At the very top of the list of trips I’ve taken in the past couple of years that I want to write about is Socotra. If I had to narrow down my top five favorite travel experiences, Socotra would undoubtedly be on that list. I visited Socotra in April of 2022, but I’m just now finally getting around to posting about this incredible place and experience (it’s been a tough couple of years for me creatively, which maybe I’ll elaborate about in a future post).

All photos are my own; shot on DJI drone, Leica M10, film and iphone.

When I first learned about Socotra, I remember it being hailed as the “Galapagos of the Middle East” with these crazy Dr. Seuss-looking plants that don’t exist anywhere else in the world. I was intrigued, but my planning hit a dead end when I learned how impossible it was to visit Socotra. This tiny island is part of Yemen, and thus there was no tourism or flights to the island. I pinned Socotra on my mental travel bucket list map, but I didn’t imagine I’d be visiting anytime soon.

Fast forward many years, and I connected with a travel creator from Singapore named Rosalyn “Rozz” Lee. Rozz left a nice comment on one of my posts, and through that, I found a kindred travel spirit. I caught up with Rozz’s past trips on YouTube, followed her present adventures on Instagram, and followed along as she went on a solo trip—to SOCOTRA. I was dumbfounded to see her traveling to this supposedly off-limits island, so of course I sent her a DM demanding details. Rozz connected me with her friend, Shane, who runs a guided tour service to “off the beaten path” destinations around the world called Rocky Road Travel (their tours include North Korea, Iran, and Iraq to paint a better picture of just how rocky the road is). And so I HAD to go.

That’s how all my trips begin. I already have the curiosity and desire to see so many places in the world, but it just takes a connection (social, financial, or logistical) and then I’m planning my trip! In this case, it was the opportunity to visit Socotra through a vetted tour agency, and at a discount from the already very reasonable price. Rocky Road Travel took care of booking my flight to Socotra, and then from the moment I landed until the moment I departed a week later, I wouldn’t have to worry about a single thing. I just had to get myself—and my luggage for a week of off-the-grid camping—to Abu Dhabi in the UAE (the same country but a different city than Dubai for the less geographically aware of you).

So who, what, and where? UAE? Yemen? Traveling solo? Yes, this was my first time traveling to the UAE and Yemen, and I was doing the trip entirely solo. I wouldn’t be solo once I arrived in Socotra; I’d be with a local driver and guide arranged through Rocky Road Travel. I had my concerns and wanted to be sure that I’d be with guides with whom I’d be comfortable spending a week as a solo female (with very limited internet or cell service). Shane assured me that I would have Socotra’s very best local guide, Rafat. I reached out to Rafat before my departure and asked him for packing advice and if I should pack anything special for him or gifts for local kids. I don’t know how you can really put your trust in somebody through a few social media interactions, but browsing Rafat’s IG and chatting with him made me feel comfortable about the idea of visiting Socotra with him as my guide!

I flew from Los Angeles to Abu Dhabi on Turkish Airlines with a connection through one of my favorite airports in the world, Istanbul. I booked two nights in Abu Dhabi, giving me one day to explore the city (UAE was a new country for me!). I stayed at the W Hotel Yas Island, one of the world’s only hotels built on top of a Formula 1 race course (on the fancy end for me, but I used some of my Marriott hotel rewards points to book). Once settled into the hotel, I utilized a free bus to visit the architecturally stunning Louvre art museum and the Yas Island mall for some last-minute items. The UAE was unlike anywhere I’d ever been. It felt very new and posh and western, but strangely dusty, flat, sparsely developed, and undeniably religiously Muslim. It just so happened that I was visiting the Middle East during the holy month of Ramadan, so there were lovely festive illuminated moon and star nighttime decorations all over town. During Ramadan, people are fasting and lethargic during the daytime, so fewer people are out and about, adding to that strange end-of-the-world kinda feeling of the place.

Flights from Abu Dhabi to Socotra are only offered once a week. The same AirArabia plane delivers passengers to and from Socotra on just one day of the week. This weekly flight is a fairly new offering, and this is how and why it is now possible to visit Socotra as a tourist. But the flight is subject to frequent changes and occasional cancellations (it’s happened in the past that the flight was cancelled, in which case a traveler would be stuck in Socotra or the UAE for an entire extra week—one of the reasons I was slightly anxious to visit Socotra). Thankfully, my flight wasn’t cancelled… but the departure time changed the night before—from one o’clock in the afternoon to 8 am—cutting short my stay in Abu Dhabi.

