Socotra, Yemen — An Island That Chose Its Own Rules

All rights reserved by the author
Date: 03/01/2026

Socotra is an island in the Arabian Sea, part of Yemen, but it feels as if it belongs to another timeline altogether.
Trees here look unfamiliar—thick trunks, strange shapes, branches that seem undecided about direction.
The famous dragon blood tree grows like an umbrella turned upside down, existing nowhere else on Earth.

A local herder walks quietly across the rocky land, goats following without instruction.
Life here is sparse, not poor—measured, not rushed.
The people of Socotra are proud of how little the island has been altered.
Modern life arrived late and gently. Traditions stayed.
This is not a place shaped by convenience.
It is shaped by isolation, patience, and acceptance.
Socotra teaches a rare lesson:
That survival does not always mean adapting fast.
Sometimes it means refusing to change at all.
Rajat Chandra Sarmah
Guwahati, Assam, India
Instagram @rajatchandrasarmah5
YouTube @conversewithasmile