4/1001 - Yemen #2 - Socotra Island

SOCOTRA Island سقطرى 

Socotra is based in the south of Yemen, right in front of the coast of Somalia. Since it is so detached from mainland Yemen, you can mostly forget about the security measures that I described before, which are mainly applicable to mainland Yemen. On Socotra, there is no need for Abbayas or veils, you can even swim in Bikini! No military check points, no armed forces, no security permits, no weapons. You'll even be able to find some local self-made liquors and enjoy them at a spectacular sunset at the beach!

The island is mainly known for its breathtaking unique landscape and rare flora and fauna. Tourism just started a few years ago and hence there is almost no infrastructure! A few paved roads and one or two hotels in the capital (I heard you wouldn't want to stay there!!!). Hence, it's all about camping and eco tourism! Although the accommodation conditions are basic, the location and landscape is certainly a 5-star luxury experience!

Sleeping *****

Since the whole island is a firework of scenic landscapes, believe me, we camped at the most beautiful locations! Especially as you will be all alone most of the times, as there are almost no other tourists - that's the best and it feels just so surreal!!

Sleeping right at the beach with direct sea view 

 

Between dunes, natural sources and blue lagoons

In the mountain range

Waking up under 800 year old trees

In the sand dunes (this picture was taken around midnight, but the white sand reflected the light of the full moon so much, that it looks quite light on the photo!)

Another midnight fullmoon picture, with the light reflected by the white dunes 

Whenever possible, I slept in front of the tent, under the clear sky. It took me a while though to be brave enough, since I had various uninvited, curious visitors to my tent already: goats of course, cats, a cow, a camel and crabs (I'm super scared of those!!!). Look, it's waiting to eat me:

With the goat it's the other way round... (Eating-wise)

We noticed, there seem to be ten times more goats than inhabitants! It's crazy! And they really enjoyed dining with us, inviting themselves to join our best meals! It's an absolute goat chaos, they are everywhere!!! In the morning, when you climb out of your tent, during lunch picknick hunting for the leftovers, at night rating our trash bin, in the remotest mountain canyon, on the village - only on the airport runway I didn't see any! Unfortunately they are not as useful as in other places: first of all, they eat young plants and trees, so that it's almost impossible to grow new dragon blood trees to ensure the future population of these rare plants. On the other hand, they are eating so much plastic trash, which is spread all over (Yemen obviously has other problems currently than taking care of plastic bags...), so they are or bad health conditions and cannot be sold used as by humans for milk and meat.

Spa!

With hardly accessible roads climbing up deep canyons, 40 degrees, only rare electricity or phone network and no bathrooms, it sounds cumbersome, but I promise it's worth it! Simply take a bath in the blue sea, colorful Wadis (Canyons) or a fresh, green stream between the dunes:

Imagine the circus of the colours!! Snow white dunes reaching up to harsh dark mountain ranges, crystal clear turquoise lagoons and in-between a mix of full green grass!

Colorful canyon for some splish splash bath time - Unfortunately it requires a 30min hike up the canyon to get back, hence all the bath freshness is gone by then! I started hiking in completely wet cloths to make the hike more bearable, but after 5min everything dried! But the water is just amazing! Super clean and fresh and such a quiet and remote place!

Infinity pool in the mountains with view down to the coast line

Couldn't get enough of those turquoise blue lagoons all around the island!

Climbing cars! In one canyon we first got a flat tire and 5min later run out of petrol... You definitely need patience, time, good equipment and excellent drivers!

Fine Dining!

While we were a bit worried about food in Yemen, hearing about the famine, we only expected bread and banana every day. But no, we couldn't have been more surprised! Our driver did real food magic and produced a rich variety of dishes under these simple conditions, with mostly fresh local ingredients!

Romantical, isn't it?

Kitchen party & Dining with our all-time friends, the goats

Breakfasting with sunrise at 5:30am

Fine dining under moonlight with delicious local drinks ;)

Pirates and true Friends

From what you've seen and read above, don't you have the impression that this is the perfect pirate island?? Like you know it from movies and stories? With beautiful, hidden blue bays, the harsh dark cliffs, some mountains with mysterious trees and huge caves with bizarre stone formations, overlooking the whole spectacle. 

