Yemen’s Socotra Island

Located off the coast of Yemen, Socotra Island resembles something you would only find in a novel written by the love child of Daniel Defoe and Roald Dahl (could YOU come up with a better analogy?).

The island’s seclusion from the rest of the world means that its plant and wildlife species developed differently from our mainstream flora and fauna. Socotra Island is home to over 200 species found only on the island—pretty amazing considering the island’s small size (132km long, 49km wide).

One of the island’s most famous plants is the Dragon Blood Tree, which was given its name for the red sap it secretes when its bark is cut. But the Dragon Blood Tree isn’t the only strange plant on the island; seeing plants like the Desert Rose and Dorstenia gigas will make you wonder whether you accidently went on the Peyote Spirit Walk.