Excitement buzzed in the air like static electricity.

It was as though we were embarking on a secret mission, the check-in counter separate from the normal buzz of the airport, a hidden door leading to an adventure that only a select few—merely 3,000 souls a year—could embrace.

As the line formed for the special Air Arabia charter flight at Abu Dhabi airport, we exchanged knowing glances, a silent acknowledgment of our shared destiny. Each individual was a character in this unfolding adventure: older couples, solo travellers like myself, self-curating influencers, young ‘OEers”, all waiting patiently under the watchful eye of a 'flexible' boarding time.

My overnight jaunt from Cairo had left me bleary-eyed, fueled only by coffee and the anticipation of exhaustion. The thought of a brief nap was a tantalizing dream, quickly overshadowed by the thrill of heading to Socotra Island—often dubbed the Galápagos of the Middle East, a gem resting 350 km off Yemen's southern coast in the Arabian Sea.

Socotra lies off the Horn of Africa - closer to Somalia than to the Yemen mainland.

This small island, was surely the place where God decided to experiment with tree designs; the famous Desert Rose (Bottle Tree) and Dragons Blood Tree being two such quirky ‘Dr Suessian’ wonders of nature, that had drawn me years ago to research about this little visited island.

I was literally living a dream I had, to see these trees for myself.

Stepping off the plane, I was met by a main airport so small it felt like it could have fit comfortably in my living room. It housed a lone x-ray machine and a handful of tour guides, the friendly faces of various companies offering glimpses into the island’s wonders.

The air was thick with anticipation as travellers claimed their bags; excitement and anxiety blending with the knowledge that a Yemen visa stamp awaited us—an elusive prize for some, a burden for others.

The famous Socotra International Airport

FULL DISCLOSURE: I do NOT like to be part of a tour group and pride myself on solo travel, solo adventuring; solo exploring; a ‘fly by the seat of my pants’ style of travelling. In order to be on Socotra Island as a tourist, a person MUST obtain a visa [sigh] through a tour company operating from the island. Formalities regarding the permission to enter Socotra and visa [fee 150USD/person] can be administered only by an ecotourism agency situated in Socotra. This does not mean one has to travel as part of a group, but it does mean one needs to have a tour company willing to take on the legal burden of a person being on the island. Whilst people do travel solo, it is under the auspices of a tour company or they have hired a driver (the roads in the interior are definitely NOT to be messed with!) to transport them to various locations around the island. I joined a tour in order to ‘check out’ future partnering possibilities with the company [watch this space!] on the island and so I needed to immerse myself inside the tour experience.

The Adventure Begins…

Finding my group, we piled into three rugged 4x4s, our new companions for the next eight days—young, vibrant souls from Australia, Ireland, and America.

I was certainly the old lady of the group!

The drive into Hadiboh [Socotra’s capital] unfolded like a cinematic adventure, where we were greeted by the owner of our tour company and enjoyed a sumptuous local lunch. Goats, with their whimsical charm, also welcomed us, foreshadowing the delightful absurdity that would be our theme for the week. As we savoured the flavours of the local cuisine, we chatted about the days to come - a shared anticipation rising.

We climbed back into the jeeps, the vehicles bouncing along roads that seemed to defy logic. Our driver, Saeed, a jovial spirit, filled the air with the vibrant notes of Arabic music. I silently pleaded for a reprieve from the energetic tunes, recalling the din of Cairo. But soon, the landscape transformed, and we paused to marvel at the iconic Bottle Tree, also known as the Desert Rose. I had thought it a rare sight, but little did I know, the island was a treasure trove of such wonders.

A lone fisherman works in sync with the ocean.

As we approached our first camp at Arhur Beach, the coastline unfurled before us like a painter’s brushstroke of aquamarine, framed by majestic mountains. The scene was breathtaking—a symphony of steep white sand dunes and imposing cliffs that clung to the earth like ancient sentinels, while the turquoise Arabian Sea lapped gently at the shore.

Massive sand dune cascaded from sheer cliffs, against an azure blue ocean.

Arriving at Arhur Beach, the tents stood ready, each one a cozy cocoon with a view that could steal your breath away. The dunes rose steeply, their white sands juxtaposed against the rugged cliffs, like nature’s own pyramids, while the smooth ribbon of beach beckoned us to dive into its crystal-clear waters.

I lay back, my feet poking out of the tent, lulled by the rhythmic whispers of the waves.

Though my eyelids felt heavy with sleep, adventure called. The group guide took us to a nearby trail that promised a breathtaking sunset view. He strode off and I inhaled sharply thinking “here we go”, but happy to be moving after two days of inactivity. The path steepened, shifting from sandy ease to rocky challenge, as the surrounding terrain broadened around us.

At the top - a rocky plateau - the coastline opened up as a wide expanse of jagged mountains meeting turquoise oceans lapping up against white sandy beaches.

Was I in fact IN paradise?

The Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea intertwined like sleeping cats; their waters embracing in a dazzling display of popping colour. As the sun dipped, the sky transformed into a canvas of deep gold, illuminating every crevice of the craggy cliffs and the land below. I sat in awed silence, soaking in the beauty as light danced around us, a fleeting moment of magic etched forever in my memory.

A steep descent back to the vehicles below.

