And next day we were leaving. Thank you for signing up. If you must visit … We promise to not spam you. This flight does make 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 was like. Being part of Yemen, Socotra has suffered the collateral damage of being part of a country that has been at war for over five years now. They told us they were looking for any evidence of travel to Israel, as any evidence of travel to Israel will prohibit your entrance into Yemen and you’ll be deported back to Cairo that same afternoon. THE PROBLEM THAT IS … We neither get a clean nor quiet at the end of the day. Our staff may also remove posts that do not follow our posting guidelines, and we reserve the right to remove any post for any reason. Socotra Starling, whose scientific name is Onychognathus frater, is a kind of starling in the Sturdinae grouping. Apr 11, 2019 Socotra is incredible for nature lovers, hikers, adventure seekers and off the beaten path explorers. We promise that we won’t spam you. You board the same plane that you took from Cairo, so there is no risk of cancellation. The total amount of time we spent in Seiyun Airport was about two hours; it was a very straightforward and simple experience. If anyone is thinking of going with Socotra Dream then it sounds like it would be wise to check with some other travellers that used them which were the good or bad guides. The only real danger I can think of is the danger of falling in love with it so much that you'll be hesitant to leave :). The war lead to severe price inflation, an unstable Yemeni Rial, and a loss of transportation options for locals, let alone tourists. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. I can say that if you request Abdul-Jabar as your guide with Soctra Eco Tours then you will be very happy - but I cannot say that all of their guides are good - perhaps Cora_v above can tell you the name of the disappointing guide so that you can avoid having them. A country that’s been in a state of war, conflict and foreign intervention since 2015. A big part of the reason, in addition to Socotra's remote location in the Arabian Sea, is that it's Yemeni territory. This post was determined to be inappropriate by the Tripadvisor community and has been removed. You only heard people complaining, and here’s my experience - one evening I had to at least three times offer my help to cook the dinner so that we could finally have something to eat. The island is extremely safe and has even accepted some refugees from the mainland. But this is certainly up to you to decide. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-49409878', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Summerland hotel for one night before my departure, although I have mentioned it three (!!) And, Is Socotra Safe? The other major issue caused by the war in 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. So is Socotra safe? Apparently there are regular Yemeni Air flights between Cairo and Socotra with a one hour stopover in Seiyun. But, Socotra itself has never been at war and it is very safe. It is a species of bird that can only be found in Socotra and is in danger of losing its locale. Socotra with Yemen Explorer - wonderful in everything! There are no rebels, no war, no nothing on Socotra! A quick Google search shows that that region is an Al-Queda stronghold. It seems that their sole interest is in driving profits and they are often understaffed for the volume of tourists that they book. So is Socotra safe to visit? P.S. The one available is outdated and poorly maintained and the choice is limited Diving is done from a fishing boat Socotra is wonderful strange and enchanting People are kind and the place is safe so far from the turmoil of the mainland Yemen Strongly recommended … If you are thinking about going, just do it, you'll remember it forever. Is it safe to fly into Seiyun? Despite this frank and daunting warning from the embassy we have been unable to find any evidence proving that this is the case on Socotra - despite our extensive research it appears that crime against tourists and kidnapping are non-existant on Socotra and there have been no recorded incidences of them. We respect your privacy. I didn’t get any of these. Sadly, my experience with Socotra Eco Tours was not as perfect as I had expected judging by all the reviews. Furthermore, there is peace of mind knowing that your data is encrypted, safe, and auditable. In other words, they had lots of opportunities to accommodate my request but they didn’t. The worse thing was that none of company reps had ever recognised any of their faults. In May 2018, UAE military invaded & took over strategic locations on Socotra island (including the airport & seaport). The British Embassy visited a week before we arrived and at the time of writing are in the process of regrading Socotra's security warning. If the flight is delayed due to weather (it has happened), Yemenia will arrange for security, transportation and a hotel room in Seiyun. Answer 11 of 102: I am thinking of travelling to Socotra in late March/early April with two friends (our party will consist of two male Brits and an Irishman). We want to support local businesses and stimulate tourism in a place drowning in poverty. Has anyone done this? So if you have a connecting (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Is it safe to visit Socotra? No part of Yemen is safe from violence. Due to the prolonged geographical isolation combined with drought a… I personally always thought TA was for sharing personal experience by real travellers. No, it is currently (2016) not safe to travel to Socotra nor Yemen at all. It is not just 'safe for Yemen' but genuinely safe, full of friendly, helpful and kind people. Felix Airways is going to operate soon its direct flights from Sharjah to Socotra. Yemenia offered flights several times per week as well. We wouldn't set foot outside of Sana airport and would be flying to Socotra a few hours after landing. How to get to Socotra. Travel makes us feel alive, and 2 weeks in Thailand just doesn’t cut it sometimes. At its heart, Socotra is an ecological paradise, which while neglected, lies peaceful and untouched by the modern world. The island was starting to build a tourism