Dream Trips: Socotra
Have you ever heard of Socotra? There was a period last year where I was getting videos recommended to me by travel influencers who visited Socotra, which got me really fascinated with the place. It is an island that is part of the country of Yemen, but located to the East of Djibouti around the entrance to the gulf of Aden.
People have described the landscapes and plants there as alien and other worldly which I can’t help but agree with. I mean look at that tree I put in the thumbnail, it’s so cool! It’s called a dragon’s blood tree.
Unlike mainland Yemen which has been dangerous to visit due to their civil war, Socotra is so far away from the mainland and of such little strategic value that it has been left largely unaffected by the conflict. As a result it is fairly safe to visit the island of Socotra. However, due to the Houthi strikes on shipping vessels in the area and regional tensions it may be best to hold off on a visit for a while. There are weekly flights from Abu Dhabi and a visa is required. Unfortunately you need to book with a tour company which is pretty expensive. For this reason, Socotra is definitely not a budget destination and will be staying on my list of dream trips for a while yet.
Arabic is spoken on Socotra, but so is Socotri, a language totally unique to the islands of the archipelago, which is really interesting. Nearly 40% of Socotra’s plant species and an even higher percentage of the island’s animals are endemic to Socotra, meaning that they only exist there and nowhere else.
Here are some of the places I’d like to visit in Socotra:
Dragon blood forest
This area has the most dense growth of dragon blood trees. The Diksam Plateau offers a birdseye view of the dragon blood trees and the surrounding landscape. Tour groups often set up a camp so that you can spend the night in the dragonblood forest. Imagine watching the sunset among these alien plants and watching the stars come out, totally free from any light pollution.
Hoq Cave
Seems to have some amazing stalactites and stalagmites.
Dihamri Marine Reserve
Looks like a great place to go snorkeling and enjoy the clear blue water. I wonder what kinds of marine wildlife one could spot while swimming here.
Arher Beach
This beach also has incredibly blue water and a white sand beach. There are also white sand dunes that surround the area.
Hike to Skand Peak
The granite mountains of Socotra offer yet another type of natural environment to explore. Everything seems a bit greener at this higher altitude, and it would be amazing to have the opportunity to hike up the Skand Peak, the highest point on the island.
Meeting Local People
It would be really interesting to meet the local people who call Socotra home. From videos I have seen these people seem to have a difficult life, with many fishing to make an income. At the same time I am sure they realize how amazing the place they live is and I’d love to learn more about life on Socotra. I would hope that at least some of the money spent with the travel agencies is going to benefit the people of Socotra.
Trips to Nearby Islands
Darsa island has an amazing beach and other nearby islands have some insane looking rock formations.
