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Socotra Packing List & Prep Guide

Updated January 2024, The Socotra Packing List & Prep Guide was originally written in July 2019

So you’re thinking about visiting Socotra? Socotra will undoubtedly be one of your most memorable travels with ecological diversity and unusual plant life, friendly Socotris inviting you into their homes, epic trekking, some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, and remoteness that rivals few other places in the world.

For these reasons, you’ll need to plan ahead as to what you will pack for Socotra and how you should go about prepping for your upcoming expedition. Very little infrastructure exists in Socotra.

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Getting To Socotra

Getting to Socotra is not the most straightforward experience, in fact, it may be one of the more challenging places to visit in all your travels. You will need to book a tour with a local operator or with a company that partners with a local operator.

In order to get to Socotra, you will almost certainly need to go to Cairo, Egypt from where you will take a Yemenia Airways flight from Cairo to Socotra with a brief stop in Seiyun in mainland Yemen’s Hadramaut Region. Booking this flight is not the easiest task and requires it to be paid for and booked in Cairo in cash.

I have an entire article dedicated to getting to Socotra. Learn more about planning your transportation to Socotra in my post ‘How To Get To Socotra In 2023‘.

Start planning here: The Socotra Travel Guide

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Getting Around Socotra

Getting around Socotra will most likely be done in 4×4 Landcruisers or similar vehicles. Only a couple of paved roads exist on the island.

Some roads are dirt and others are totally non-existent. This is a beauty and a curse to Socotra– very little infrastructure exists from transportation.

Some trips can be arranged using camels to trek deep into the Haggier Mountains and some beaches will be visited by use of dhow boats.

So just to clarify because I get at least an email per week asking: independent travel in Socotra isn’t really a thing.

No, you can’t turn up and rent a car/motorbike/whatever other method of transport you can possibly think of and traipse around on your own because you don’t want to pay for a tour or think you’re too superior of a traveler to need the assistance of a local guide who has a lifetime of experience in Socotra.

Money

You will need to arrive in Socotra with all your money in cash (preferably in USD) to pay for your trip, tips, souvenirs, and anything else you could possibly need to pay for in Socotra.

As of January 2024, exchange rates were around 1,170-1,200 Yemeni Rial to $1 USD (the currency is very unstable thanks to the ongoing war in mainland Yemen). You can plan to pay for your tour and any larger purchases in USD, and it is possible to exchange for Rial in Hadiboh for small purchases.

There are no ATMs in Socotra and credit cards are not accepted anywhere. There is a Western Union & Moneygram in Hadiboh if worst comes to worst (note a $2000 monthly withdrawal limit).

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Camping, Hotels & Hygiene

Most trips to Socotra will involve camping in tents for the duration of your trip. These camps can vary from all-out wild camping with zero facilities to camping at locally run family camps. Almost none of the family-run camps have showers anymore after the 2015 cyclones wreaked havoc on Socotra. I suggest bringing biodegradable wipes.

Some camps will have squat toilets to use, but many nights you’ll be going in the great outdoors. Always dig a 10cm deep hole at least 50m from water and camp for human excrement and don’t forget to bury it.

I recommend bringing tissue packets as toilet paper is not commonly used in Socotra. Many times you’ll not have any access to a sink either, so bring plenty of hand sanitizing gel.

More and more hotels are popping up in Hadiboh these days, though still it’s quite few. If looking for something higher end you’ll want to head to the Summerlands. Otherwise, hotels are very basic.

My only reason for not recommending staying in them is that traveling between destinations on the island is long and you’ll miss out on most of the highlights if you need to travel to and from Hadiboh each day.

Food & Water

Typical foods eaten in Socotra are flatbread, shai (sweet tea), rice, beans, fish, chicken, goat, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, pasta, and honey. If you have allergies and eating restrictions make sure to discuss this with your guide long before your arrival.

Most meals are eaten in a communal fashion with everyone sharing plates (handwashing is important here).

Socotris don’t traditionally use utensils and eat with their right hand, but you will more than likely be supplied with forks and spoons because they are aware western tourists aren’t accustomed to this.

