia.

History of Burao:

Burao is one of the oldest settlements of Somalia and witnessed the declaration of the formation the autonomous Somaliland region on May 18, 1991. Burao has been seen substantial growth of population in recent years with the relocation of people from rural areas to the city.

How to get Burao?

Burao holds an airport but flights are limited, only from Hargeisa, Addis Ababa and San’a. So international tourists are needed to reach Hargeisa International Airport first and afterwards they can board flight or bus or hire taxi at the airport to reach Burao. This airport is situated around 240 km west of Burao and handles flights to Bosaso, Djibouti, Dubai, Jeddah, Mogadishu, Nairobi and Sharjah.

Burao has a local bus transportation system and the city is also served by rental vehicles like cars and bikes.

Food and Shopping in Burao:

The historic part of Burao is the site for traditional shopping in Burao, where visitors can bag carpets, handicraft products and spices at reasonable prices. The city also houses many nice restaurants, of which many are located in downtown area.

What to do in Burao?

Village tours
Hiking
Cycling

What to see in Burao?

Surroundings of Burao:

Burao is blessed with fertile land and greeneries, due to this, Burao draws a large number of wild animals seasonally to breed or to graze like kudus, wild boars, zebras, warthogs, antelopes, wild goats and camels. Burao is also famous among visitors as a bird watching destination.

Burao Airport:

Located at an altitude of 1,100 meters, the Burao Airport is a well constructed modern airport, situated within the city premise. It would be a half day trip for visitors to explore airport and its surroundings.

Downtown Burao:

The downtown of Burao is packed with dozens of boutiques, cafes and restaurants and many entertainment centres as well. There is a large shopping mall in the centre that attracts visitors not only for shopping but also for its grand and stylish construction.

Hargeisa:

Hargeisa is the second largest city of Somalia, situated around 240 km away from Burao. Being a historical city, Hargeisa holds a wide range of tourist attractions like Naasa-Hablood hills, Hargeisa Museum, a rock paintings complex Laas Gaal and a war monument MiGJet. Buses generally ply between Burao and Hargeisa.

Other places of interest in and around Burao include:

Port of Bosaso
Beaches of Bosaso
Amoud University in Borama
The city of Hargeisa
Borama International Airport
Beaches in Berbera
Port of Berbera
The Governor’s Palace of Mogadishu
National Museum of Somalia in Mogadishu
NASA Runway in Berbera
National Museum of Somalia in Mogadishu

When to visit Burao?

Except April–May and October–November (rainy season), the rest of the year is ideal to visit Burao.

Where to stay in Burao?

Burao houses limited number of standard hotels, it is advised for visitors to reach the cities of Hargeisa or Borama to find more options. In below list, the first 6 hotels are in Hargeisa (around 240 km from Burao) and the last 3 hotels are in Borama (around 330 km from Burao):