SOCOTRA DAY 1

On my flight to Socotra, I was surprised to see that I wasn’t the only western traveler. There were at least a dozen eager white faces sprinkled throughout with the Emirate and Socotri travelers. The flight was on a perfectly modern plane, and just a few easy hours long. Right off the tarmac, me and the other tourists flocked to grab photos of a famous Socotri bottle tree with pink flowers in bloom. It did not know that the flowers would be in bloom at this time of year, so I was thrilled! I was visiting Socotra in April, which is the very end of the spring season, when temperatures are hot, but still bearable. By May it becomes too hot to comfortably be outside, and tours and guides pause until October.

At arrivals, I was met with a big smile by my guide Rafat—he was mega fit and the only of the Socotri guides dressed in western athletic wear. Rafat navigated me through the chaos of arrivals with authority and ease. I could tell immediately that I was in good hands, and we’d get along great. Outside was our driver, Abdurahman (Abdu for short), in a Toyota Landcruiser waiting; air conditioning on full blast, and trunk space already filled to the brim with water, food, and camping gear. Heck yeah, this was going to be a amazing week! I took up residence in the back seat, where I’d be spending a lot of time for the next seven days.

First stop: the capital city of Hadibo for some last-minute produce and groceries. It was mid-day during Ramadan, so the town was pretty void of people and movement. Socotra’s capital city isn’t much to look at, but mountain backdrop make the town uniquely scenic. I was aware of the economic situation and trash problems I’d see in Hadibo and Socotra, which is sadly the unfortunate result of people being starved of resources. The ongoing conflict in mainland Yemen has kept Socotra a poor island. Occasionally neighboring countries will extend some form of aid—but never without some cost or sacrifice from the land or people of Socotra.

HOMHIL INFINITY POOL

Rafat made the call to ditch the pre-planned itinerary that had us spending the first night in Hadibo, so with final supplies on board, we headed out to the wilds of Socotra. First stop: a natural infinity pool. The roads up into the mountains were indeed rocky, and I was beginning to understand how necessary a 4WD vehicle is here. Once parked, we had just a short walk to the pool, but the geology and flora along the trail had me stopping every minute to take photos. I saw my first endemic dragon’s blood trees, and so many bottle trees in bloom.

Once at the pool, Rafat explained that Socotra was currently experiencing a crippling drought, and for that reason, the pool was below half full. Even so, the pool was too inviting in the blazing midday heat to not go for a swim (I was visiting in April, when temps really start to heat up on the island). In the walls of the pool I discovered I was not alone, but in the company of dozens of yellow crabs. It seemed pretty bizarre to be hundreds of feet above sea level in a fresh water pool and there be crabs here. After some time alone with my crab friends in the pool, a group of Russian tourists arrived, and I was confronted with the reality that I was not going to be David Attenborough out here. Although still very new to tourism, word had spread (and not only to me) to visit Socotra. On such a small island, even if there are only a couple dozen tourists visiting, you’re likely to cross paths with them—as you’re taken to the same points of interest.

We walked back towards the car, and stopped at a shaded structure where a full picnic lunch spread awaited. There was flatbread, tuna, cheese, fresh fruit, and veggies. There was so much food that I assumed that Rafat and Abdu would be joining me—but nope, it was Ramadan—so they were not eating or even drinking a drop of water during the day. Rafat and practicing Muslims on Socotra and worldwide were currently fasting, which meant no food or drink during the day until they would break fast at 5 p.m. They would eat another smaller meal in the middle of the night around 1 or 2 a.m. and then go about their day without food or drink again until 5 p.m. I was very impressed that they were able to do this despite walking around outdoors in this heat. It really made me question my hyper-reliance on carrying copious quantities of water and snacks for even the shortest activity. Conditioning and willpower are not to be underestimated!

