Best Tourist Places to Visit in Qardho (Gardo), Bari, North Africa, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Qardho (Gardo), Bari, North Africa, Africa

Qardho, also called Gardo, is a city belonging to the Bari region in the autonomous Puntland state of Somalia, located between 9°30′ N latitude and 49°05′ E longitude. It is in the northeastern part of the country, functioning as the administrative centre of Qardho District. Qardho is situated around 700 km east of the country’s 2^nd largest city, Hargeisa and 1150 km north of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

History of Qardho:

Archeological evidences found around the area have shown that Qardho is one of the oldest settlements in northern Somalia. Qardho witnessed the rule of the Majeerteen Sultanate in the early modern age and at the turn of the 20^th century, Qardho fell under the Italians rule as a part of the Italian Somaliland. Following the independence of Somalia, Qardho was promoted as the seat of the Qardho District.

How to reach Qardho?

Qardho hosts an airport but flights are not scheduled. The closest major airport to Qardho is Bender Qassim International Airport in Bosaso, located around 240 km away from Qardho. This airport is served by African Express Airways (Aden, Berbera, Galkayo, Nairobi and Wajir) and Jubba Airways (Hargeisa).

Buses ply between Qardho and Bosaso, but not regular. So visitors are advised to use a rental car for comfort and convenient airport travel.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Qardho:

Like country, Islam is the predominant religion in Qardho, who cover around 90% of the total population of the city.

Qardho houses many nice boutiques, of which most are traditional options, where visitors can bag some colorful handicrafts, traditional costumes and jewelry.

Cuisine of Qardho is influenced by other African and Arab countries. Restaurants in Qardho are limited to traditional options only, so tourists have to be adjusted to that.

Things to do in Qardho:

Traditional shopping
Day tours
Walking

What to see in Qardho?

The campus of the East Africa University:

East Africa University is one of the recognized universities in East Africa, holding 7 campuses in different location of Somalia, including Qardho. Apart from educational activities, the university is known for blending the local culture of Qardho with foreign cultures with regular cultural programs.

Qardho Airport:

Located around 802 meters above sea level, the Qardho Airport is a modern and well constructed airport, situated around 6 km away from the centre of the city. Currently, there are no scheduled flights serving the airport, although the airport receives visitors as one of the major landmarks of the city.

Bosaso:

Bosaso is a port city, located on the coastline of the Gulf of Aden, around 240 km north of Qardho. Bosaso is famous among visitors as a beach destination and the city also houses many historical sites, modern restaurants, cafes and an international airport as well.

Other places of interest in and around Qardho include:

Gardo General Hospital in Qardho
Port of Bosaso
Amoud University in Borama
The city of Hargeisa
Beaches in Berbera
Port of Berbera
NASA Runway in Berbera
The Governor’s Palace of Mogadishu
National Museum of Somalia in Mogadishu
National Museum of Somalia in Mogadishu

When to visit Qardho?

Like most parts of Somalia, from May to October is the best time to visit Qardho, when the weather remains dry.

Where to stay in Qardho?

There are standard hotels difficult to find in Qardho, so visitors can find hotels in nearby cities that are listed below. In below list, the first 4 hotels are in Bosaso (around 240 km from Qardho) and the rest of the hotels are located in Hargeisa (around 720 km from Qardho).