Hawf Forest

Hawf sits in Yemen's far east near the Omani border on slopes that catch the southwest monsoon, and for a few months each summer the cloud rolls in off the sea and the hills turn green with woodland, grass and running water, in the same way the Dhofar mountains do across the border. Outside that season it dries back. Frankincense trees, baboons and a distinctive flora use the slopes.

What you actually see

• The monsoon greening - hills turning green under the summer cloud.
• The woodland - the forest the moisture supports on the slopes.
• The frankincense trees - the Boswellia growing through the area.
• The Dhofar parallel - the same monsoon effect as across the Omani border.

When to go

June to September is the monsoon and the only time the area is green. Outside it the slopes are dry and brown. Cloud sits low through the monsoon.

Honest expectations

The greening lasts only a few months and outside it there is little to see. Cloud and drizzle through the monsoon reduce visibility considerably. Access to mainland Yemen requires arrangements made well in advance.

Nearby

Al Ghaydah is west, and the Omani border is east.