I visited Socotra in November 2021.  At the time of my visit, Air Arabia provided Monday-only charter flights between Abu Dhabi and Socotra, so visitors were required to spend a week on Socotra.  Given that all tourists arrive and depart at the same time, tour operators seem to follow the same general itinerary, although they apparently coordinate so that sites are not inundated with tourists on the same days.  I went with Untamed Borders.

During the course of my week, we visited:

Day 1 (arrival): Delisha beach, not far from Hadibu, so seems like many visit this beach and sand dunes on the day of arrival

Day 2: Qalansyia in northwestern Socotra, where we picked up a small fishing boat for the ninety-minute trip to Shuaab, the island’s nicest beach. Along the way we passed through several schools of sardines, so abundant that the turquoise water appeared black and attracting a feeding frenzy of sea birds, spinner dolphins and one whale shark. We spent the end of the day at Detwah Lagoon.

Day 3: snorkeling in the Dihamari Marine Nature Sanctuary at some of the richest coral reefs in Socotra, where it was easy to see colorful parrotfish and angelfish, but not lobsters. Fortunately, a local lobsterman had caught several spiny lobsters — I bought the largest for only $15, which we dropped off at the restaurant for dinner.

Day 4: Momi plateau, covered with desert roses, one of the rare bottle trees found only on Socotra, with most of the afternoon swimming in a natural pool at the bottom of a canyon, reached after an hourlong descent along a goat trail.

Day 5: we drove to the center of Socotra to visit Firmihin Forest, home to the island’s densest concentration of dragon blood trees, named after the red sap.

Day 6: Homhil Nature Sanctuary in northeastern Socotra to hike to the natural infinity pool at the end of a valley lined with dragon blood and bottle trees.

Day 7: southern coast on the Indian Ocean to spend the day on the beach and climb the Zaheq Dunes.

Day 8 (departure): spent in Hadibu, the largest city on Socotra.