Upon your arrival at the Socotra airport (just after midday on a direct flight from Abu Dhabi, UAE), you will be welcomed by our Socotra Daher team and will head to your hotel in Hadiboh.

After settling in your rooms and enjoying your first meal on the island, you will head out with 4x4 cars to the Ayhaft Canyon National Park, which is considered a natural nursery due to its abundance of endemic trees, plants and birds. There, you will get a first taste of the island's biodiversity, while also having the opportunity to swim in the natural freshwater pools of the park, surrounded by tamarind trees, cucumber trees and a wide variety of birds such as Socotra Sparrow, Socotra Sunbird and both the Socotra and Somali starlings.

Later in the afternoon you will visit Delisha Beach with its pristine white sand expanse full of crabs. There, you can swim in the sea or the freshwater lagoon, climb a huge sand dune overseeing the beach and try to surf down it. Time and weather permitting, you may end the day watching one of the famous Delisha sunsets.

Dinner in Hadiboh.

Accommodation: Hotel in Hadiboh.

Expected bird list:
EGYPTIAN VULTURE Neophron percnopterus; Resident breeder; Globally Endangered.
SOCOTRA SPARROW Passer insularis; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA WHITE-EYE Zosterops socotranus; (Recently split from Abyssinian white-eye Zosterops abyssinicus); ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOMALI STARLING Onychognathus blythii; Resident breeder.
COMMON MOORHEN Gallinula chloropus; Uncommon visitor; has bred at least once.
RED-KNOBBED COOT Fulica cristata; Vagrant, has bred.
BLACK-WINGED STILT Himantopus himantopus; Resident and probably winter visitor and passage migrant.
GREY PLOVER Pluvialis squatarola; Winter visitor and passage migrant.
COMMON SNIPE Gallinago gallinago; Winter visitor and passage migrant.
COMMON SANDPIPER Actitis hypoleucos; Winter visitor and passage migrant.
SOOTY GULL Ichthyaetus hemprichii; Resident and winter visitor.

After breakfast, you will drive in 4x4 cars to one of the most important national parks in the Socotra Archipelago: the UNESCO protected Ayhaft Canyon National Park. Do not forget your swimming gear as you will be able to swim or soak in the natural freshwater pools surrounded by tamarind trees, cucumber trees and a wide variety of birds such as the Socotra Sparrow, the Socotra Sunbird and both the Socotra and Somali starlings.

Ayhaft is considered a natural nursery due to its abundance of endemic trees, plants and birds: plants like Boswellia ameero, Commiphora ornifolia, tamarind trees, cucumber trees plus a wide variety of birds.
Lunch will be served in the valley, followed by more birdwatching in the afternoon, along with the observation of animals and insects.
Overnight camping in the valley to observe the nighttime insects and reptiles.

Accommodation: Camping in the Ayhaft National Park, under tamarind trees.

Expected bird list:
SOCOTRA BUZZARD Buteo socotraensis; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
EGYPTIAN VULTURE Neophron percnopterus; Resident breeder; Globally Endangered.
SOCOTRA STARLING Onychognathus frater; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA GOLDEN-WINGED GROSBEAK Rhynchostruthus socotranus; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA SCOPS OWL Otus socotranus; ENDEMIC, taxonomy under review.

At dawn, before breakfast, you will visit the nearby slopes and valleys for a morning birdwatching trip.

After breakfast, you will travel to the east of Socotra Island, passing by Wadi Hadiboh, Wadi Sirhan, Wadi Shaq, Wadi Dibnah, Homhil village, which are surrounded by mountains with many endemic plants and scattered villages of the nomadic population. En-route you will stop at Qaria Lagoon, the largest lagoon on the island. Hopefully you will have the opportunity to see flamingos, herons and greenshanks.

You will drive up to the Homhil protected area, through captivating landscapes of deep ravines and vast plains. The prehistoric feel of this part of the island will astonish you: the landscape covered with bottle trees, Dragon blood trees and frankincense trees will take your breath away. You will end the day at the Omaq Beach where you will camp for the night.

Accommodation: Camping on Omaq Beach.

Day 3 - Expected bird list:
SOCOTRA WARBLER Incana incana; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA BUZZARD Buteo socotraensis; ENDEMIC Resident breeder
EGYPTIAN VULTURE Neophron percnopterus; Resident breeder; Globally Endangered.
SOCOTRA STARLING Onychognathus frater; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA GOLDEN-WINGED GROSBEAK Rhynchostruthus socotranus; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA SUNBIRD Chalcomitra Balfouri; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA SPARROW Passer insularis; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.

At dawn, before breakfast, you will embark again on a morning birdwatching trip in the surrounding area. After breakfast you will drive up to Dixum Plateau to see the gorge which drops 700m vertically to the valley floor, representing the island's most spectacular limestone landscape feature. You will walk along the gorge's edge to see attractive stands of Dragon blood trees and the extensive limestone pavement. Sections of the plateau have partially slipped into the gorge, leaving 'lost worlds' accessible only to buzzards and vultures. The plateau is also home to nomadic Bedouin herdsmen who move from one site to another with their herds.
You will try to track some rare and important birds, such as the Socotra Bunting Emberiza socotrana, which nowadays are difficult to find due to the population decrease and loss of habitat.
You will stop at Shibhan Plateau, home to the island's largest forest of Dragon blood trees and later drive to Wadi Darhour, where you can explore a selection of trails or have a dip in the natural pool.
Late in the afternoon you will reach Irsael Beach on the northern coast where you will camp for the night.

