A country in two halves
Yemen has been divided by war since 2015. The north, including the capital Sana'a, is held by the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah). The internationally recognised government works from Aden in the south, and the east, including the Hadramawt, has its own local forces. Lines of control move, and each area has its own checkpoints, rules and even its own banknotes. Every major Western government advises against all travel to Yemen. Read that advice first and treat everything here as subject to conditions on the day.
The island
Socotra is where nearly all leisure travellers go. It sits far out in the Arabian Sea, closer to Somalia than to mainland Yemen, and its dragon's blood trees, bottle trees, dunes and lagoons are unlike anywhere else on earth. Trips run with licensed island operators who arrange permits, flights, camps and guides.
The south coast
Aden is the old port in the crater of an extinct volcano, the seat of the recognised government and the main gateway for flights. Further east, Mukalla is the white seafront capital of Hadramawt, with a busy harbour, hot springs inland and the volcanic coast of Bir Ali nearby.
The great wadi
Wadi Hadramawt is a vast desert valley of palm groves and mud brick towns: Shibam with its high rise mud tower houses, Seiyun with its white palace and Tarim, the scholarly town of mosques and libraries. Seiyun has its own airport.
The highland capital
Sana'a has one of the most beautiful old cities in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of decorated tower houses, souks and mosques. It is controlled by the Houthis, foreigners face a serious risk of detention there, and governments are especially clear that it should not be visited now. We describe it for the diaspora and for the future.
Planning the route
Most visitors combine Socotra with nothing else, flying in and out on the island's limited flights. Diaspora travellers usually fly into Aden or Seiyun and travel by road with family. Use the free trip planner to shape a realistic route, and browse places to visit for sights, food and stays.