Socotra Island, located in the Indian Ocean about 340 km off the coast of Yemen, is one of the most isolated continental-origin archipelagos in the world (meaning it is not volcanic in origin).

The island features wide sandy beaches that transition into limestone plateaus full of caves, and mountains rising up to 1,525 meters. Socotra is rich in rare and unusual plant and animal species—over one-third of the island’s plant life is found nowhere else on the planet. Among them are the iconic Dragon Blood Tree, which resembles a giant umbrella; the Desert Rose, which looks like a flowering elephant's foot; and the bizarre, extremely rare Cucumber Tree.