Socotra, Yemen with Lil Nicki | The Nomad Files

As I scoured Twitter last week I stumbled upon a travel blog called Adventures of Lil Nicki, who is from Alaska and has been to some incredible places. As I read I was entranced and I realised I just had to get her onto the Nomad Files. Nicki was more than happy to oblige and I think you’ll really enjoy her story, I know I did! Nicki visited Yemen a couple of years ago as a solo female traveler, and despite stricken by war and poverty, she still came out the other side unscathed and with an incredible story.

Hi Nicki, when did you discover that you were a travel fiend and what was the influencing factor?

My parents were always dragging me and my little brother all over Alaska since we were born, and I loved it.  We always had fun and always had crazy stories, but I knew that I wanted to see what else was out there besides my little corner of the Earth, even when I was little. 

When I was 14 years old I left the country for the first time.  We went to a border town in Mexico.  I thought it was absolutely terrifying.  I’d never actually seen real poverty before, not quite like that anyways.  It really bothered me.  I was also 14, when you’re 14 the world still revolves around you, this was the changing point for me and this, this was eye opening.

Right after I turned 16 I was given the opportunity to go down to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico with a girl I did gymnastics with.  I gave international travel another attempt.  I was sold after that.  It turned everything around for me.  I met some great people, realized that poverty isn’t all that scary, it’s just people doing what people do best: surviving.  Surviving isn’t all that terrifying. 

At that point I knew that I would see what else it out there.

Do you have a particular song/video/poem/quote that particularly inspires you to travel?

“If you don’t have a plan, you can end up doing some interesting things.”

             -Karl Pilkington

That quote pretty much sums of my life.  I think if I had followed the plan of action that you think you’re going to do when you’re a kid.  I’d be a musician, first female president of America, kabillionaire, olympic gymnast, married woman with kids. Clearly, I don’t adhere to a plan.

Can you let us in on a secret? What is one discovery you have made through your travels that really felt like ‘the road less traveled’?

I went to Yemen in early 2014.  Not many make it here.  The fact that every government out there has an advisory out vehemently warning against all travel there, coupled with the fact that the country is viewed as an Al Qaeda militant hotbed is a red flag that it’s going to be void of package holiday tourists.  I was 49.5% convinced that I would be beheaded or kidnapped by what the advisories said.  I was 50.5% convinced I’d have a grand time.  Majority rules.

I even thought I was slightly losing my own damn mind for going there. I wasn’t sure that I should go. I could die over there, I could be kidnapped. But then again that could very well happen at home, hell it may even be more likely that I die at home. I live in the most violent place in America (if you look at it per capita).

When I got onto the island of Socotra was what made me very aware that I was somewhere that only a handful of travelers had made it to.  People lived very traditional lives and are nearly uninfluenced by the outside world. 

I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who has been to Yemen before. Apart from neighbourhood Al Qaeda training camps and impending doom, is Yemen known for anything in particular?

There are so many reasons, it should be known.  Not many know what’s there or why it’s relevant in history.  People seem to only know it now for being home to many members of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which was known to be one of the most ruthless terror groups, that is until the Islamic State gained a good foothold and AQAP even stepped aside and said they aren’t even ethical enough to be associated with us.

Sana’a is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world.  It clocks in at over 2,000 years old.  The Red Sea port city of Mocha is home to the original mocha coffee beans that were worth some insane amounts of money in 17th century France. 

Yemen, along with Ethiopia claim that the Queen of Sheba (or Bilqis) hailed from there.  It was referred to as The Land of Milk and Honey by Noah’s sons.  It was once a place people came to from all over to gather frankincense and myrrh.  While a place called Shibam is nicknamed the Manhattan of the desert because of the hundreds of years old mud skyscrapers.

Then there is Socotra.  An island that is a world away from any of its neighbors.

What did you do there and (why) do I want to visit? 

I got to wander the maze that is old Sana’a with its tall mud buildings that looked like what I had always thought a scene out of Arabian Nights should have looked like. And seeing people carrying about their days for the most part as they would have long ago, although with cars parked along it’s narrow alleys and radios playing.

