"Socotra (Yemen) - a strange and blissful island !" Top 5 Page for this destination Socotra by MichaelFalk1969

Socotra Travel Guide: 64 reviews and 195 photos

Dragonblood Trees - Homhill Plateau - Socotra

Socotra Island is part of Yemen (a great destination in itself), but the friendly Socotri islanders have their own distinct heritage, part Yemeni, part African, part Portuguese, part whatever nationality happened to end up on this island in the middle of nowhere. There is only one small city (Hadibo), the fishing village of Qualanisya, and that`s all the city life Socotra has. The unique qualities of Socotra are the unusual vegetation (the Dragonblood Trees), the rugged mountain landscapes of the interior, white unspoilt beaches with turquoise water like I have never seen in my life, and an abundance of marine life ideal for snorkeling.

If you ever wanted to have a tropical island or a special landscape "all for your own" and if you are annoyed by hordes of tourists congregating at all the same beatiful places, Socotra is the place for you.

Until now, roughly 1500 tourists per year go to Socotra (since the 1990`s). This is probably half the number of tourists that cross the Rialto Bridge in Venice per day. Meaning, you have the nice places for yourself, in the literal sense of the word ! I sincerely hope that Socotra will remain unspoilt as it is, without big hotels, crowds, tour busses, tourist shops and all that.

In the case of Socotra, isolation is a real advantage.

Pros and Cons

Pros:great beaches, great landscapes, no big hotels
Cons:rather difficult to reach; chaotic airport
In a nutshell:My island of choice if I were Robinson Crusoe ...

Last visit to Socotra: Mar 2008
Intro Updated Mar 31, 2008
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Reviews (19)

Hire a local driver/guide ! Transportation (1)

It is absolutely necessary to hire a 4WD with a local driver/guide. While the tar road that surrounds the island is in a... more travel advice

Crabs ! Tourist Traps (1)

Not a voluntary tourist trap, but one we set for ourselves. When we arrived at the gorgeous Arher Beach, we instantly... more travel advice

Dolphins Things to Do (12)

While out on a boat trip to the marvelous Shoab Beach, we encoutered a couple of dolphins. Friends who did the boattrip... more travel advice

Shoab Beach Things to Do (12)

This is the most beautiful beach I have ever seen in my entire life. Imagine the most beautiful beach from a travel... more travel advice

Travelogues (1)

Written Jul 10, 2008

1 photo

My favourite Socotra photo !!!

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Comments (6)

hunterV Mar 9, 2011 at 9:36 AM Report Abuse

Hello, Michael! You have visited a great destination I must say! Thanks for the story you have created! Well done! ><><><><
schwein May 12, 2009 at 3:39 AM Report Abuse

Great page for a unique destination! I look forward to getting there myself, hopefully sometime soon.
Ekahau Apr 18, 2008 at 3:19 PM Report Abuse

Micheal, you did justice in your pages to this wonderful spot -- ideal for the lover of remote thanks.
iris2002 Apr 13, 2008 at 11:38 PM Report Abuse

These dragonblood trees really look alien - I bet they would have loved them on the film-set of 'Herr der Ringe' :)
PALLINA Apr 11, 2008 at 5:48 AM Report Abuse

Hi Michael, sehr schoene Seite!
SLLiew Apr 1, 2008 at 5:04 AM Report Abuse

What an amazing island with the spectacular dragonblood trees and exciting widlife. I am impressed by the goals getting on top of the tables to help themselves. Thanks so much sharing this wonderful destination. Cheers, SL :)