Djibouti, the Danakil Depression & Somaliland

Djibouti

Tucked away in the Horn of Africa, Djibouti is one of the smallest countries on the continent and receives very few visitors. A French colony until 1977, it was one of the last African nations to gain independence. Djibouti’s main asset is its port, providing an outlet for landlocked Ethiopia to send goods across the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, and Djibouti Town is the country’s liveliest hub, although in a country with a traditionally nomadic population, that’s not saying much.

The capital is a fascinating mix of African, Asian, Arab and European influences and is divided into an African and European quarter – it is small enough to explore by walking around and although there are few traditional sights the main appeal is soaking up the atmosphere of this cosmopolitan little city, with French legionnaires mixing with nomadic Afar tribesmen, and women dressed in outrageously colourful robes. Djibouti Town has an allure that is hard to put your finger on.

Lac Assal

Surrounded by dormant volcanoes, Lac Assal is an impressive sight; the salt flats contrast with the black lava fields and there are numerous large crystal formations dotted around. The lake is fed by hot saline springs making it unique among salt lakes, as all others are fed by streams and rivers, and it has no outlet, which contributes to its extremely high level of salinity. As well as being the lowest point in Africa it is the third lowest depression in the world after the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee.

Lac Abbe

There can be few places in the world like Lac Abbe and it holds the distinction of being one of the most desolate places on our planet. Situated on the border between Ethiopia and Djibouti, this vast salt lake is surrounded by hundreds of limestone chimneys, some up to 50 metres high, which emit sulphurous gas into the air, and its shores are inhabited by the nomadic Afar people who use the lake to gather salt. The lake is also renowned for its birdlife, with flamingos, pelicans and ibis among other species to be found here. It is difficult to put into words such awe-inspiring scenery – this is jaw-dropping on a grand scale.

Erta Ale hike

The gently climbing hike itself follows interesting lava formations (lava and pahoehoe lava fields, lava tubes, hornitos, sand deposits, rare vegetation) until we stand on the rim of the caldera. An easy descent brings us to the floor of the caldera and after 10 minutes, we stand on the active pit crater containing the boiling lava lake.

The Danakil Depression

The formidable Danakil Depression is known as one of the most inhospitable places on earth, with searing temperatures and little flora or fauna. It is the lowest place on the planet, created when the earth’s crust collapsed and water flooded in, only to evaporate in the fierce sun leaving enormous salt flats and salt lakes. These are important for the local Afar people, who collect this important commodity to sell at markets.

Geologically, it is one of the most active places on the planet, and volcanic cones and lava spewing from the ground in places. To travel here feels like you are travelling to the ends of the earth, a remote, hostile, volcanic desert with spectacular landscapes where few western travellers have been before, and our journey of exploration allows us to do more than just scratch the surface, taking us to areas that define the very essence of ‘off the beaten track’. It has also been home to a number of important fossil discoveries, giving clues to the earliest ancestors of humans.

The Danakil today is populated by the nomadic Afar people, a group once renowned for their hostility towards outsiders. In times gone by, Afar men could only be considered adults once they had killed another man, and are reputed to have worn their dead enemies’ testicles around their necks. They are thankfully no longer as fierce as they once were, and to meet them is to meet one of the most isolated ethnic groups on our planet.

Hargeisa

Somaliland’s capital is a pleasant city – fairly small, unassuming and with a relaxed and rather gentle air that is often missing from African cities. Almost completely destroyed during the civil war of the 1980s, most buildings that you see are new and there are few historic sights, but one thing that you can’t miss is the unique civil war memorial in the centre of town, topped by a MiG jet that was downed during the conflict.

The central market area is the most interesting place to explore – stalls sell everything from slabs of meat to brightly coloured cloth, and your presence here is sure to attract more than a few gazes. On one street sit the moneychangers, with great bricks of Somali shillings laid out on the pavement – it is a measure of how little crime there is here that they are able to do this, and an incredibly photogenic sight. Hargeisa also has a busy livestock market on the outskirts of town, which is well worth a visit.

Las Geel

Only revealed to the outside world a little more than ten years ago, the rock paintings of Las Geel rank among the best in all of Africa. Superbly preserved in caves and under overhanging rocks, the paintings consist of cows, dogs and people as well as the odd giraffe here and there, and anywhere else they would be a major tourist attraction. With the handful of visitors Somaliland receives you are almost guaranteed to have this enigmatic site all to yourself. No-one has yet determined the age of the site – guesses range from five to ten thousand years, but the paintings remain a testament to the pastoral traditions of Somaliland’s ancient inhabitants.

Berbera

Berbera sits on the Red Sea coast, an important port for the whole region but with an atmosphere that belies this fact somewhat. The most interesting part of the city is the old quarter known as Darole, an area of dusty streets and ramshackle buildings, some of which date back to the time when the Ottomans held sway here. Crenelated mansions vie for space with whitewashed mosques, and pastel paint peels off walls interspersed with colourful doorways – when the heat of the day has passed this is a fascinating and very rewarding place to wander around, perhaps stopping for a tea in one of the makeshift cafes.

Not far outside of the town lie the Dubar waterworks, an ancient irrigation system that has been resurrected in recent years to provide fresh water for Berbera’s inhabitants. Berbera is locally renowned for its excellent seafood restaurants, where you can sit and eat some of the freshest fish you’re ever likely to have while looking out at the rusting hulks of ships in the port.

Dhagax Khoure

Although not as impressive as its better known cousin Las Geel, the site of Dhagax Khoure holds some stunning rock art, with numerous images of cows, hunters, giraffes and other animals tucked away under overhanging rocks and in caves. The surrounding scenery is just as much of an attraction, with hills of boulders emerging from the desert plains, and if you’re lucky you may see wildlife such as gerenuk and warthog.