Socotra November Winter Tour

Start
Nov 1, 2027
Abu Dhabi, UAE
End
Nov 8, 2027
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Duration
8 days
Price
US$1890.00



TOUR OVERVIEW



When looking for an island holiday you probably don’t think of Yemen as a destination. However, tucked away in the Indian Ocean is one of the most spectacular coral-surrounded islands in the world. Often referred to as the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean, Socotra is famous for its amazing beaches and unique flora, such as the dragon blood trees.

This tour will start and end in Abu Dhabi, taking a charter flight to this beautiful but remote island. We will cover most of the island, camping on different beaches throughout the tour. At the start of the tour we will head to the east of the island, seeing the highlights of Arher Beach and Ras Ersal. We then head to Dihamri, one of the best snorkelling spots (probably in the world), before moving inland to marvel at the incredible dragon blood tree forests on the Dixam Plateau.

We then head to the western part of the island to see how local life is in the town of Qasaliyah, and also to see the incredibly picturesque Detwah Lagoon. Heading further west we will reach some of the most remote parts of the island with more swimming of course, and possibly even a chance to see dolphins and other marine animals. Towards the end of the tour we head back to Hadiboh where we can see how normal life is on the island. After more camping on the beach, we will finally take another charter flight back to Abu Dhabi to finish the tour.


View the full itinerary


Francincence trees, Dixam Plateau, Socotra, Yemen
Lagoon, Socotra, Yemen



If you like the look of this tour but the dates don't work for you, or you'd like to do part of the tour, please get in touch and let us know. All our tours are able to be split into smaller sections, we're always scheduling new tours and your dates might work for one of them, or we can always organise an independent tour.



INCLUSIONS:

Visa assistance

All accommodation (camping in tents with mattress, pillow and blanket)

All transport on Socotra

All entrance fees on Socotra

All meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Western and local guides


SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $

What is the single supplement? This is paid to guarantee a single room. If you are travelling alone and would like to be roomed with another single traveller, you do not need to pay this.


EXCLUSIONS:

Visa fee

Return flights from Abu Dhabi to Socotra

International flights to Aby Dhabi

Personal expenses such as souvenirs or any optional activities


Kids at the beach, Socotra, Yemen
Hadiboh, Socotra, Yemen


TOUR HIGHLIGHTS


Snorkelling at the Dihamri Protected Marine Area

Sunset from the huge towering Zahaq Dunes

Exploring the Dragon Blood Tree Forest

Swimming at the stunning white sand Detwah Lagoon​​



Itinerary
Day 1Mon Nov 1
Abu Dhabi, Socotra, Arher Beach
  • Arher Beach, Socotra, Yemen We will all meet at the airport in Abu Dhabi at 7:30am, for the 9:00am Air Arabia flight to Socotra.

  • Once we land, we will head directly to the one of the most spectacular beaches on the island called Arher Beach. Arher is surrounded by giant sand dunes reaching over 300 metres high.

  • Here we will have a chance to climb the dunes and cool off in the amazing aqua clear water.

  • This will be where we set up camp for the night.

  • Overnight camping at Arher beach.

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Day 2Tue Nov 2
Arher Beach, Homhil, Ras Ersal, Arher Beach
  • Bottle tree, Socotra, Yemen In the morning, we will depart our campsite and travel towards Raqala Village, before heading to another amazing spot of the island call Homhil.

  • To get to Homhil we will hike for an hour past some of the most famous flora on the island, such as dragon blood trees, cucumber trees, frankincense trees and bottle trees.

  • At the end of the hike, we will reach the natural swimming hole at the top where we can cool off after the climb. The view from here is spectacular as it sits 600m above the sea and the water is fresh and clear. Perfect after a little hike. Homhil natural swimming hole, Socotra, Yemen

  • We will then return to the beach for another swim and some time to relax.

  • In the afternoon, we will go for a drive to Ras Ersal, which is the meeting point of the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.

  • We’ll then return to our camp at Arher Beach where we will once again spend the night.

