How to visit the Danakil Depression and What to Expect

After I was researching our journey to Ethiopia I quickly realised the sheer quantity of locations to see and expertise throughout the nation. It turned clear to me that we would want to focus our efforts to a particular a part of the nation and after a lot deliberation, we determined the North of Ethiopia could be our first alternative for our first visit. The Danakil Depression is one among the highlights of Northern Ethiopia, however it’s a tough and rugged journey you want to be ready for. Right here is my full information of tried and examined suggestions to make sure you get on board the finest Danakil Depression tour, for the proper worth and know what you might be up for!

Planning a visit to the North of Ethiopia, I by no means may have imagined what number of locations I’d encounter that took my curiosity. Cities like Gondar, Lalibela and Axum had been really useful by associates who had visited in the previous. Regardless of metropolis suggestions we had been each extra drawn to the journey over the vacation spot, so we settled on a plan to visit the Danakil Depression and Simien Mountains. Any cities that we may slot in throughout our journey to these areas we’d, however cities wouldn’t take precedence.

The Danakil Depression struck me as a spot so not like every other I had ever visited, so it rapidly shot to the prime of my record of non-negotiable areas. The Danakil has been dubbed the hottest place on earth, is considered inhospitable and simply by images alone, I knew I had to see it for myself.

Is it Secure to Visit the Danakil Depression?

The Danakil Depression has been described as the lowest, the driest, the hottest, and the most inhospitable place on earth. So, why do you have to visit?

I requested myself this identical query when reserving our journey and when describing it to associates, I settled on the reality {that a} journey to the Danakil is like an informed gamble. There are tour firms that make their means on the market day by day so it’s comparatively protected, however there’s actually a component of danger concerned. The air is stuffed with toxic gases from the volcano, the sulphuric acids of Dallol, the mixture of those gases with the warmth and in fact the repute it has for being inhospitable.

However for all the dangers, the reward is admittedly value whereas. I’d be kidding myself (and my readers) not to point out the German vacationer who was shot useless close to Etra Ale volcano in 2017. It was by no means reported who was answerable for the assault, although there haven’t been any assaults on vacationers since.

The dangers are thus attainable however at the time of writing not current.

How to Select a Danakil Depression Tour

For those who’ve determined you might be up for the journey to the Danakil Depression, it will be significant to select your tour group properly.

The principle tour firm working excursions in the area is ETT, an enormous firm that take massive group convoys to the Danakil. Travelling in massive teams shouldn’t be actually my type, so I appeared for a smaller operator.

We settled on Magma Move, a small group firm who supplied to get us again to the airport in time for out (4:00pm) flight on the last day of the tour. Most different teams declare to return to Mekele at 5:00-6:00pm in the evenings and had been rigid, so this motive alone determined our destiny.

At first we had been actually proud of our tour alternative however quickly realised we had fallen sufferer to paying means an excessive amount of for means too little. Different travellers in our group paid $325 USD per particular person for the two evening tour, whereas we paid $500 USD per particular person by reserving upfront on-line. It is crucial to word that you need to by no means pay greater than $325 USD for the tour and the worth is all the time ‘negotiable’ in Ethiopia. It’s a lot simpler to negotiate costs on the floor and if you’re frightened you gained’t have the opportunity to get on a tour, relaxation assured there are many excursions departing day by day.

One, Two or Three nights in the Danakil Depression?

The following consideration to make is how lengthy you need to spend in the Danakil Depression. There are 1, 2 and three nights excursions on supply and every possibility has their very own attraction.

1 evening – Etra Ale Volcano or Dallol

The 1 evening excursions offers you an possibility to see both Etra Ale Volcano or Dallol (the fairly colors which are literally additionally a volcano that has by no means surfaced). Certainly our spotlight of the journey was Dallol. It’s a place not like every other I’ve been and appears like you might be strolling on Mars. If it had been me selecting, I’d undoubtedly go for Dallol over Etra Ale. That’s largely as a result of there’s solely a small quantity of lava at Etra Ale proper now following the eruption in 2009.

