Lag Badana National Park

Stunning beaches. Coral reefs. African wildlife. And you have it all to yourself. That would be Lag Badana National Park in Southern Somalia if you can get here. But you can't.

Understand

Lag Badana was Somalia's first national park, established in the 1980s at the country's southern tip as part of a push to increase tourism in the country. This fell apart in 1991 when the civil war broke out, and so it is now less a park and more simply one of the most serene and beautiful places on Earth.

Serene... except for one thing: the lush green forests of Lag Badana provide lush green cover for Al-Shabaab militants. It is from this area that Al-Shabaab has staged attacks into coastal Kenya. The Somali and Kenyan militaries have sought to flush the militants from the forest, but the security situation in the area is ever-fluid. Nominally, it is under Somali government control as of 2023. But it just as well may not be as you read this. It remains a no-go zone.

It's a pity. The park is teeming with wildlife, lions included. Palm-tree-lined beaches give way to coral reefs and desert islands. There is nary a soul around (apart from the aforementioned, perhaps) and it will likely be this way for quite some time.

Get in

It'd be a guess. You could try to get to Kismayo (you probably shouldn't try to get to Kismayo) and arrange a tour from there.