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It is absolutely necessary to hire a 4WD with a local driver/guide. While the tar road that surrounds the island is in a good condition, if you want to reach the more remote areas like Diksam a 4WD is a must. It is pretty cheap to hire a driver: 10.000 Yemeni Rial per day (less than 50 €). If you do longer hikes in the mountains, you can arrange to be picked up at a certain spot so you won`t have to carry all your camping equipment.
Updated Mar 31, 2008
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Yemenia from Sana'a (or Aden or Mukalla) is the only viable way to go to Socotra. They usually operate two flights a week, but in summer they will usually have one only. They may have taken bookings for a return on the second weekly flight already, before they decide to change their schedule back to once-a-week-only. Difficult to predict, but from May-September don't count on two flights a week. In winter they may announce a third flight, but that does not necessarily happen.
In other words: during the season (October-April) expect two flights, meaning you can go for a three-day or a four-day visit (or longer of course). In summer expect one flight a week only, menaing you'll spend a week there (at a time whne the weather is not favourable: hot and strong winds). If you happen to be in Yemen in summer and this may be your only chance, you may still want to consider going to Socotra, which I read somewhere is rated no. 4 on the list of eco hot spots world wide.
Written Jul 9, 2007
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As of June 1999 one can now fly to Socotra, they even call it an international airport. Keeping in mind that going to Socotra is what I would call adventure travel - so, consider even the flight on Yemenia is a high adventure. In fact the 2 internal flights to Socotra were very nice with a warm kind crew who told me were the best seats were to photograph Island. The flights were completely full, ever seat, every available spot for hand luggage and I was the only foreigner on my flight. The flight goes into Hadibu, which is the main village on Socotra. The flights are now two days a week but going to three. Now you fly from Sana’a or Aden on Mondays the flight is from Aden and on Fridays Sana’a . The cost of the flight to Socotra from Sana’a is $295. I booked my flight through a friend that works at a local travel agency in Sana’a at and paid $175 and think it is possible to get the ticket cheaper if you book in conjunction with the international flight to Sann’a if you fly in on Yemenia airlines.
The Friday flight leaves Sana’a at 05:00 and is flight # IY420. Going back to Sana’a it is on flight IY421 leaving at 08:45. The Mon Flight leaves Aden at 05:00 lands at 08:00 and is flight number IY422.
The airport code by the way for Socotra is SCT in case you are looking.
Mr. AL-Turki and Mohamed Shaif from Yamanat Tours helped me get my tickets
tel + 967-1-256086
mobile: 967-711125924
P.O. Box 1977
Sana'a
REPUBLIC OF YEMEN
e-mail: masariqi@hotmail.com
Updated Jan 7, 2007
Phone: 967-1-256086
Website: http://www.yemenia.com/
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Reviews and photos of Socotra attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Socotra sightseeing.
As of June 1999 one can now fly to Socotra, they even call it an international airport. Keeping in mind that going to Socotra is what I would call adventure...
1 member lives in Socotra
Q: ..... ...........
A: great, 4 men for every woman!
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Socotra (Yemen) - a strange and blissful island !
Socotra Island is part of Yemen (a great destination in itself), but the friendly Socotri islanders have their own distinct heritage, part Yemeni, part African, part Portuguese, part whatever...
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Socotra Yemen -- some like it remote
Socotra is a very interesting place for VTers who are into geology. Socotra island is considered to be the most isolated chunks of a continent in the world, it is not a volcanic island or a mid ocean...
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I came to the island out of curiousity, and stayed because I thought this had to be one of the most incredible places on earth, and after three months here, I still feel the same. Being only one of......
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240 km off Cape Guardafui, the Easternmost point of the African continent. Largest island in Yemen and in the same-named archipelago, which also includes the smaller islands of Abd al Kuri and the...
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See My report about expedition
I have been there. I took part in archeological expedition http://www.marshruty.ru/Travels/Travel.aspx?TravelID=738df3d6-f708-4a0b-ae68-61bbe6aeac2e
Build your own Socotra page