Dimarinhi Marine Reserve

Our next stop was the Dimarinhi Marine Reserve. The beach was initially not that much to look at—really just a dirt parking lot and a beach of jagged volcanic rocks (not unlike some lava beaches in Hawaii). I had packed my snorkel and fins to explore the island’s underwater life (renting snorkel gear in Socotra would be difficult, if not impossible—until in the future tour operators import them for guests). Snorkeling and fishing in Socotra are like few places on earth—since the island is so geographically and politically isolated, there is little to no commercial fishing or boat traffic that reaches the island. I went for a quick snorkel before sunset and saw some amazing coral and fish. but the sea was choppy, so I didn’t stay in for long. A few other small groups arrived at the beach, and since Rafat and the other guides were all colleagues and friends, they teamed up to all make dinner together. For dinner, they prepared a smorgasbord of fish, meat, soup, and other dishes, and since they were done fasting for the day, we all ate together. This beach was our campsite for the night, so I found a scenic place to set up my tent (I really love my ultralight backpacking tent and the view that it provides, so I decided to bring it to Socotra along with my own sleeping pad rather than use the gear provided by the tour). Abdu jumped in and helped me set up my tent, which was how it went every day. I could barely lift a finger before Rafat and Abdu would jump up to help—their hospitality went beyond anything I had experienced before.

DAY 2

Waking up to sunrise is easy when you’re sleeping in a tent, and I was sure to get up super early to catch it with my drone. I walked over and climbed up an interesting rock formation to get a great view, and within an hour of sunrise, the sun was already melting me. It was time for a morning snorkel, and this time the sea was perfectly calm and ideal for fish-watching.

Killisan Canyon

After a picnic breakfast (for one again, since Rafat and Abdu only ate at night), we packed back up into the 4Runner and drove across the island to our next destination, Wadi Killisan. Killisan Canyon was one of the places I’d seen photos of, and I was most excited to visit Socotra. When I wild camped around Oman in 2019, swimming in the beautiful fresh water wadis was my favorite part of the whole experience. I had heard that getting to and from Killisan would require a brutally steep, rocky, and exposed hike—however, despite it being well into the 90s, the trail and hike down weren’t bad at all. I brought my trekking poles, but they weren’t necessary for the 30-minute hike down.

Killisan Canyon lived up to the photos. For Socotra, being such a dry, desert island (and currently suffering an intense drought), the canyon was a literal oasis. Deep teal water, surrounded by steep white granite cliffs, makes Killisan a swimmer's, sunbather's, and cliff jumper’s paradise. Rafat of course helped me inflate my floaty tube, and then we took turns filming each other jumping off the edge of the canyon into the seemingly bottomless blue. I flew my drone for a while until a few other tourists and guides found their way down. I explored further up the canyon, where I discovered a small waterfall and all sorts of interesting rock formations. After a couple of hours in the canyon, it was time to make the ascent back up to the car, which turned out to not be that bad either. With wet clothes and a bottle of water to drink, the hike was perfectly manageable (although this is coming from someone who hikes pretty tough trails regularly).

Arher Beach

After a few scenic stops, we made it to the beach we’d be camping at that night, Arher Beach. Arher may be the most popular camping destination in Socotra, for both tourists and locals. The beach is right up against a massive vertical cliff face, and the wind blows sand against the cliff, building up these massive sand dunes. A freshwater creek flows from the cliff to the ocean, making it an ideal place to swim, camp and cook meals

While waiting for dinner to be prepared, I enjoyed a sunset float on my pretzel in the gentle waves. The guides prepared another incredible camping feast, and then I turned in for the night at yet another spectacular beach camp site. It seems that every night in Socotra, you get to sleep in the most prime camp site that you could only dream about back home in the US.

That night we had another big group dinner, with cooking responsibilities shared between the many guides and a huge picnic spread for all of the guides and guests. There must have been a dozen of us total. I met a few nice solo travelers—a guy from the UK, a girl from Luxembourg, and a guy from Italy—all here also traveling solo, but the three of them and their guides seemed to travel around as a group. When we compared our experiences, it became apparent that I really had been paired with an exceptional guide. Rafat was going well above and beyond to give me the best possible experience in Socotra, from customizing my itinerary to see the most and beat the groups to taking so many photos for me and just being extra helpful and awesome.