Make sure you stay hydrated as Socotra is hot. Hadiboh, as well as other villages on the island, have a severe plastic and garbage problem, so if you want to avoid contributing to the mass amounts of garbage I’d recommend bringing your own reusable water bottle and a purification kit.

Traveler’s diarrhea and foodborne illnesses are not uncommon ailments of travelers in Socotra. Make sure and pack Imodium and a broad-spectrum antibiotic.

Dress Code

Socotris are used to seeing tourists (though not so much in the last few years), so you won’t need to worry about dressing as conservatively as you would in the mainland of Yemen.

That said, respectful dress is appreciated, so make sure to pack for Socotra accordingly.

Light, breathable fabrics will be your best friend here.

Temperatures in Socotra will range from 24°C-32°C during the day and at night you can expect temperatures down around 22°C in most lower-lying areas but in the mountains can get cold enough to warrant a light jacket at down to 16°C.

Light pants and t-shirts are fine for trekking around, but when visiting Hadiboh, Qalansiya, and some villages I’d recommend for women to make sure legs are fully covered (skirt or pants are fine), upper arms covered and nothing too low cut or crop tops.

Headscarves aren’t a must, but the locals seem to appreciate it when you wear one in populated areas.

Men in this situation are fine in pants that at least cover the knees and a t-shirt.

If you want to blend in you men easily buy a fouta at the main bazaar in Hadiboh for $10-20 and wear it wrapped like a skirt (similar to the Longyi in Myanmar) and paired with a t-shirt.

Abayas are for sale too, any woman who may want one can purchase an abaya for about $15. Foutas can also make a good sarong for the ladies.

Electronics

You can plan to not have access to electricity the vast majority of the time you are in Socotra. Some family-run camps might (and that’s a big might) have a generator and power sockets. It would be smart to bring a 2-pin Euro and 3-pin British adapter.

I recommend coming prepared with a solar charger, external battery banks, and every cord or adapter you may need for all your devices. Also, bring a USB cigarette adapter to charge electronics while you’re traveling in the car.

Bring extra camera batteries as finding electricity and time to charge them can be difficult.

Bring more SD or CF cards (or film) than you think you could ever possibly go through for the duration of your trip.

Travel in Socotra will see your electronics encounter a lot of dust and water. A dust protector for cameras is a smart purchase to make prior to leaving home, as well as a good dry bag to protect gear on days you’re traveling by boat.

If you shoot photos or videos underwater, do bring an underwater housing that fits your camera.

Drones

Aerial camera drones can help you capture the island in a wonderful way, but it’s worth mentioning that they are illegal to bring into Egypt (which you may be flying to Socotra from).

If you are flying in and out via Abu Dhabi, then having a drone should pose no issues.

If you are utilizing the Yemenia flight from Cairo, you could potentially get your drone confiscated by Egyptian authorities (or be held for hours of questioning, including accusations of being a terrorist and many calls to embassies in the case of one of our travelers in March), or you may make it through Cairo without a problem.

Internet & Mobile

If you were planning on being connected during your time in Socotra you may want to consider a different destination (honestly why would you even care about the internet when you’re in a place like this?). Mobile coverage and data are mainly only available in Hadiboh and Qalansiya.

I don’t know of anyone who has bought a SIM card in Socotra, but you may be able to have your guide help you with that (but again, why?!).

I took my Garmin Inreach out to Socotra on my March 2019 trip mostly in case of emergency and so that any of the travelers with us could contact family and let them know we arrived safely.

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Socotra Packing List

Clothing

2-3 T-shirts (quick dry recommended)
Long sleeve shirt (quick dry recommended)
Light jacket or fleece
Trekking or activewear pants
Sarong (for beach coverage)
3+ Pairs thin hiking socks (depending on your itinerary you may want more or less)
1 Pair underwear per day of your trip duration
2+ Sports bras
Walking shoes or trekking sandals (Keen, Merrell, Teva, Chacos are good options)
Flip-flops or water sandals (Don’t laugh, I wear Crocs flats)
Wide-brimmed hat
Light scarf
Swimsuit
Sunglasses
Eyeglasses (if you wear them)