2 nights – Etra Ale Volcano, Salt Pans and Dallol

The two evening tour is the hottest possibility and permits you to see every part in the Danakil Depression in a whirlwind, journey packed three days. That is the finest means to get a really feel for the Danakil Depression by not skipping any of the main sights.

three nights – Not suggested

From what my tour information defined, you don’t see way more on the three evening tour and subsequently I’d suggest limiting your time to 1 or 2 nights.

Day one: Etra Ale

Each tour is totally different in its path so you’ll both visit Etra Ale first or Dallol. Nevertheless for the functions of describing the journey, I’ll comply with our itinerary to clarify what you may anticipate.

On Day one we had been collected from our visitor home at 10:00am and departed Mekele at 11:30am. From there you’ll drive round one hour to lunch, adopted by an extra 4-5 hours drive to Etra Ale. All the pieces was clean crusing till we nearly reached the volcano and tried to move via a last safety verify level. We spent round 90 minutes ready in the automobile at this verify level due to a disagreement between two teams who had been arguing about the cash paid for us to move the verify level. Our tour information defined this doesn’t normally occur although after talking to different travellers, it isn’t uncommon. Make certain to anticipate delays and stay calm!

As soon as we arrived at our campsite we had been straight into mountain climbing to the volcano. We reached the volcano in the darkish of evening and had been offered gasoline masks to filter the air as this can be very laborious to breathe up there. We spent round an hour at the volcano earlier than mountain climbing again down to our camp. Some excursions had been tenting on the rim of the volcano itself, some under the base.

Day Two: Salt Pans

The following day we awoke with the dawn and after breakfast started the longest driving day of the tour. The Danakil Depression is barely linked by restricted roads so the driving distances are huge. Sadly there’s a highway at the moment being constructed to join Etra Ale and Dallol to make the tour attainable to do in only one evening. I say sadly as a result of it takes a means quite a lot of the journey and off-roading of the tour which makes it really feel so genuine. Till this highway is accomplished, you may anticipate a 6-Eight hour drive on at the present time!

First we make our means again to the identical place we had lunch the day earlier than and from there, journey North towards Dallol. We arrive at the salt pans prior to sundown and first make our means to a tiny gap minimize into the salt to create what locals describe as “a mini useless sea”.

After our float in the salty water, we make our means additional into the salt pans for sundown. That is one among the extra glamorous elements of the journey – there’s wine, dancing and a fantastic backdrop to remind us of how distant we’re in the Afar area.

Day three: Dallol

On day three we get up at 4:00am to be the first to arrive at Dallol. Regardless of the early get up name everybody in our group is surprisingly enthusiastic and keen to be the solely individuals traversing the panorama of this volcanic ambiance 130m under sea stage.

Dallol is a volcano that by no means got here to fruition. The sulphuric acid casts an insufferable scent over the total space (it smells like egg, ha!) however the landscapes are too unbelievable to actually discover. Different tour teams arrive as we’re leaving and the gentle rapidly warms the hottest place on earth. It’s only 8:00am and the temperature is scorching!

From Dallol we make our means again to the Salt Pans to see the salt miners working and hopefully catch a camel caravan in the motion. Sadly it’s Friday and our tour information informs us that on Fridays Muslim employees take the day without work and on Sundays Christians relaxation. Thus for those who can time your visit accordingly it is possible for you to to see what we didn’t.

The way forward for the Danakil Depression

As talked about earlier the Danakil Depression excursions are tough, rugged and such a novel journey in one among the world’s most distant landscapes. That is all about to change when the newly constructed highway is opened that can join Etra Ale and Dallol. What was as soon as an off-road expertise in a 4×Four will grow to be way more accessible for travellers. Whereas the plus aspect shall be decrease journey instances between the two areas, it can additionally make this extra of a sightseeing journey slightly than a journey to the depths of Northern Ethiopia. In case you have the probability to visit in the subsequent few months I’d say sooner is best than later!