With a steep, quick descent that felt like running through a gravity-less lunar landscape, we floated back to camp, our spirits buoyed by the jaunt to higher ground. The evening welcomed us with a feast fit for adventurers; a culinary delight that lit up the taste buds. Sated and happily sleepy, I retreated into my tent—my personal secluded capsule of comfort—and surrendered to a blissful sleep, lulled by the rhythmic crashing of waves just meters away. Ten hours of uninterrupted rest embraced me, wrapping me in dreams of far-off lands and sparkling waters.

Day 2: Arhur Beach — Hike to Hoq Caves and Sunset at the Two Oceans

Emerging from my tent the next morning, I was greeted by a mirror-like ocean, reflecting the dawn in a surreal tableau. Breakfast was a protein-packed feast, an array of eggs, creamy cheese, and soft, gooey dates that seemed to promise both energy and indulgence. I wondered if I might leave Socotra ten kilograms heavier ….

After breakfast, we piled into the jeeps, our excitement palpable as we drove to the trailhead for the infamous Hoq Caves. The hike began, and I found myself enveloped in a glorious palette of color, where bizarre bottle trees stood like surreal sculptures against the azure sky. Vibrant hues of the unique rock formations dotted our path, and before long, the cave entrance loomed ahead above —an imposing gaping maw, jagged and toothy, like a slumbering giant beckoning us into its depths.

With hearts racing and senses heightened, we stood at the threshold of adventure, contemplating not just the caves, but the beauty and mystery of Socotra itself, a place where nature's wonders unfold like pages of an unwritten adventure story, waiting for us to explore their depths. As we ascended the cave revealed itself; a main passage stretching around two kilometres, with a mean width of 50 meters. It felt like wandering inside the belly of a magnificent beast, an experience that would be unimaginable in the caves of Europe or my homeland of New Zealand—where health and safety regulations often frame the spirit of adventure with paved paths, hand rails and even lighting. I wondered how long it would be before Socotra’s caves would succumb to the same constraints.

Sunlight streamed in, illuminating the first 200 meters, but soon we were enveloped in darkness, our headlamps flickering to life, casting eerie shadows against the ancient walls. The temperature dropped, a chill creeping in until we ventured about 1.5 kilometers deep, where the air shifted suddenly—clammy, hot, and humid.

More difficult to breathe.

Kase, our guide, told us that every time he had tried to go further into the cave, the headlamps had all gone out.

Freaky.

It was then that we discovered the source of the warmth: natural pools of crystal-clear water formed a natural barrier, inviting yet forbidding. The temptation to dive into those shimmering waters was quite overwhelming and we had a brief moment of contemplation — to swim or not to swim.

Not to swim was the order of the day, but we did pass a handful of water over our clammy faces.

We lingered in the Hoq Caves, spellbound by the gaping wonder that was Mother Nature’s artistry. Each stalactite and stalagmite like some out of place ginormous church organ, whispered stories of eons past, while we stood in reverent awe, as if we were witnessing the birth of a weird world. Eventually, we retraced our steps back to our vehicles, anticipation bubbling up at the thought of a freshly caught feast awaiting us at base camp.

Lunch was indeed a celebration of the sea, with fish prepared to perfection, each bite a reminder of what the ocean can provide. You simply could not get fresher than this - from ocean to plate. Afterward, the afternoon unfolded lazily, a gentle sigh of relaxation. We indulged in “showers” beneath the cascading waters of a natural spring, the cool liquid flowing down from the cliffs and merging with the warm embrace of the Arabian Sea. The coast beckoned me to explore, and I wandered along the shoreline.

In that tranquil space, the worries of the world felt like distant echoes, a weight lifted from my shoulders. I realised I had not once missed my phone.

As late afternoon approached, we once again piled into our trusty 4x4s, a raucous band of adventure seekers, hanging out of car windows and perching on rooftops. Laughter and music filled the air as we sped through the landscape, completely absorbed in the moment, a joyous cacophony of life. Our destination was a special place where the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea met; a gentle merging of waters that felt almost sacred.

We sped along the bumpy sand roads whilst perched atop the vehicles - laughing as our drivers tried to outdo each other.

There was no grand spectacle when we got the the Eastern most point on Socotra; no fanfare to herald this meeting of giants—just an invisible line drawn between two of the planet's most powerful forces. As the golden light began to cast its warm glow across the beach and the steep cliffs that plunged into the rolling waves, I felt the magic of the moment wash over me. Traditional Yemeni fishing boats bobbed along the coastline, their silhouettes framed against a backdrop of shimmering waves that caught the sunlight and sent it crashing to the shore.

The rugged coastline reminded me of New Zealand’s wild West Coast, where each rocky outcrop seemed to hold secrets of the sea. I half-expected to spot an orange starfish nestled among the stones, but nature had other plans. As the sun dipped lower, the sky ignited in a deep orange hue, painting a moody masterpiece that felt alive and breathing.

The spectacular evening light was a sight to behold.

In that breathtaking moment, I reminded myself that I was standing on an island I had long dreamed of visiting; a dream that had blossomed into reality in ways I had never imagined. I stood there on that bit of coast jutting out into the meeting of two bodies of water, allowing the beauty to envelop me — to seep into my very being — hoping it would remain a part of me forever like a tattoo; an indelible mark of this extraordinary experience.

Interested in a trip there with me in january 2026?

Register your interest now for a women’s only hiking | photography | camping tour over 7 nights/8 days, by contacting me in the “learn more” button below.

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