Dacarbudhuq

Somaliland highway town between Hargeisa and Berbera, marked by an Omar Kujoog monument.

Dacarbudhuq is the largest town on the road between Hargeisa and Berbera, sitting on the main highway that connects Somaliland's capital to its principal port. Most travellers pass through without stopping, but the town has a certain significance — a monument to Omar Kujoog commemorates his defence of Dacarbudhuq against the Italian advance towards Hargeisa during the colonial era.

A small daily market is reason enough to stop for half an hour and watch the town go about its business — a glass of cardamom shaah, a quick look around, and onwards.

Guide

Getting There

Dacarbudhuq sits on the main paved highway between Hargeisa and Berbera, the only sealed road of any length in Somaliland. Shared minibuses (badbaado) and 4x4 service taxis run the route several times a day in both directions; the journey from Hargeisa takes about ninety minutes.

The road is in good condition by Horn of Africa standards but unlit, so most onward travel happens during daylight. There is no airport; the nearest is Hargeisa's Egal International, about 60 km west.

Guide

Things to Do

Dacarbudhuq is a road stop rather than a destination — most travellers see it through a 4x4 windscreen on the long, hot drive between Hargeisa and the coast at Berbera. What there is to see clusters around the highway and the surrounding acacia scrub: a colonial-era monument, the views down to the Berbera escarpment, and the rhythm of a Somaliland market town going about its business.

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