8 Days Classic Tour Socotra

Day 1: Your adventure starts in Abu Dhabi (UAE) - flight on Monday at 10.00 am 

Arrival on Socotra at 11.00 am - Lunch in Hadiboh - Ayhaft National park / Delisha Beach

We will pick you up at the airport and transport you to Hadiboh. After you refresh and lunch yourself we will take you for a trip to Ayhaft Canyon National Park. In the canyon (wadi), you will enjoy large fresh waterpools where you can swim or soak. All around you, there will be Tamarind trees, Cucumber trees and a wide variety of birds such as Socotra Sparrow, Socotra Sunbird and both Socotra and Somali Starlings. In fact, Ayhaft is considered as a natural nursery due to its large abundance of endemic trees, plants and birds.

In the afternoon, we will visit Delisha beach with pristine white sands full of crabs. You will relax while swimming both in the sea and in a freshwater lagoon. If you are full of energy you can climb a huge sand dune overseeing the beach. There is also a possibility of watching a fabulous sunset from Delisha.

Dinner and night in hotel in Hadiboh

Day 2, 3: Dihamari Marine Protected Area

In the afternoon, we will drive to nearby Dihamri marine protected area. It boasts with one of the richest coral reefs on the archipelago. You can relax on the beach in palm leaf huts and swim and snorkel in Dihamri Bay. Snorkeling gear can be hired there. Marine species you will see underwater include: Parrotfish, Moray eel, Rays, Sea urchins, if you are lucky you will meet turtles. Divers can also use the services of Dihamri Diving center and go for a dive in Dihamri or another of superb diving spots of Socotra.

Dinner and night in Dehamri campsite

Day 4: Arher freshwater creek and beach

Our Today’s destination is Arher where a fresh creak coming out from a granite massive is meeting salty sea water on the beach. You can relax on green grass around the creak, swim in the sea or if you feel fit you can climb a huge sand dune to get a fantastic view over this charming spot. Arher is one of the best spots for Paragliding and thus you can paraglide if you have your own paragliding equipment.

Dinner and night at Arher

Day 5: Qalansyia / Detwah Bay / Golden sands of Shua'ab

Today we will drive to the western part of the island where a little fishermen’s town of Qalansyia is located. It consists of traditional Socotri houses, narrow alleyways and a long beach full of fishing boats ready to set off for today’s catch or to take you to Shu’ab beach. We will go for a boat trip to Shu’ab. We will surely meet some Spinner Dolphins along the way with cormorants flying over our heads. Once at Shu’ab, we can have a look at a mangrove area. We will have a lunch on the long and clean Shu’ab beach. In the afternoon, feel free to swim and enjoy this pristine place. In late afternoon, we will take a boat ride back to Qalansyia. Line fishing is possible from the boat if you want to catch your today’s dinner. We will continue to neighboring Detwah lagoon which is a marine protected area renowned for its magic landscape. You will be charmed by a white sandy tongue surrounded by turquoise waters of the bay. This surely is one of the best views on the island. You can jump in the shallow sea there and enjoy the paradise. Only be careful with sting rays that can be seen in the lagoon. There is also an array of sea birds to be seen in the lagoon.

Dinner and night in Detwah Campsite

Day 6: Dixam plateau / the South, Amek sandy beach, Dagub Cave

After breakfast, we will make our way by 4x4 vehicle to Dixam plateau and Shebahon viewpoint. This area is renowned for dragon blood trees, the resin of which is collected, used and traded by the people of Socotra. The area is also home to the endemic and rare Socotra Bunting (estimated at 1,000 pairs). The Shebahon viewpoint gives a fabulous vista overlooking Daerhu canyon (wadi) where we will see unusual yet beautiful rock formations. We will then make our way down to the wadi for lunch and an easy walk and maybe also a swim in a freshwater pool with a natural slide. After lunch we will head to the south of the island, with visits to villages along the way. Our first destination is Amak beach where we can swim in the clear waters of the Indian Ocean. We will visit Dagub cave overlooking the southern coast. We will then witness the colossal sand dunes of Hayf and Zahek which have been pushed up against the mountainside by the seasonal winds of Socotra. If you are still fit, you can climb the dunes for a view that is truly worth the effort.

Dinner and night in Ameq campsite.

Day 7: Hoq Cave /Homhil Protected Area/ stopover at Qaria Lagoon

This morning, we will make an early start to drive to the base of Hoq cave in Terbak village. Before the sunshine gets too hot, we will walk up to the entrance of the Cave. It is more than 3 km long with a water pool at the end and holds a wealth of Socotri history. Inside, you will see ancient stalactites, stalagmites and crystallic formations. Ancient writings on the cave walls and also what appears to be a picture of an old trading ship have been preserved over the ages by a calcite glaze.

Our afternoon’s destination is Homhil, a protected area with fabulous sceneries that give you a kind of prehistoric feeling. We will stop at Qaria lagoon en-route. It is the largest lagoon on the island and we will hopefully see flamingos, herons and greenshanks.

The trek to Homhil starts at the bottom of a spectacular ravine on the sea level. The trek is of medium difficulty and won’t take more than 1,5 hours. You will have enough strength to enjoy the view back towards the sea where we have started ascending. Once at Homhil, we can choose from a selection of walking trails. You will be astonished by the prehistoric atmosphere of the landscape rich with dragon blood trees and bottle trees. You will be addressed by local children who sell dragon blood raisin and frankincense. One of the trails leads to a viewpoint with a natural pool with almost freezing green and blue water.

Back to Hadiboh - night in Hotel

Day 8: Departure from Socotra to Abu Dhabi (UAE)

Morning walk in Hadiboh, visit of the fish market and transfer to airport.

Flight at 1.00pm - Arrival at Abu Dhabi Airport at 4.00pm