DAY 3

Hiking ARHER dunes

I woke up very early in the morning with the plan to hike up to the top of the sand dunes to watch the sunrise. Rafat told me it would take about 35 minutes to get up there, so I started hiking while it was still dark out. I went alone since the hike up was straightforward and Rafat could conserve sleep and his energy while fasting. The soft sand was piled on a steep incline, which was incredibly exhausting to climb up; every step forward, my feet would sink and slide down. As I got higher, the view was absolutely stunning. The white sand, the turquoise sea, and the prehistoric-looking orangey limestone cliffs all became illuminated as the first light appeared—it was really one of those once-in-a-lifetime unforgettable kind of sunrises. Dust or sand hung heavy in the air, adding a bit of soft focus to the landscape. After thinking I was nearing the top and realizing I had to keep going a few times, I finally made it. It was a little past sunrise, and the low sun was already blazing hot. I perched on the top of the dunes and took a few hundred photos between my drone, phone, film, and Leica M10. I have no idea how I’ll manage to narrow down photos for this post, but as always, if you want to see more, check out my Instagram story highlights or even my Flickr page!

Descending the dune was super fast and really, really fun. I flew down, yahoo-ing out loud to myself. Once down at the bottom, the guides had breakfast prepared, and it was time to eat, and then pack up and move on to the next destination—the Hajhir mountains to hike with a camel!

HAJHIR MOUNTAINS

Since I was a solo traveler, I had the ability to request a somewhat custom itinerary for the week. When planning my visit to Socotra, I really wanted to do a hike in the mountains—ideally a multi-day one—with a camel. Somewhere I had gotten the idea that a camel-packing hike might be a thing I could do in Socotra (like horse-packing in the Sierra or Rocky Mountains, but with a camel!). The purpose of the camel wouldn't be to ride, but instead to carry supplies while I hiked alongside it.

After the sweltering heat in Socotra, Rafat expressed uncertainty about whether a long hike would be such a good idea. And with so much to do and see in Socotra in just a week, Rafat advised that we do just an overnight camp and some hiking. but I’d still be getting to do it with a camel! The Hajhir mountains would be at a somewhat higher altitude (the highest point is 4,900’), so we hoped that once we got up to the mountains, it would be considerably cooler.

We drove inland and upland from the beach, higher and higher up into the mountains. We pulled over at a random bend in the road, and there awaited a local mountain guide named Ali, our camel, and a camel-wrangler (whose name sadly I do not recall). We had climbed maybe 1000 feet up from sea level; however, at just 9 a.m., it was still full-on, no-f*cking-thank-you hot outside. The new plan was for the guys to drop me and some water and gear off with the camel, and I could hike with the camel up the remainder of the mountain road to our camping location in the mountains. After gearing up, it became apparent that Qoronful the camel wanted very little to do with me, and I wanted very little to do with being outside. Rather than suffer an uphill slog on the dirt road in the hellish heat, I chose the option to stay in the A/C of the 4Runner while the camel and local guide took their time to meet us up there.

We arrived at a plateau, or saddle, in between tall mountain peaks at an altitude of 3000’. The landscape was very unique to anything I had seen before: granite peaks covered with shrubs and dragon’s blood trees. I could imagine how lush and green these mountains would be in the early spring, but not now with the heat and the drought. Much like the familiar palette of mountains in Southern California, the grass on the ground was brown and hay-like, dotted with dry green bushes. The crisp, cool mountain air that we had hoped we’d find up here was not what we got. Even at higher altitudes, it was still very, very hot. I set up my tent in front of an audience of curious goats and vultures and then attempted to take a mid-day siesta. It was way, way too hot to stay in the tent, so I joined the guys in, around, and under the 4Runner, where we spent several hours napping in whatever shade we could find as the hottest of the sun passed overhead.

It wasn’t until mid-to-late afternoon that clouds rolled in and finally provided some relief from the heat. Qoronful the camel had arrived, and it was at last time to, er, ride him? Plans had shifted from camel-pack hiking—to car camping in the mountains—and here’s a camel—you can ride him (or her). I was apprehensive about climbing on a massive, ornery camel, but after seeing Rafat do it without being thrown off, I decided to go for it. My camel riding career was short-lived—after the camel spit on me, I didn’t have the most interest in staying on for long. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was going to be thrown off, and the ground was a long way down!

That evening at 5pm, I joined Abdu, Rafat, Ali and the camel man for Iftar (breaking of fast) with a few light snacks. At this time everyday, they would have tea, dates, and few very light bites. It impressed me that after a long day of activity and not eating, they didn’t feel the need to chug a gallon of water, or gobble down plates of food (like I know I would).

That night I went to sleep early, since we had plans to wake up early and do a hike. We knew how hot it would get, so we made plans to get up before sunrise to do a hike into the mountains.

Socotra Solo Trip (Part 1)