Is it Safe to Visit Yemen? Isn’t it dangerous?

I know visiting Yemen may sound crazy, but don’t worry, Socotra is much, much safer than mainland Yemen. The war with Saudi Arabia is heartbreaking, but thankfully it’s never made it to the island of Socotra, and Socotra has no history of extremism or terrorism, so we’re all set for a Socotra Tour. During my attempts to enter Yemen, I became friends with Yahyha, a Yemeni refugee in Oman, who then helped me visit Socotra, he recently asked me to come back. So I obliged, but this time with a group, supporting his business and getting to visit a place like no other.  Besides, everyone told us we would never be able to visit Baghdad and Babylon in Iraq as a group, but we did it, and it was epic! And we’re off to Damascus and Homs in Syria in October. So let’s make a Socotra trip that we never forget.

So, Socotra is pretty safe. We want to support local businesses and stimulate tourism in a place drowning in poverty. We want to experience countries that few others are brave enough to. Travel makes us feel alive, and 2 weeks in Thailand just doesn’t cut it sometimes. So Socotra it is. And besides, you’ll get to see this stuff..

Starting to get convinced? I’ve traveled quite a lot, and I can’t think of anywhere more beautiful than Socotra. But the feeling of being one of the few people to have visited the island in the last 5 years or so is a feeling you have to experience for yourself. Sure, the Galapagos is pretty cool, Palawan is gorgeous, Malta, Phuket, Ibiza – all amazing islands. But you have to share them, and understandably so. If somewhere is that amazing, people flock to it. But not Socotra, Socotra is ours, for the time being. So jump on board and take a trip you can tell your grandkids about.

How Will We Get to Socotra?

We’re going to fly! Since the authorities dubbed Socotra as safe, a local airline has been allowed to fly in once a week from Cairo, Egypt. The flights aren’t bookable online, but each Wednesday they ply the Cairo-Habido route. So you don’t have to waste 4 days on a boat (although that was an epic trip to be honest!). With the convenience of flying though, comes the price. Currently $1250 for the return trip, with an increase to $1500 on the horizon. Ouch, I know.

Right now, we’re going to plan to fly and incorporate the cost into the price. If we get enough people (40+), I will look into organizing a private boat instead, once that will take 1 day rather than 4. The price would be cheaper, and it’d be a much cooler journey, leaving from Oman. Leave that with me. For now, expect to meet in Cairo, and we’ll all fly in from there.