Socotra Island Travel Guide

If you haven’t heard of Socotra, you’re in for a delightful discovery! This enigmatic island, nestled in the Arabian Sea, is one of the most unexplored and seldom photographed locales bridging Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and South Asia. Politically a part of Yemen, Socotra island lies south of Yemen and Oman and east of Somalia, its nearest neighboring landmass. Fortunately, the island has remained untouched by the unrest affecting the mainland. The island is home to around 60,000 residents, with Hadiboh as the only city and the capital. The population is predominantly Muslim and Arabic-speaking, though you’ll find that most local guides and drivers have at least basic English skills. Familiarizing yourself with a few Arabic phrases can enhance your experience.

This post was updated with up-to-date information on April 2024. Check out my photos from the recent trip.

I first heard about the island years ago from my birdwatching buddies. They described it as a secret heaven on Earth. I soon learned that there is much more to the nature of the island than just birds. The island is most famous for its unique flora, such as the Dragon’s blood trees and cucumber trees. Socotra is sometimes touted as the “Galapagos of the Indian Ocean.” I knew I had to visit Socotra!

My first visit was back in 2014 when I led a scouting photography tour with my friend Jeremy Woodhouse. We tried to return to the island multiple times since then. There was always something to prevent us from traveling, including the civil war in mainland Yemen, COVID, and pirates.

Ten years after my first visit, we were finally able to bring a group of photographers back to Socotra. In March 2024, we spent two full weeks on the island, photographing all the popular spots and all the remote and less visited places as well. This article has been thoroughly updated with my recent experience. I hope it will help you with planning your trip to Socotra as well.

Socotra island – Travel Information

When to go

First, when is the best time to travel to Socotra? Definitely in the colder part of the year, roughly between October to April. If you are a keen birdwatcher, you will want to visit in migration season, autumn or spring. Photographers will want to visit in winter, when the nature is most lush or in spring, when bottle trees are blooming all around the island.

How to get there

Next, how to get there? The most convenient (and recommended) flights to Socotra are from Abu Dhabi airport. At the moment there are flight on Tuesdays and Fridays. The Air Arabia is planning to introduce the third flight with next year (2025). The flights cannot be booked online so the best way to get to Socotra is booking a trip with a local agency who takes care of visa and Abu Dhabi-Socotra flights as a part of the deal.

There are flights from Cairo and from mainland of Yemen too but I would not recommend these options unless you plan to travel South Yemen. Cairo should be fine, but you will not be able to bring your drone with you.

You will not be allowed to enter the country if you have Israeli stamp in your passport.

Where to stay

Now, when you successfully arrive on the island, you will realize that there are not many hotel options. In fact, back in 2014, we opted for beach-side camping instead of staying in a cockroach-infested hotel in Hadibo! Nowadays, the situation has improved, but don’t expect comfort. Beyond Hadibo and villages like Qalansiyah, camping is the only option. A trusted tour operator will provide tents and sleeping mats, but I recommend bringing your own lightweight sleeping bag.

Camping is a delightful way to experience the island. Most popular locations have basic campsites equipped with shower and squat toilet facilities. There are usually improvised shelters from the sun, and the local team will set up tables, chairs, and resting mats there. It’s advisable to bring your own toiletries and to use paper tissues that disintegrate faster than wet wipes, which are becoming a problem as they blow around the campsites (or do it local style with a bucket of water). From my experience, there were nice campsites at Detwah Lagoon, Arher Sand Dunes, Dixam Plateau, Delisha Beach, Dihamri Marine Reserve, Aomak Beach, and Zahek Sand Dunes. Campsites in other areas lacked toilet facilities and could become too polluted if too many groups were visiting.

What to eat – Socotra Island

And the all important thing – the food! The island is quite barren and without much fertile soil. This means there cannot be any larger scale agriculture. In 2014, we had to import our own fruits and vegetables for the duration of the trip. We also brought a good amount of rice and canned tuna to complement our meals.

Nowadays, the situation is much better. The local companies are more skilled and most of them will provide a team that will cook three meals per day while on tour. The food is still basic, with rice and fish being the most common menu. There will be veggies and fruits available daily. Sometimes they cook or grill a chicken and on special occasion a baby goat too.