Then I arrived in Socotra.  The entire island has been preserved as a UNESCO world heritage site.  Much of the islands flora and fauna are found nowhere else on Earth and is described as the ‘most alien looking place on the planet’.  It is home to what without a doubt in my mind are the most beautiful and pristine beaches in the world. 

What took you to Socotra and how did you find out about it? 

I first found out Socotra existed a few years ago, I think in 2011 maybe.  I stumbled across a slideshow list online of unusual places to visit and it popped up.  The pictures of the this strange place stood out from anything else on the list.  I never forgot about it. 

In late 2013 I started thinking of where I should take my next adventure to, and I thought to myself why not Socotra? Which led to ‘well if I have to go through Yemen to get to Socotra, why not see something there too?’.

Tell me about the food. Was it different to anything you’d experienced before?

The food shares some similarities to their neighbors in the Arabian Peninsula while at the same time having vast differences because of Yemen’s historic isolation from the rest of the peninsula by means of mountains. 

The food was amazing.  I smashed down a lot of Yemeni flatbread while there.  Yemen is known for having the best honey in the world, and rightfully so.  Fuul which is a bean dish made of fava beans and Saltah a meat stew are staples.  Everything is spiced with chilis, and every meal is accompanied by a hot cup of Shai (sweet Yemeni tea).  Goat, lamb and chicken the most common meats to be eaten here, along with seafood in coastal areas as well as Socotra.

The best lobster I have ever eaten was in Socotra.  A local had caught it early in the day and sold it to me, and a local family prepared it. 

What was the culture like? Did you have much interaction with the locals?

I had plenty of interactions with the locals.  People in both the mainland of Yemen and Socotra were very friendly, along with being curious about me.  While in mainland Yemen I chose to wear a long black dress and a black head scarf (it’s not required).  I didn’t want to stand out any more than I already would. 

People would come up and say “Salaam Alaykum” (meaning “peace be unto you”).  People would say names of other countries and cities in the Middle East in an attempt to guess where I was from (I was told I looked very Lebanese by a couple of people, and also was pegged as being from Tehran and Morocco from a number of people).

In Socotra I got to know my guide and driver very well.  I got to hear about their families and meet their friends.  I ate all my meals with them, I actually even still keep in contact with them.  I got to meet villagers.  Kids were very curious, and all wanted to me take their pictures to bring home with me.

Beyond eating copious amounts of flatbread and finding ways to avoid being captured by terrorist militants, do you have any tips on how to get the most out of Yemen?

Well I would wait for the current upheaval to end in Yemen.  They have been teetering on the brink of civil war even before the Houthi’s overthrow of the Saleh government in September of 2014.  It’s extremely volatile there as of now.  Along with a bombing campaign led by Saudi Arabia to take out Houthi targets and the alleged on the ground proxy war being fought between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Your only option to visit Yemen is to book through an authorized tour agency. You must be accompanied by a guide.  Since I was headed to Socotra, I booked with Socotra Eco-Tours.  They arranged everything including my guide in Sana’a.  They also arrange your visa for you. 

For the best experience after arriving I would recommend being open minded to everything.  It’s a vastly different place from your day to day life in the western world, all while having plenty of similarities.  At the end of the day people are people no matter where in the world you’re at.  More than anything else just take in everything around you.  It’s a truly beautiful and unique place.

Last question, where do you live on the internet and social media for us to all come visit?

The Adventures of Lil Nicki blog at www.adventuresoflilnicki.com

As well as:

on Facebook at www.facebook.com/adventuresoflilnicki

Twitter as: @advenlilnicki

and Instagram as: @the.adventures.of.nicole

Thanks for taking the time to tell us about your adventure to Yemen, Nicki. It sounds like you can’t get much further from the beaten path than Yemen so it was great to hear about it from the inside. 

If you would like to be a part of the Nomad Files, send me an email to my contact page, and we’ll get started.

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