Hawf

Hawf is a mountainous district of Al Mahrah Governorate in far eastern Yemen, on the border with Oman. The Hawf Mountains rise from the Arabian Sea coast and, during the khareef — the southwest monsoon that affects Dhofar (Oman) and Al Mahrah roughly from June to early September — are wrapped in cloud, fog, and drizzle carried in by persistent moist winds off the sea. That seasonal moisture supports cloud-forest vegetation found almost nowhere else in Yemen: frankincense trees, dragon's blood trees, and woodland more typical of East Africa than the Arabian interior. Hawf is considered one of the most biodiverse parts of the country and has been proposed for protected-area status.

By Plane

The nearest airport is Al Ghaydah Airport (AAY), on the coast to the west. Road travel is required to reach Hawf from there.

By Train

Yemen has no operating railway network.

By Car / Road

Hawf is reached from Al Ghaydah via the coastal road, which continues east to the Omani border crossing near Sarfait.

• Al Ghaydah — governorate capital, west along the coast
• Oman border crossing — east of Hawf, leading toward Dhofar
• Shahan — inland desert district to the north