Is it safe to travel to Socotra, Yemen?
I have been wanting to travel to Socotra, Yemen to see the dragonblood trees and bizarrely beautiful landscapes for a while now, but given the current instability in the rest of Yemen, is it advisable? Are Socotrans heavily involved in the current goings on or are they somewhat isolated from it? If so, are there ways of getting to Socotra which bypass the more dangerous parts of Yemen?
Best Answer
Answering my own question: it looks like all flights currently go through larger Yemeni cities, and traveling by boat is likely to be just as dangerous due to Somali pirates. From the Australian Government's Travel Advisories for Yemen:
There is a high risk of piracy in the coastal areas of Yemen. There have been attacks by pirates against all forms of shipping in and around Yemen’s waters and the Gulf of Aden. Pirates have been using motherships to attack shipping further than 1,000 nautical miles (1,850km) from the coast of Somalia.
All forms of shipping are attractive targets for Somali pirates, including commercial vessels, pleasure craft (yachts etc) and luxury cruise liners... maintain a high level of vigilance and to exercise extreme caution when anywhere near these waters.
According to the International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC), there were 217 attempted attacks of piracy with 47 vessels hijacked and 867 crewmembers taken hostage in the Gulf of Aden and off the east coast of Somalia in 2009.
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Is Socotra Safe 2021?
And, Is Socotra Safe? 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. But, Socotra itself has never been at war and it is very safe.Can I travel to Socotra now?
Since the reopening of the commercial air route to Socotra, the ABU DHABI - SOCOTRA connection has become 100% reliable allowing tourism on the island once again. Today you can reach Socotra with a weekly NON-STOP DIRECT FLIGHT from Abu Dhabi that is scheduled for every Monday.How much does a trip to Socotra cost?
The price for a trip to Socotra isn't a secret \u2013 regardless of whom you're going with, it's not cheap. Plus, due to just one weekly flight which for foreigners is crazy pricy ($800-1200ish return from Cairo), it's always a 7-day tour. Total tour prices range between $3000 and $4500.Is it safe to go to Yemen now?
Yemen is currently a very dangerous destination for potential travelers. Governments in several countries have even issued warnings against traveling to this country, for reasons such as terrorism, kidnappings and other types of violent crime. Visiting Yemen can end in you getting seriously hurt or killed.Living ALONE on Yemen's Remote Socotra Island
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Answer 2
The trees look amazing!
According to Wikitravel:
Yemania Airlines offers two flights per week on Friday and Monday:
From Sana’a to Socotra Island (Friday departure time 5:00 am) From Aden to Socotra Island (Monday departure 9:00 am) Flight durations are almost three hours.Felix is a new airline and has taken over all flights to Socotra, providing flights almost every day to and from the island.
And at least one website claims it's totally safe, at least in the tourist areas, which is certainly where the trees will be:
A common concern of visitors to Yemen is safety.
In general, personal safety in Yemen is so much better than communicated abroad.
All cities are safe. There is some ordinary criminality as anywhere of course, normal precautions as not to displaying money and keeping it not visible are sufficient.
Travelling is safe, exept(sic) the north, far ist(sic) end particularly Marib.
Non-advisable areas are anyway blocked for tourists.
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