Tour to Socotra | The most mystical island in the worldе
Tour dates: 01 - 08 April 2025
Socotra Island is rightfully considered one of the most mystical and least visited islands in the world. Belonging to Yemen, a poor and always at war country, slowed down its development for decades and made it an “outcast” in the tourism world. However, now the island is under the protectorate of the United Arab Emirates, the so-called humanitarian flight from Abu Dhabi flies here and this makes it possible to visit this closed, but amazing island in terms of natural beauty and wonders, being sure that the trip is safe. And this should be done right now, because no one knows what fate awaits the island in the coming years...
And there is something to look at in Socotra, and that’s putting it mildly! )) Due to the isolation of the island and remoteness from the continent, a third of the plants growing here are endemic, that is, they are not found anywhere else in the world! Including bottle and dragon trees - unusual, amazing creations of nature. Among other things, in April, when our tour is planned, the bottle tree has a flowering period - it is covered with huge, incredibly beautiful pink flowers and just for this it is worth visiting Socotra!
But besides this, there are a large number of delightful snow-white and almost deserted beaches, beautiful canyons and sand dunes, excellent seafood and skilled chefs who prepare food in camp conditions in such a way that the best restaurants will envy them peace.
The lack of civilization, comfortable hotels and stable mobile communications is compensated here by complete immersion in virgin nature, overnight stays 10-20 meters from the ocean, an incomparable bright starry sky with the Milky in a way that you won't see anywhere else in the world! And all this against the backdrop of the silhouettes of dragon trees, whose crowns make an indelible impression even during the day, and at night they completely turn into something unreal, unearthly. If you leave your tent at night, you can easily imagine yourself on some strange planet in space unknown to us.
Unfortunately, we rarely make videos from our trips, but for your motivation we decided to post here a video of traveler Sorelle Amore, who, in our opinion, made the best sightseeing film about Socotra that we have ever seen.
*The day-by-day tour program below is set out as it took place in April 2024. Next year, the order of visiting certain locations may be slightly changed - local guides form a route based on the weather and agreements with other guides, trying to avoid a large influx of tourists in the same places, which, of course, is welcome. *
Tour organizer:
EVGENY ANDROSOV
Professional traveler, climber, mountain guide and tour instructor with 30 years of experience. Visited all continents, in countries of the world and regions of Russia. Organizer of hundreds of original tours, expeditions, hikes, climbs...More
Itenarary day by day:
We arrive at Hadibo airport (visa issuance and passport control). We are met by a local guide with a sign, and we go to a cafe in Hadiboh for lunch. Not far from the airport we stop and look at the flowering bottle trees and cucumber tree overlooking the Arabian Sea.
Ghoba area, we examine Soviet tanks (7 - 8 pieces) along the sea, which remained here from the 70s - early 80s of the last century, when the island was a transshipment base for Soviet troops in this region.
First view of Ditwah beach from the mountain. Wow! We swim for about an hour (we change clothes right in the car). We walk along the beach to the lagoon to the campsite (Qalansia is the name of the lagoon, the beach, and the “city” where 35 thousand people live).
For dinner, crabs, fish, squid, vegetables, rice... We go to bed in tents: in this parking lot we have a toilet, even two (one of them with doors); and a shower for two (instead of doors there is a curtain made of rough matting).
Breakfast. We go to Shuab beach; You can meet dolphins along the way. We reach a fishing village and transfer to a boat with a motor (to Shuab beach there is an incredibly beautiful sea route, mountains on the left, turquoise water on the right). We swim, sunbathe and enjoy the views on the beach.
After lunch we go hiking up the mountain. We are led by our guide and local guide. Women are recommended to take beautiful dresses with them for photos (this is where there is a view of the lagoon with a flowering bottle tree), we walk for 2 hours with stops for rest and photos). We watch the sunset sitting on the top with our guides. The return journey takes 1 hour in the dark. Dinner and overnight at the same campsite.
In the morning, a walk along the beach to a cave to see a caveman (caveman). After the walk, breakfast - we eat seafood caught right in front of us. We pack our things and head towards Diksam Plateau. On the way, we look at the pool where local children swim, handing out candy to the children (it is advisable to take it with you from home - children’s immediate joy and their happy smiles serve as an excellent “payment” for these small gifts).
A steep descent by car into the Dirkhur Canyon. We have lunch in the canyon and swim in a fresh river.
We arrive at Firmin (forest of dragon trees on the Diksam plateau). Dinner and overnight under the trees (no toilet or shower) - very atmospheric!
We meet the dawn among the dragon trees. Breakfast. Moving towards the Indian Ocean. Along the way there is a short walk, the goal of which is to see the Dixam plateau from above (a huge number of dragon trees!).
We have lunch next to the plantings of dragon trees.
After lunch - Di Gub Cave and Amak Dunes (get ready to take a lot of photos:)
In the evening we arrive at Zahik beach. Here we stop for dinner and overnight (tents on the sand a few tens of meters from the ocean!!!), there are more or less decent toilets and showers.
Dawn on the shores of the Indian Ocean and swimming in it. Breakfast.
Afterwards we drive towards the Kalisan Canyon. A short walk (about 40 minutes) to the Kalisan Canyon, where those who wish can dive into the water from a great height.
Return to the cars and lunch. We go to the dunes and Archer beach. Swimming, dinner and overnight (there are no toilets or showers, but there is a pipe with fresh water - it is used as a shower).
We get up early, at 4:30 we go to watch the sunrise on the Archer dunes.
Breakfast. Afterwards we go snorkeling to the Di Hamri area (red rocks and showers overlooking the Arabian Sea); many beautiful fish, turtles. We have lunch there.
Moving to Homhel Protected area (bottle, incense and dragon trees).
Transfer to the Infinity pool (swimming overlooking the lagoon). In the evening, lobster for dinner. Overnight in tents on Archer beach.
Breakfast. Hog Cave (long trek uphill to reach it - about 1.5 hours).
We return, have lunch and pack our things, after which we go to the meeting place of the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.
Transfer to a fishing camp, drink sweet tea with milk with the fishermen and rent a boat for fishing for $70 (additional expenses).
We fish until sunset (everyone is sure to catch something!). Transfer to the city of Hadibo for the last night.
Dinner - at a small campsite near the city. Check-in to a hotel in Hadibo. The hotel is very modest by European standards (there are simply no others here), but there is wifi, shower and towel, fan, air conditioning, toilet and toilet paper.
Breakfast in the same cafe where we had our first lunch. Afterwards we stop at the souvenir shop of the women's community. Transfer to the airport.
At the airport - a thorough search of bags (several times through the tape); the entire airport building is littered with shells - these are all trophies of tourists (prohibited for export from the island!).
Flight to Abu Dhabi. Farewell to the fantastic and mystical island!
The tour program uses original photographs by Svetlana Matseeva ©