Socotra Drone Trip

Yes, definitely. On every trip I get participants with different experience and skills, and I coach everyone on their own level. You need to be able to fly basic manoeuvres, the rest we'll learn on the trip, through my personal coaching, by learning from each other and through the composition workshops in our villa.

Regardless of your starting point, all participants go home with a much-boosted self confidence while flying the drone and can now fly under any circumstances.

Yes, you are supposed to bring your own drone and fly your own drone. If you have a spare drone, it's always good to bring it as well. I will also bring a back-up drone in case something happens.

That being said, I guide the participants during all flights and it's very rare that a drone crashes or is lost. Really.

I know pretty much all cinematic DJI drones by heart. Most often I see DJI Mavic 2/3 series, DJI Mini 3/4 series, DJI Air 2/3 series. More and more FPV drones as well, such as the DJI Avata 1/2 or the original DJI FPV.

Occasionally, participants also bring an Autel drone, which is completely fine. However I'm less familiar with their app and settings. In the end, it all comes down to the same thing though. So don't worry.

Hi there 👋 I’m a professional drone photographer and educator from Belgium. I’m always traveling around the world to create beautiful and creative drone shots. I love taking photos of spectacular landscapes and looking for cool topdown patterns. My Tatacoa Desert photo won the 'Abstract' category in the prestigious Aerial Photography Awards 2020.

I have worked with brands such as DJI and PolarPro. You can see my videos for the launch of the DJI Mini 3 in 2023 and more recently also for the launch of the DJI Air 3. Commercially I also work a lot with tourism boards and the best luxury hotels all over the world. Atlantis the Royal in Dubai was my latest big hotel project, where I was contracted as the director of aerial photography, spanning both drone photography - with the Inspire 2 - and helicopter shoots.

When I’m not traveling, I like to educate other drone photographers through my drone trips. It's already been 4 years since I launched my first drone trip to the Azores! And ever since, I've been building on this experience to create more unique drone trips for you.

Apart from drone trips, I also do 1-on-1 coachings and run the Drone Adventurers Community.

My trips have really become very international. I attract participants from the USA, over Europe to Asia. I would say the majority is from Western and Central Europe though. Browse through my testimonials to discover the different countries!

Last time I checked I counted 24 different countries 😲

Actually surprisingly, the majority of my participants are female. About 60% vs 40% male. So you will def. not be the only one. I love having a good gender balance, it makes for the most fun groups.

No, I only accept drone photographers. No +1's. This is to ensure that the focus remains on the droning and learning aspect of the trip. And we can all nerd out about drones without any interruption or social judgement 😇

You are of course free to add some days before or after the trip with your partner, to explore the destination even more. I would even recommend that.

In the unfortunate event that you need to cancel your trip, reach out to me immediately!

• Before 3 months to departure: You have already paid your down-payment, which is not refundable.
• Within 3 months of departure: The 2nd and final payment has been made and is not refundable.
• If I still find a replacement for your spot, I will refund you 60% of the final payment and you can keep 60% of the down payment as a credit for a future trip.

Socotra's unique biodiversity and its unspoiled landscapes make it a truly extraordinary destination, especially with the drone. Because of the remoteness and limited accessibility only 4.000 tourists visit the island per year. That means, we'll be exploring the island all by ourselves!

Just let that sink in that for a second 🤯

Socotra has been listed as a UNESCO World Hertitage site since 2008, because of its incredible biodiversity. Read more on the UNESCO website.

Yes, it is safe to travel to Socotra. The island has always remained untouched by the conflict in Northern Yemen and has never been part of the civil war. Socotra offers a peaceful and natural environment, allowing us to explore its stunning landscapes and unique biodiversity without any concerns.

Our private chef will use fresh ingredients to cook a tasty meal 3 times a day. Remember, we are on a remote island, so not everything is available. However, we can get fresh locally-caught fish and free-range chicken every day. This will be complimented with rice or pasta and some vegetables. Add some seasoning and freshly laid eggs in the morning and voila, happy stomachs.

Most nights we'll sleep in a campsite with basic showers and toilets. Toilet paper will be provided. You need to bring your own toiletries, shampoo and towel though. On the other locations, we'll take a portable shower and portable toilet. For your comfort ☺️

All the 4x4 cars are equipped with a 12V sine wave inverter and a multi-plug, so you can charge your devices in the car - while driving. The multi-plug typically has 2x USB-A and 4x US type B plugs. So take a universal converter, to make sure you can connect. And then you should be good to charge your phone, camera batteries, drone batteries etc...

Additionally, a power bank is never a bad idea!

You can buy an Etisalat tourist SIM in the Abu Dhabi airport. It only works in a few areas of the island. And even then, mobile internet is very very slow. This is part of what makes traveling to Socotra so unique and helps you be in the moment.

If you absolutely do need internet, we can provide a StarLink for the trip, which will allow 4G speeds all across the island.

Yes. Everyone needs a visa when traveling to Socotra. The tourist visa comes at a fixed price of $150, to be paid to the local government. I will request the visa for you.