My life on the island of Socotra
Socotra is as much beautiful as uncomfortable for living, especially for those who spends much time here.
Today Socotra is rapidly changing. It so happed that I witness and participate directly in its development. I started arranging tourist programs together with the Socotran guides who became my sincere friends for several years.
On this page I tell about my trips to the island, new places and people, the Socotrans’ life, as well as about the changes provoked by globalization.
Socotra is a small and wild island so far. The main goal of my project is the creation of a comprehensive eco-tourism system on the island, which will help islanders to improve their standard of living and give other people a chance to see such an island like it was long before our birth.
New tourist signs installed on Socotra. Standard shot Laguna now looks like this.
Stero dunes are especially beautiful at down. To take their glorious views we left Aoumak camping long before the rising of the sun.
Our next company was Sheikh Noah Abu Amer who lives near the forest of Dragon’s Blood Trees.
The Socotrans prefer using self-made knives from Hadiboh.
Not far from the turning to Dixam you can find old petroglyphs in the place called Eriosh
If you walk from the beach inland, you can easily find the ruins of ancient buildings and an old cemetery.
In Shuab you will meet very friendly and nice people living in in the beginning territories of the beach area.
Just branch off the main road and you'll see quite a nice place of Socotra.
In Rush camping and at Homhil you can buy very nice pockets with pure frankincense collected from the trees of Socotra.
Same photos of Socotra made in October, 2009.
On Socotra you can find a real lost world! There are the biggest bottle trees of the island.
After overnight stop in the canyon of Wadi Dirhur you can go for a walk through the primeval forest of Dragon Trees in the morning.
My house in Hadiboh.
On Socotra you can enjoy magnificent sunsets every day, especially in winter time.
This year the fish market moved from the center of Hadiboh to its outskirts. Though sale of fish is now more civilized, fish cutting and preparation operations sometimes look appalling.
This season we have explored the lower part of Wadi Dirhur canyon – from Dixam camping site to the south coast of the island.
We highly recommend you to visit Socotra’s museum where you will be able to see how locals make a fire by friction.
A small fresh water stream in Archer is a habitat of a big colony of eels.
Socotra’s foothill gorges harbor dozens of grottos and caves. One feels here like being in a fairytale country!
A network of Socotra’s asphaltic roads continues expanding.