Is it Safe to Travel to Socotra?
Socotra’s famous Dragon’s Blood Trees in Homhil, Socotra, Yemen.
This article was originally published on April 12th, 2019. It was updated with more relevant information on August 2nd, 2022.
WHY SOCOTRA?
The Socotra Archipelago lies several hundred kilometres off the coasts of Yemen and Somalia, placing it in a unique position in the middle of the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. It has been called “one of the most alien places on Earth” and for a good reason: about one-third of Socotra’s species are endemic to the archipelago. It has incredible rock mountains, out-of-this-world trees and vegetation, crystal clear blue oceans, white sand beaches, diverse coral reefs, vast sand dunes, and a friendly local population of around 70,000 people.
Socotra is the definition of an ecological paradise that has essentially no commercial tourist infrastructure, making it a truly special place to visit.
For those who know about this, then this last paragraph simply reconfirms what they’ve already heard— Socotra is incredible for nature lovers, hikers, adventure seekers and off-the-beaten-path explorers.
This being said, now we must remember that Socotra is part of Yemen. A country that’s been in a state of war, conflict, and foreign intervention since 2015. So is Socotra safe to visit? And if one were even thinking about visiting, how on earth would you get there, given that Yemen is in a state of war?
SAFETY AND SECURITY IN SOCOTRA
The reality of the situation is actually quite straightforward. Socotra is conflict-free. The war never came close to spreading to the island. Socotra is quite autonomous from Mainland Yemen, and it has been for some time. It has its own culture and language, a small population, and a lot of untamed nature.
This is not to say there have not been repercussions for the island due to the conflict on the mainland; it just means that these repercussions have not affected individual safety on the island. After the war broke out, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia established a coalition force in the country, with the Coalition largely responsible for eastern and southern Yemen— including Socotra. There are small UAE and Saudi military bases on the island, while operations of security have been returned to the Yemeni government and military, and Socotra’s ruling party is the STC, which is highly influenced by Abu Dhabi.
The other major issue caused by the war on the mainland relates to transportation— Socotra used to benefit from regularly scheduled commercial flights on Yemenia and Felix Airways from Sana’a, Al Mukalla, and Dubai. These all shut down in early 2015 as the war raged on on the mainland, essentially severing Socotra’s connections with the outside world. Local shipping boats continued moving people and goods between Socotra and Al Mukalla on the Yemeni mainland, additionally, an occasional rat-infested cement ship makes the four-day trip over to the island from Salalah. The war led to severe price inflation, an unstable Yemeni Rial, and a loss of transportation options for locals, let alone tourists.
I’ve been to Socotra four times since it re-opened in 2018, it’s very safe and easy to manage. The people are friendly and hospitable, and while basic, there is enough infrastructure and supplies on the island to sustain locals and visitors alike. There is no violent conflict in Socotra.
HOW TO GET TO SOCOTRA SAFELY
There are two regularly scheduled weekly flights to Socotra— one from Cairo traveling via Aden, and the other direct from Abu Dhabi on a humanitarian charter mostly used by tourists. Check out our article on How to Get to Socotra for more information on these flights.
The Yemenia flight from Cairo to Seiyun to Socotra waits for transit passengers at Seiyun Airport.
THE TRANSIT STOP IN MAINLAND YEMEN
This Caro flight makes a stop in Mainland Yemen on the way to Socotra, and based on several messages and emails I’ve received asking about the safety of this stop, I’ll give an in-depth description of what it is like.
The flight is scheduled to leave Cairo around 8 pm, but typically is delayed a couple of hours, since loading time takes a while for all of the luggage this flight handles. It arrives in Aden in the early hours of the morning (scheduled to arrive at 01:00 am, but typically arrives later, more like 2~3 am). When you arrive in Aden, you deplane and proceed through Yemeni immigration, where your passport will be stamped with a proper Yemeni visa in exchange for a copy of the paper visa your travel operator provided you prior to the flight. Then you will collect your luggage and proceed through a customs and security check before re-checking in for your domestic flight to Socotra. The process is tiresome but straightforward, and the same goes for the reverse trip.
The security situation in the city of Aden is stable, but the outskirts and surrounding provinces have seen fighting. During the transit, you will not even leave Aden airport. Should a cancellation or delay happen, there are hotels in the city that Yemenia arranges that are safe and easy to deal with. Aden is still the commercial heart of Yemen and is a fascinating city to visit. Again, the city itself is secure and stable.
But I get it, Mainland Yemen may not be for everyone right now. Do not be worried about the stop in Aden— the airport is secured by the Yemeni and UAE militaries and the stop here is quite uneventful.
On the way to Socotra, the plane briefly lands at Mukalla’s Riyan Airport to drop off and pick up more passengers. You do not deplane during this stop.
GO TO SOCOTRA
Travel to Socotra is indeed safe, and as long as you follow standard precautions and travel to the island on the weekly flight from Cairo, you should not run into any problems. If you’re thinking about going, I’d encourage you to do so before the island changes or the route in is closed off again. It’s a truly spectacular place.
UPCOMING TRIPS TO SOCOTRA
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With weekly flight options from Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Aden and Mukalla, getting to Socotra is not exactly easy, but it’s certainly possible,