Exploring Little Aden, Yemen 🇾🇪: Views+ Sunset +A Local Market
- Konrad Tillman
- Jun 12
- 5 min read
Hello
When I visit off-the-beaten-path destinations, two of my favorite activities are visiting a local market and watching sunsets. When walking through a local market, you get a certain feel to a country, not one that you can read in the news, but you start to see people as people. Whether it be those sitting having tea, the vendors selling fish off a stall, or a screaming baby, it all makes the experience whole.
So, without further ado, I'd like to share with you what a market is like in Little Aden (with the bonus of a beautiful sunset in the small but quaint town).
Little Aden
Located about a 40-minute drive from Old Aden lies the small town of Little Aden. Not many people know about Little Aden as a foreigner, but it's a cute little beachside town that is perfect for swimming.
Well, after bumping Katy Perry in the car the whole way to Little Aden, my guide took me up to a viewpoint overlooking the small town. Can I just say? How beautiful is this!
So while the main town of Aden was once a historical figure in the British Empire, not much is known about Little Aden. There is some history about a helicopter captain which I'll touch on later, but it was interesting to see these cargo ships anchored off of Little Aden. From what I understand, this is where they hang out for a few weeks before embarking on their next voyage through Somali pirate-infested waters (I love Somalia, but there still are some Pirates).
Overall, I didn't spend much time up here, but these views were truly magnificent. Imagine living in one of those beachfront properties and waking up every day to the sound of the waves. Gorgeous.
The Market
With the urgent need to take a dip in this beautiful Yemeni Ocean, I had forgotten my towel at the knockoff Marriott Hotel I was staying at 😅. No worries, my guide said, as there was a market close by. Verging on golden hour, it was the perfect opportunity to catch the end of the selling day, while seeing what the people were up to in post-work activities.
Arriving at the local market, the shops were beginning to close down for the day. People were relaxing, enjoying a nice tea or some of the local food, and everyone looked at me as if they had just seen a ghost (not many tourists visit). Not quite a local market in Kabul, but it was peaceful in its own way.
By the way, did you know that Yemen has some of the freshest fruit in the whole world! It is so good in the north that it becomes a main export from North Yemen to many countries. Just look at the colors!
But here is where I low-key shut up about dilly-dallying and get real with you for a second. As I walked around this market, these three brothers came up to me and asked if I could take their picture (I had a camera on me).
Yemeni people are beautiful, both in their hearts and in their smiles. Despite all of the resilience they have had to face, the fact that these three brothers could share a laugh with me meant more to me than they will ever know. I'll let the picture speak, as it tells a thousand words.
It became a whole thing, and the local Yemenis began to get involved. One of the brothers asked if I could take a picture of one of the local fruit vendors, and so I more than happily obliged.
And with that, I just want to say to everyone reading this: no matter where you are in the world or who you are with, embrace and be grateful for the smaller things in life. It's those moments that you overlook that might just change your trajectory, or at least your outlook on life.
Thank you to the people who showed me overwhelming amounts of kindness here ❤️
The Sunset
Somehow, talking my way out of constant conversation, my guide and I managed to slip away just in time to head off for the sunset close by. Unlike most places in the world, there are no fences designating where you can and where you cannot go. Thus, we ended up in one of the most beautiful backdrops I have seen in my life.
It was striking: a military checkpoint to my right, kids playing football below, and some of the most jaw-dropping mountains you have ever seen in your life right above. Wow. That right there tells it all. No matter the safety situation, there is always going to be beauty, and kids being kids. As I like to call it: humanity and humility.
And if I can leave you with one final story.
This mountain below represents one of the most famous mountains in Aden. When the British were leaving Aden in 1967, a helicopter pilot didn't want a Yemeni to have his car. In the middle of the night, this helicopter pilot took his car and dropped it on top of the mountain. To this day, that car is still there, and it has a great resemblance to a lot of nations that suffer from current instability.
I have been posting on my instagram about Yemen, and it has gained some serious traction. Something which I had to argue is when someone said, "bring back colonialism". It's interesting, because in some ways South Yemen was thriving more under the British (and in many other ways not), but what seems to be an ongoing trend (like the US in Afghanistan) is how Western influences leave these nations. They drop them on their heads and almost say, "figure it out".
My heart is with the Yemeni people, and I hope that the situation can improve going forward.
Then it was time to head to sleep, because I was very much jetlagged... 😅
Final Thoughts
Little Aden has formed a very special place in my heart for reasons I can't really put into words. It's a cute little town filled with some of the nicest people, the most beautiful landscapes, and an ocean that is delightful to take a dip in. Honestly, it ticks all of the boxes for a town to visit, and if you happen to be in Aden, definitely make the journey to Little Aden ❤️.
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