One thing where Socotra is plentiful is the seafood! And I am happy to confirm that local fishermen really do fish in sustainable, traditional way that supports their families. Every day we were stocked with fresh daily catch which consisted of a variety of fish. A few times we met young boys who were selling freshly caught squid or octopus at reasonable prices.

Mobile signal and Internet

The only network provider that offers internet service on Socotra is Etisalat from the UAE. It is essential to purchase a SIM card in Abu Dhabi (either at the airport or in the city) before traveling to Socotra. You will need your passport to do this. There are various data plans available, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs. On Socotra, only a 3G signal is available, and even this can be unreliable. I chose not to use social media or send photos because the connection was frustratingly slow. However, chat and email apps worked well enough to keep in touch with the outside world.

Socotra Island – places to visit

Despite small size of the island, it takes long drives from one place to another. This makes planning harder as one cannot just simply stay in Hadibo and make day trips around. Here are my suggestions where to go on Socotra and which place can be a good base to stay / camp.

Detwah Lagoon | Qalansiyah Village | Shoab Beach

I recommend to stay at Qalansiyah village where one can stay at modest homestay with proper beds. The village is very much alive, a thriving fishing community, lots of kids and beginnings of tourism. There is also a decent and well maintained campsite at Detwah lagoon. From the village it is just a short walk uphill for great views on Detwah lagoon. What a sight! Then descending down to the lagoon itself yields more photographic opportunities. Seascapes, fishermen, local kids, sand dunes – it doesn’t end here.

Shoab beach is remote and hard to access by car. The best way to get there is on a boat trip with local fishermen in Qalansiyah. Personally, I liked the boat trip more than the beach itself. We met a fishing ship and local fishermen invited us onboard. We were able to photograph them at work – what an experience. Shoab beach is nice for snorkelling but I had better experience at Alhamri reserve. I did enjoy the crystal clear waters and colourful fishing boats. The downside of this trip is that it takes place in day time when light is harsh. The way back was excellent with birds, we saw huge flocks of cormorants, terns, seagulls and even spinner dolphins.

Dixam Plateau and Firmin Forest

Dixam Plateau (also spelled Diksam, Dixum) is the easiest place to photograph Dragon blood trees (Dracaena cinnabari). Located in the middle of the island, it is accessible by a modern paved road. Very barren landscapes, dotted with dragon blood trees and occasional bottle tree. Some of the best views are from the edge of Wadi Dirhur, the “Grand Canyon of Socotra”. There is a nice campsite near the canyon at Salem’s place in the village of Shabohon. There are nice hiking possibilities, a long hike into Wadi Dirhur or even longer across to Firmin forest. Or just hang around Dixam, for amazing views and looking for compositions among dragon blood trees.

Nowadays it is possible to drive down into Wadi Dirhur and further to Firmin forest. The road is rough and bumpy, it takes a lot of driving skills and indestructible Land Cruiser to get there. Firmin (Also spelled Firmihin or Firmihn) forest is a plateau across the canyon from Dixam. This is where there are the most numerous dragon blood trees and it is definitely THE place to photograph these unique wonders of nature.

Homhill Protected Area

Homhil is another gem for photographing mountain landscapes and trees. Beside dragon blood trees and bottle trees there are numerous frankincense trees as well. What a variety! There is a nice campsite at Homhil from where one can explore on foot. Nearby, there is Socotra’s only infinity pool – it beats any 5-star hotel with its views!

Arher Sand Dunes

The whole eastern tip of Socotra island is fascinating for photography. The Arher sand dunes can be seen from far and can serve as great background if shooting from the coast. I recommend a climb to the top. It is hard as hell, literally one step up and two steps down, but well worth the effort. There is a small campsite just below the nicest dune, next to a source of freshwater. How convenient! If camping here, take a drive to the easternmost part of the island. Some unique seascapes can be photographed there as well as fishermen with their colourful boats. While here, visit the Hoq cave as well.

Steroh Sand Dunes

To get to Steroh on the south side of the island is quite a detour. Well worth if you like photographing desert. Unlike darker sand I’ve seen in Oman, Namibia, Morocco or Egypt, these dunes are almost white. And next to the sea! Be careful of wind – it can blow the sand everywhere, your clothes, backpack, your camera gear.