industry until the war. Socotra is conflict free. I’ve been to Socotra three times in the last year, it’s very safe and easy to manage. Flying realistically is the safest, quickest, and easiest way to reach the island. more, Get answers to your questions about Socotra Island, http://www.tripadvisor.com/pages/forums_posting_guidelines.html. Every Wednesday morning Yemenia (Yemen’s flagship carrier) has a flight from Cairo to Socotra. There is no change of planes I should add. Any foreigner needs to get a visa to enter Yemen. You may unsubscribe at any time. Speaking seriously, I'd mention the danger of getting sunburnt. Our main guides name was Abdul and our driver Abdul-Rahman, and Abdul was an enthusiastic and good-humoured guide who spoke excellent English and was a big part of making our trip as great as it was. For an island with an area of 3796 metres squared and a population of about … Answer 81 of 102: I am thinking of travelling to Socotra in late March/early April with two friends (our party will consist of two male Brits and an Irishman). By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Inertia Network. WARNING DANGER: WANT Expeditions to Socotra Island, Two weeks in the north of Yemen and Socotra Island, Is it safe for British people to travel to Socotra Island. Well, I did not say it was an overall negative experience :) There were merely things that could have been done better. So that’s the play-by-play of the Seiyun stopover. You will pass through Yemeni immigration and customs at Socotra Airport, not in Seiyun, as foreigners are not permitted to enter Yemen in Seiyun. Click here to visit our Privacy Policy. So, Socotra is pretty safe. It has been called “one of the most alien places on Earth” and for good reason: about one third of Socotra’s species are endemic to the archipelago. I'm disappointed to hear that your experience of Socotra Eco Tours was a negative one. Come find out Our main goals were to see the capital and to visit Socotra. While Socotra is conflict free, not the same can be said about mainland Yemen. A word of caution - tourist infrastructure is basic and independent travel would be extremely challenging - you will have a far richer and more rewarding experience if you book through one of the tourist agencies. My travel companion got badly hurt the day before our departure, and I was hopeful for a clean quiet place to stay in. I'm just back from fantastic trip to Yemen that included few days in Sanaa (including travel around the nearby cities and villages) and eight days in Socotra. Click the following links to read our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. A group of biologists from the UN carried out a survey of the region's fauna and flora in the 1990s. Basically all governments warn against travel to all of Yemen, including the island of Socotra. I can assure you that the island is absolutely safe and is no relevant to all the cr@p you read from the gvt agencies. Not professional at all. On the way, you can observe various kinds of succulents and other plants, which will remind you of the long lost days. Say, many people "heard" that Yemen is a very unsafe country to visit, and yet we are not passing this rumor over here, are we? So Socotra it is. Having seen the hotels in Hadibo I think people are better off in tents - the hotels were poorly maintained with disinterested staff and as well as two of our own party, we spoke to other travellers that complained about lice and bed bugs in the hotels in Hadibo. Is Socotra safe to visit? Yes, its safe if you plan to stay at Sana'a airport before you travel to Socotra. The reality of the situation is actually quite straightforward. 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. Surprisingly enough, we never had any vegetables on that day, at all. But eight days of camping in Socotra were followed by a road trip in the UAE for me, and I needed a shower and good sleep before going on. A security official from the airport will check your passport and maybe bring your passport into a back room for inspection. Or watching ghost crabs scuttle across the sand? You have said above that other people complimented Socotra Dream and you are quite happy to promote them despite not having used them yourself - which is just as fair/unfair as what I have said given that you are passing off the opinions of others. Only other locations in the world with a similarly high number of biodiversity include Hawaii, the Galapagos Islands, New Zealand, and New Caledonia. Perhaps if you go with Socotra Eco Tours than request Abdul as a guide and maybe there are some Socotra Dream guides he are more attentive - this would be a good suggestion because it seems as if both companies have their faults. And if one were even thinking about visiting, how on earth would you get there, given that Yemen is in a state of war? If you’re interested in learning more about this flight, check out our article on How to Get to Socotra. Socotra is quite autonomous from Mainland Yemen, and it has been for some time. The great granite wall towers over the shores of the island. The violence on mainland Yemen has, so far, never spread to Socotra, and the people are friendly to visitors. I think it is simply important to say that neither of these companies comes with a faultless reputation but that both can potentially be good. Seiyun is the gateway to the Hadhramaut Valley, one of the most picturesque regions of Yemen known for the famous “sand castle” city of Shibam. Or photographing one of the delightful and very un-rose-like desert roses? If anyone needs more details, please, feel free to send me a PM. Who lives here? We want to experience countries that few others are brave enough to. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-47531804', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Socotra island is very safe more than you expect, I were on Socotra with 3 friends and we spent on Socotra one week and one night in Sana'a (the last night before departure back to home), we had city tour in old Sana'a city with guide who arranged by Nagib the organizer for our trip to Socotra, he helped us to obtain our visas and he issued the domestic tickets by Felix airways.

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