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Day 3Wed Nov 3
Arher Beach, Wadi Kalsyan, Dihamri
  • Snorkelling, Socotra, Yemen We’ll start off today with a two hour drive to reach Wadi Kalsyan.

  • Wadi Kalasan is a natural pool that extends out into the Indian Ocean and is surrounded by incredible mountains. Here we will have a swim and take in the scenery.

  • Afterwards we will continue to the Dihamri protected area which is known as one of the best places on the island for snorkelling and diving. You can bring your own snorkelling equipment if you have it and want to, or you can hire it locally if that’s better for you.

  • We will have dinner and camp overnight at the Dihamri Protected Area.

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Day 4Thu Nov 4
Dihamri, Dixam Plateau, Firmhin Dragon Blood Tree Forest
  • Drangon blood trees, Dixam Plateau, Socotra, Yemen Leaving Dihamri in the morning, we will drive up to the Dixam Plateau, which is home to the most dragon blood trees on the island.

  • Once we arrive we will go for a walk through the trees and have lunch amongst them. Socotra is the only place in the world where you can see these amazing, very uniquely shaped trees.

  • Afterwards, we will continue into the Firmhin dragon blood tree forest where there are thousands of these epic trees!

  • Once in Firmhin, we will set up camp and spend the night. This is one area on the island that can get a little cooler at night.

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Day 5Fri Nov 5
Firmhin, Degub Cave, Oamak Beach, Zahaq Dunes
  • After breakfast, we will continue to the southern part of the island which is known by the locals as “Nogad”.

  • Here we will explore Degub cave, which hosts stalagmites and stalagtites, on a short walk through. The cave isn’t very big, but it makes for a cool stop on the way to the south coast. Sometimes we can see some animals here such as bats.

  • We will then continue heading south to yet another incredible beach called Oamak beach, where we will have lunch and a swim.

  • After we have had a bit of time to explore the beach we will make our way to the huge Zahaq dunes for sunset.

  • Afterwards we will head back to Oamak beach, where will have dinner and set up camp for the night.

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Day 6Sat Nov 6
Oamak Beach, Qalansiyah, Detwah Lagoon
  • Tanks on the beach, Socotra, Yemen This morning we will head to Qalansiyah, the second largest town on the island after Hadiboh. Along the way we will make a stop to see the abandoned Soviet T-34 tanks that were put on the island during WW2. This makes for a great photo stop as the tanks are completely rusted over from the salty air. And we do love a good rusty tank!

  • Continuing past Qalansiyah we will head to the starting point of the Detwah Lagoon, which hosts snow-white sand and turquoise clear water, and where you will definitely want to take a dip. Detwah Lagoon, Socotra, Yemen

  • After enjoying the paradise of the lagoon, we will head to our lunch stop where we may have a chance to meet the famous cave man of Socotra. Made famous in a BBC article, he shows how locals once lived on the island from a beach cave. He actually lives in Qalansiyah now, but still loves to show tourists the old traditional way of life.

  • For sunset we will head to a lookout point to take in views over Detwah Lagoon. We will then return to our campsite for dinner and to relax and spend the night.

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Day 7Sun Nov 7
Detwah Lagoon, Shoab Beach, Hadiboh, Delisha Beach
  • Puffer fish, Shoab Beach, Socotra, Yemen Today we will take an excursion to Shoab beach, known as one of the most remote parts of the island.

  • At Shoab beach we will take a short boat ride, during which we may see spinner dolphins and other types of marine life. Of course we will take you to the best spot for a quick swim before heading back to Qalansiyah for lunch. Hadiboh at sunset, Socotra, Yemen

  • After lunch we will head to Hadiboh, the largest town on the island. This will be your chance to buy any local products and souvenirs, such as Socotra honey or Yemeni-style clothes.

  • After visiting the town, we will head to Delisha beach, to our final camping spot of the trip.

  • Overnight at Delisha Beach.

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Day 8Mon Nov 8
Delisha Beach, Airport, Abu Dhabi, End of Tour
  • In the morning, we will head to the airport to take the 11:50am flight back to Abu Dhabi.

  • End of tour.

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