Accommodation: Camping on Irsael Beach.

Expected bird list:
SOCOTRA BUNTING Emberiza socotrana; ENDEMIC Resident breeder; Globally Vulnerable.
SOCOTRA WHITE-EYE Zosterops socotranus; (Recently split from Abyssinian white-eye Zosterops abyssinicus); ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
LONG-BILLED PIPIT Anthus similis; Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA CISTICOLA Cisticola haesitatus; ENDEMIC Resident breeder; Globally Near Threatened.
SOCOTRA WARBLER Incana incana; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA BUZZARD Buteo socotraensis; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
EGYPTIAN VULTURE Neophron percnopterus; Resident breeder; Globally Endangered.
SOCOTRA STARLING Onychognathus frater; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA GOLDEN-WINGED GROSBEAK Rhynchostruthus socotranus; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA SUNBIRD Chalcomitra balfouri; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA SPARROW Passer insularis; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.

At dawn, before breakfast, you will embark on another morning birdwatching trip exploring the areas around Irsael Beach and the northern coast.
Afterwards, you will drive towards the Indian Ocean on the south of the island. This is flat land with palm trees in the Omaq area. On the way, you will stop at many bird sites including the area of Nojd, where you can see one of the endemic species, Socotra Cisticola. You will also visit the Dagub Cave and overhang, with its particular local flora and fauna.
Birds will be plenty, thanks to the palm trees loaded with fruits. Another opportunity for birdwatching will be the wetlands nearby the evening camping site at Qadamh Beach.

Accommodation: Camping on Qadamh Beach.

Expected bird list:
SOCOTRA WHITE-EYE Zosterops socotranus; (Recently split from Abyssinian White-eye Zosterops abyssinicus); ENDEMIC Resident breeder
LONG-BILLED PIPIT Anthus similis; Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA CISTICOLA Cisticola haesitatus; ENDEMIC Resident breeder; Globally Near Threatened.
SOCOTRA WARBLER Incana incana; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA BUZZARD Buteo socotraensis; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
EGYPTIAN VULTURE Neophron percnopterus; Resident breeder; Globally Endangered.
SOCOTRA STARLING Onychognathus frater; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA GOLDEN-WINGED GROSBEAK Rhynchostruthus socotranus; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA SUNBIRD Chalcomitra balfouri; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA SPARROW Passer insularis; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.

After another morning birdwatching tour, you will head to the Detwah Lagoon, which is a Ramsar Wetlands Reserve and a marine protected area renowned for its magical landscape: a white sandy tongue surrounded by turquoise waters, which is also home to an array of sea birds.
Afterwards, you will drive to the quaint fishermen’s town of Qalansiya with its traditional Socotri houses, narrow alleyways and a beach full of fishing boats, before settling in your camp in Shu’ab.

Accommodation: Camping in Shu’ab.

Expected bird list:
SOCOTRA CORMORANT Phalacrocorax nigrogularis; Resident and probably winter visitor; Globally Vulnerable.
MASKED BOOBY Sula dactylatra; Breeds; offshore throughout the year.
BROWN BOOBY Sula leucogaster; Breeds; offshore throughout the year.
PERSIAN SHEARWATER Puffinus persicus; Breeding visitor; offshore throughout year.
JOUANIN’S PETREL Bulweria fallax; ENDEMIC Breeding visitor; present offshore throughout the year; Globally Near Threatened
RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD Phaethon aethereus; Breeds; offshore throughout the year.

At dawn you will board a fishing boat from Qalansiya, heading towards the small Sayal Shu’ab Island, which is one of the most important nesting areas for seabirds, such as the Socotra Cormorant, the Masked Booby Sula dactylatra and others.

Along the way, you will most probably see spinner dolphins, cormorants and other birds like the Jouanin’s Petrel Bulweria fallax (endemic breeder, NT), the Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus, the Persian Shearwater Puffinus persicus, the Brown Booby Sula leucogaster, and the Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus.

Once at Shu’ab, you will have plenty of free time for birdwatching, swimming and exploring the pristine beach with its mangroves.
Late in the afternoon you will return by boat to Qalansiya and, from there you will drive back to Hadiboh.

Accommodation: Hotel in Hadiboh.

Expected bird list:
SOCOTRA WHITE-EYE Zosterops socotranus; (Recently split from Abyssinian White-eye).
EGYPTIAN VULTURE Neophron percnopterus; Resident breeder; Globally Endangered.
SOCOTRA STARLING Onychognathus frater; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.
SOCOTRA SPARROW Passer insularis; ENDEMIC Resident breeder.

After breakfast, you will head to the airport for your flight back to the UAE.