Somalia: Lido Beach in Mogadishu
Lido Beach is pride and joy of Mogadishu – a spectacular white sand beach that was once considered the best in Africa and luxury hotels and bars used to line it. Being relatively safe now and behind rows of checkpoints, it’s the place to be in Mogadishu – hundreds of people play in the water and take boat cruises in colorful blue boats with Somali blue flags. Restaurants are also full of people and seafood is on the menu. It feels almost idyllic and peaceful as kids play in the sand and toss footballs and women in full burkas splash in the sea. Local wealthy elite sips on Somali sweet tea and devouring lobsters. And yet, it’s still tense with security everywhere and the fact that almost every single bar and hotel along this beach has been bombed and attacked by Al Shabab over the years of the civil war.