No surprise, it really used to be a pirate island in the old times!! Since it's strategically well located between Yemen and Africa, many trade ships coming from Africa would pass! 

Unfortunately, modern governments also highly value this strategic location. When driving over the island, we noticed many UAE flags on buildings and along the street, in addition the local phone network (if any) is from UAE, as well as the military base on the island. As mentioned in the previous blog post, foreign powers entered Yemen to help against the alleged enemy Iran when the war started and in the case of Socotra island, UAE wanted to help a lot!!! So much, that they built roads, schools, hospitals, mobile network, airport, commercial airline connections straight to UAE, military bases... all, "to fight the enemy". We heard stories (no confirmed official information!!), that the Yemeni prime minister was welcomed by a UAE military parade, when he visited the island, Yemeni officials in charge for the island have either a tight UAE friendship or don't remain in their positions or in their lives for long. We were also told, that Yemen called for help from Saudi Arabia in order to manage UAE's over motivated friendship services. Hence, in the last years the UAE military exited the island and was replaced by Saudis....

Especially in the view of the currently ongoing peace negotiations in Yemen, it is super interesting to follow, how this strategic island will be a play ball during the negotiations for the future perspective of Yemen and its friends!

The island's natural treasures

Despite the unclear influence of foreign powers, and the other problems that Yemen is currently facing, I was very surprised to hear, that the island actually managed to create a strategy on how to protect their environmental treasure! Together with UNESCO and international organizations, plans for environmental protected areas were created as well as a strategy for sustainable tourism. And at the current moment, it still seems to work! No one, neither Yemen, nor any of its friends has taken advantage of the situation and started building lucrative luxury resorts along the marvelous cost line! 

Here are some impressions from the matchless natural treasures:

*Treeeees*

500-800 year old dragon blood trees, based in higher altitude of the mountain range. They grow nowhere else than on Socotra island! It's red resin is used as natural color and in local medicine.

*Beaches & Sunsets (better than Maldives!!!)*

Day time colour splash of different types of blue and turquoise:

Where the mountains hug the sea:

*Saaaaand*

*Mountains and others*

*People*

I experienced the local people as calm and shy but curious, respectful and warmly welcoming towards us travelers. Compared to mainland, I experienced them less strict concerning social conventions, still religious and traditional. 

 

Young men hanging out at the beach of a little fisher village. They would later take us to a beautiful lagoon with dolphins!

Whenever we ran into locals at the beach, even if we were wearing bikinis, which is very much in contrast to local cultures, people, including groups of young men, kept a respectful distance not to bother us. I think they are quite well educated regarding the behavior against guests, in addition to their cultural and religious values to respectfully treat your fellows. This behavior made us feel safe and comfortable at any time!

Football team playing at the beach. They were kindly asking to take a photo of them! Even while playing football, they would wear the traditional Yemeni skirt! Have you ever tried to play football in a skirt??

As we were 4 females, it was possible for us to get in touch with the local women and I tried to use every possibility to sit and exchange with them, have a (mega sweet) tea and a little chat about life. Just when you're passing their house in the village, they would already invite you in and all available women in and around the house would join and ask curious questions! If in Europe, one of our first questions is often about the job, in Yemen (and other Arabic countries) the equivalent is certainly to ask if you're married and have children! Perfectly reflects the priorities in our societies! So, if you answer the marriage question with "no", you will have immediately 10 offers to choose your future husband amongst the brothers, sons and nephews of the surrounding ladies! We diplomatically and successfully managed our ways around it...

Women in a mountain village, preparing to burn the traditional delicious Luban Frankincenses

   

Villagers hiking through the rough canyons to herd their goats. Of course in a skirt with sandals! I would break all my bones under these conditions!

Especially now, after meeting the kind and friendly inhabitants of this island: If you're up for safe, but unique adventures, with basic comfort but 5-star landscapes and warm welcoming locals, Socotra is definitely the place to go! However, I advise everyone to hurry up and take this opportunity as soon as possible. We never know how the GCC friendship develops and when the first hotel bunkers start destroying the beauty of the original landscape...

Love and hugs from the pirate island!

حب وسلام!

Petra بترا