Yemen is, in many ways, the birthplace of all our lives. In days past, the sons of Noah knew it as the land of milk and honey, Gilgamesh came here to search for the secret of eternal life, wise men gathered frankincense and myrrh from its mountains and, most famously, a woman known simply as Sheba said Yemen was her home.

Yet since the book of mythology was closed, Yemen has remained largely locked away in a forgotten corner. This is a huge oversight, because Yemen is a deeply romantic and utterly unique place in which to travel.

However, there is a problem: travel here has never come easily, nor in complete safety; but today Yemen dances on the brink of catastrophe and you should assess the security situation carefully before taking the plunge. But if the security situation allows then the rewards of travelling here are enormous.