25th March - 1st April 2025 ( 4 Places Remaining )

As soon as you touch down and set foot on the majestic island of Socotra, our local team will greet you and start your journey through this wonderland. The first stop is the Frmhin Forest home to the biggest gathering of Dragon Blood trees on the island. The view from up here is breathtaking and will leave you speechless. Here we will camp for the night under the stars and capture the Milky Way above them.

Day 2

We will drive down to the wadi to cool down before heading up to the canyon camp site with Dragon trees where we also camp for a night and capture the stars.

Day 3

Embark on a journey westward to unwind in the paradisiacal setting of Detwah Lagoon, nestled between the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean, boasting one of the planet's most exquisite beaches. Upon arrival, following a delectable lunch, you will have the choice to explore a cave accompanied by a local resident or to embark on a hiking trail offering panoramic views of the lagoon. The subsequent morning, we will embark on an early boat ride to Shoab Beach, with the hopes of encountering dolphins up close!

Day 4 & 5

For the next two nights, we'll explore a natural infinity pool and encounter some of Socotra's most stunning tree combinations. Here, you'll witness the majestic Dragon Blood trees standing alongside Bottle trees and Frankincense trees. This marks the pinnacle of the trip in terms of photography opportunities.

Day 6

After spending the day at Kalisan River and cooling down, we will head to the Oasis campsite which is home to many beautiful Bottle trees. Here will have dinner and then spend the night capturing the Bottle trees under the night sky. March is the perfect time for the Bottle Tree bloom.

Day 7

We will head to Arher, where a breathtaking beach awaits. Located on the eastern side of the Island, the beach is surrounded by twin White Dunes where water flows right out from a cave. We will set up camp near the beach, and sit back to enjoy a relaxing evening with dinner under the stars. After we will set up our cameras for night photography.

Accomodation

In Socotra, hotels are not available at most places & we will be camping at well maintained campsites. All camping gear (tents, mattresses, sheets, & pillow).

Additional Information

We advise you to be reasonably fit as we will be hiking outdoors every day photographing landscapes.

This itinerary is an indication of what we will do. It is very flexible and we may change things.

Electricity is a rare commodity in Socotra. We will not have it available daily, so bring enough memory cards and camera batteries for at least a couple of days. We are assured that there will be a generator at our disposal. You will also be able to charge devices in the vehicles. I recommend bringing a power converter for in the car to charge your electronical items.

There is virtually no internet on the island so you’ll have to wait till you get back to Abu dhabi before you can share your stunning images with the world. You might be able to check email and use messaging services on the Socotra 3G network when you have a signal (available around most of the major towns). Alternatively, you can purchase a sim card from Etisalat with a data package in Abu Dhabi, its enough to get signal here and there to send what’s app messages.

This month is known as a warm month. The average maximum daytime temperature in Socotra in March lies at 30.7°C (87.26°F). The average minimum temperature goes down to around 20.1°C (68.18°F) (often the minimum temperature is noted at night).

March is a dry month with an average of 15mm (0.6 inches) of rain. There are generally around 2 rainy days.

I reccomend bringing USD currency for anything you want to ADDITIONALLY spend on the island such as souvenirs or for tips.

Visa requirements & flights

A Yemeni visa is required for most nationalities wishing to visit Socotra. In order to obtain a permit for Socotra as a tourist, you will need to send me a scanned copy of your passport in pdf format which I will then forward to my agency in Socotra where the visa will be issued.
Yemen is one of several Arab League countries that takes part in the boycott of travel to Israel.

If you have any Israeli visas, passport stamps, arrival/departure cards, or Egyptian or Jordanian stamps issued on a border with Israel, you may be deported from Yemen. However, I was informed that stamps from Israel shouldn't be an issue when travelling to Socotra but it's not a guarantee so it's at your own risk.

All passport holders of Israel, Turkey, & Iran are not allowed to visit Socotra.

Once your visa is issued i will send you a copy, which you need to print and bring with you to show at the counter in Abu Dhabi for the check in for the flight to Socotra. Upon arrival in Socotra you will be given your original visa.

I recommend to book your flights to Abu Dhabi one day prior to departure to socotra and one day after the return from Socotra. Flights should not be booked until you have a confirmed ticket issued from my agency. Socotra is limited to 2000 visitiors per year so flights are very fast sold out and we have no guarentee.

Important!!

For non u.s citizens once you have visited Yemen and have a stamp on your passport, you wont be able to apply for an ESTA application to the USA, instead you will have to apply for a regular tourist visa which can cost much more.

Included

• Accommodation (Tents) (All camping gear)

• All logistics on Socotra island

• 3 meals per day

• water

• Boat ride to Shoab Beach (dolphins sighting)

• Photographic guide (Me) & Socotra guide

• Yemen/Socotra Visa & Conservation fees

• Flights (Abu Dhabi - socotra round trip)

Not Included

• Travel & Health Insurance (I recommend you choose a travel insurance that covers trip cancellation costs & Covid-19 health, travel and cancellation costs)

• PCR tests

• TIPS ( 100 USD is a recommended amount to tip )

• Snacks and alcohol

Equipment Requirements

·      DSLR or Mirrorless Camera

·      Sturdy Tripod (Rental is availble)

·      Remote shutter release Cable

·      Wide angle lens f-stop (f1.4-f2.8) Preferably

·      Hiking Boots, Sandals ( preferably hiking sandals for hiking through wet and rocky surfaces) , Swimsuit

·      Warm clothing

·      Additional Batteries & Memory Cards

·      Lens cloth & Blower for dust

·      Power converter for the car for charging your cameras and phones & any additional electronics

·     Lens warmer ( Dragon Blood Forest can get humid )

·      Solar Chargers

Refund & cancellation policy

If a participant decides to cancel their reservation, they can do so at any time by communicating it as soon as possible to the official email address of the organiser barakatphotography@outlook.com.

· However, you should keep in mind that the deposit is directly used to pay for your flights & visa from Abu Dhabi to Socotra Return which is non-refundable.

For these reasons:

·  If the cancellation request is submitted at any time after the deposit was paid, you may not receive a refund of the deposit due to pre-paid flights & Visa.

· If the cancellation request is submitted MORE than 90 days (before departure), you may receive a refund for the outstanding amount(anything paid above the deposit) minus the deposit 1500CHF & a 20% administration fee of any OUTSTANDING amount that was paid above the deposit. Keep in mind the outstanding is due 90 days prior to tour start date so this only applies to those who paid in full before those 90 days.

·  If the cancellation request is presented LESS than 90 days before departure, it will NOT be possible to receive a refund for the full booking fee & deposit.

PRICES

25th March - 1st April 2025

4950 CHF Swiss Francs pp

To book the trip, a deposit of 1500 CHF Swiss Francs is required to secure your spot and the outstanding balance must be paid 90 days before the start date of the trip.

Deposits need to be made via Bank Transfer. All details will be sent to you once you have filled out the contact formula Below.

Please add your phone number with country code to the formula so I can contact you directly over WhatsApp or feel free to contact me at 0041768187897.