Every wild place has a front door, and Socotra's is Hadibo. Dusty, half-finished and patrolled by the most self-assured goats in the Indian Ocean, it is not beautiful in the way the rest of the island is beautiful. But it is real, and every traveller passes through it. Here is what to do when you do.
Every wild place has a front door, and Socotra's is Hadibo.
The island's capital sits on the north coast near the airport, and whether you're arriving, departing or resupplying mid-circuit, you will pass through it.
Hadibo is not beautiful in the way the island is beautiful. It's dusty, half-finished, goat-rich and gloriously alive.
With piles of rubbish and crowded streets, it’s a real sharp contrast to what you might experience in the rest of Socotra. But it’s a reality of Socotra too, all the same.
Here's your guide to the smallest capital you'll ever love.
What Exactly Is Hadibo?
Things to Do in Hadibo
Hadibo Practicalities
Dress and culture
Hadibo is the principal town and capital of Socotra, home to a large share of the island's small population.
Calling it a city stretches the term… think a low, sprawling grid of concrete buildings between the Haggier Mountains and the sea, with a main street economy of small shops, simple restaurants, mechanics and market stalls, the whole thing patrolled by the most self-assured goats in the Indian Ocean.
There are no monuments here, no old town, no skyline. What Hadibo offers instead is reality.
Socotra's wilderness is so overwhelming that it's easy to experience the island as pure landscape; Hadibo reminds you that roughly 60,000 people call this remote rock home, with their own ancient language (Socotri, a tongue with no traditional written form, passed down through poetry and song), their own rhythms and their own everyday hustle.
The contrast with the empty beaches is the point.
The classic Hadibo experience is simply a wander.
Along the main streets, through the market where fishermen's catches, dates, vegetables and imported everything change hands, and past shopfronts where you're likely the only foreigner of the day.
The energy is friendly and curious. Expect greetings, expect kids practising their English on you, expect at least one goat to inspect your shopping.
If you’re lucky, you might be able to catch an older woman still wearing the typical Socotri clothing.
Strict mainland Yemen culture has slowly made it to the island meaning that most of the time, if you see a woman, they will be wearing a black abaya, hijab and niqab - completely covered.
However, traditionally Socotra was much more liberal - and colourful. If you’re lucky, you may get a glimpse of one of only two or three women on the island who disregard this new culture and maintain old, colourful traditions.
(Note, please don’t photograph women on the island).
The best stop in town, and a fixture on good itineraries.
Hadibo's local women-run craft centre sells genuinely island-made goods, woven rugs and baskets, pottery, and Socotra's signature natural products, with proceeds supporting the women who make them.
This is where your souvenir money does the most good, and where the souvenirs are actually from the place they commemorate. Radical concept.
Some tours include a visit to a local school to meet children learning English, and if yours does, treat it as a highlight rather than a curiosity. The kids are delighted, the teachers are proud, and twenty minutes of helping with pronunciation will outlast most landscapes in your memory.
Three things are worth seeking out:
Hadibo's simple restaurants serve the island staples - fresh fish grilled or fried, rice, flatbread, beans and sweet tea. It's honest food, often excellent, and a fun contrast to the private-chef camping meals that dominate the rest of the week.
Socotra is much much less conservative than mainland Yemen.
When you are outside the capital and in nature, you can pretty much dress as you feel comfortable.
However, when you’re in Hadibo, you should dress conservatively. Men should wear long trousers and tops, and women should cover completely from head to toes to elbows. A long, flowy dress or skirt covering to your ankles and your wrists, as well as a headscarf is required.
It’s always bets to have a headscarf handy in the car. You never know when you might need it- - and passing through viillages and towns, it’s always best to wear one.
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