There is another set of white sand dunes here at the South, the Zahek sand dunes. There is even a basic campsite there. Photographically I think they are both nice. And it takes some effort to hike away from all the footsteps other travellers have left behind.

Hadibo – Socotra Island Capital

Hadibo is not a pretty place. And there is a lot of trash everywhere. But it does have a nice vibe and the town is the only place with hotels, restaurants and shops. I recommend visiting the fish market, located on the beach. Very hectic and raw. Some people will find it gruesome, there is blood, inner parts of fish is thrown out to vultures and seagulls and the overall hygiene is sub-standard (to put it mildly). This said, this is a great experience and an opportunity for some cool portraits of rugged fishermen.

I also enjoyed walking around the town photographing people. Armed with a few phrases of Arabic and lots of hand gestures we understood each other and had a great time.

Photography on Socotra Island

The main draw for photographers will definitely be the endemic trees and rugged landscapes. The dragon blood trees cannot be found anywhere else in the world. To me, the diversity of the island is an attraction of itself. The mountains, the seascapes, the sand dunes, dark skies, flora & fauna, the people. One can create an amazing travel portfolio on this small island. Bring a wide variety of lenses and a backup camera.

Bringing a drone is a good idea. There are ample opportunities for drones and there are currently no limitations on flying (except above people and villages of course). Make sure you do not fly in via Cairo as Egyptian authorities may confiscate your drone. Abu Dhabi airport is hassle free in this regard.

Photograph responsibly

I am a passionate advocate of responsible photography. I believe photographers have a great impact on the environment and on communities. We can choose to have a positive one!

The nature of Socotra is unique and very fragile. The dragon blood trees are in decline. The main reason is the goats that overgraze the island. We should minimise our impact when camping, hiking and photographing in nature. There is literally no tourism infrastructure and while there are only a few visitors, this is not a big problem. With the rise of tourism, this will change. Leave no trace. Do not take anything with you off the island unless it is harvested sustainably. A good example is Socotran honey or hand carved souvenirs. But never take any parts of the trees, sea shells etc. You can support the local initiative to save dragon blood trees or a tree nursery in Hadibo and Dixam plateau.

Socotra is an isolated community. The traditional way of life requires us to be informed and respectful. English is not spoken except for a few people who work in tourism. Learning basic Arabic words and phrases will show respect and will be a nicer experience. When photographing people it’s always best to seek their permission. The word “sora” is usually enough to show your intention. In Socotra this is particularly important when photographing women. Whether or not we agree with this in today’s society, it’s not unusual for a woman to require her husband’s permission before being photographed. You can send prints to your local guide and ask to give it to the people. Or you can get people’s Whatsapp number and send them the photos.

Technical considerations and logistics

The main problem photographers face on Socotra island is a power supply. The electricity is only available in Hadiboh – with regular power shortages. When available, the power outlets can be European two-pin or UK three pins – bring an adapter. The best idea is to charge batteries in car, while driving. A power converter for cars is a must. Or even solar panels or diesel power generator. A good advice is to have multiple memory cards so you don’t need to do daily backups on your laptop. Multiple camera batteries as well. My rule of thumb is to be able to shoot for four days without recharging.

Another consideration is weather conditions. Despite being an island, humidity is not an issue for camera gear. The bigger problem is dust and sand. The mountains are very dry and dust is present everywhere. Also while driving the dirt roads, there is always dust blowing into the vehicles. And then there are sand dunes and sandy beaches. Make sure you protect and clean your gear regularly.

Conclusion & Resources

This is a quick guide to photographing Socotra island. I hope it will help you plan your own trip. The most helpful will be a conversation with your local guide. Please be patient, most of the guides and companies are fair and with good intentions. Be clear with your expectations. Make sure you allow them enough time to respond – they might be in the field, guiding or simply there is no internet connection.

Socotra island Bradt guide. This is by far the best book about travelling to Socotra. highly recommended.

Socotra photo spots on Photohound. A detailed guide to best photos spots on Socotra island and around the world.

Socotra photography tour. In December 2024 and April 2025 I am leading a small group of photographers to this exotic island. This is a cooperation with my good friend Jeremy Woodhouse, we both have been to Socotra before and it grew to our hearts. Join us, we still have a few places available.

Forgotten Island. A very beautiful video about paragliding on Socotra. With amazing music. Very inspirational.

Photos of Socotra Island