Jabal Bura

Jabal Bura rises out of the Tihama plain east of Al Hudaydah and its western slopes carry one of the last substantial tracts of dense woodland on the Arabian Peninsula, a relict forest of tall trees in the wadis fed by the moisture the mountain pulls out of the air off the Red Sea. Baboons, birds found nowhere else on the peninsula and a distinctive flora survive in it, and terraced villages sit on the slopes.

What you actually see

• The relict forest - one of the last dense woodlands on the Arabian Peninsula.
• The wadi trees - the tall growth in the moist valleys of the western slope.
• The endemic birds - species restricted to this corner of the peninsula.
• The terraced villages - the settlements worked into the mountain slopes.

When to go

October to March is the cool season. The Tihama is extremely hot and humid in summer. Rain falls mostly in summer on the slopes.

Honest expectations

Cutting and grazing have reduced the forest and pressure continues. There is no infrastructure and access needs a guide and four-wheel drive. Access to mainland Yemen requires arrangements made well in advance.

Nearby

Al Hudaydah is west, and the highlands rise east.