Danakil Depression & Dallol
ዳናኪል
One of the lowest and hottest places on Earth. The yellow-green sulphur salt pools of the Dallol hot springs look otherworldly, Erta Ale has a lava lake, and salt caravans have worked here for a thousand years.
The Danakil Depression lies in the north of the Afar Region as part of the Afar Triple Junction in the East African Rift. Its lowest point is about 125 metres below sea level, and average annual temperatures exceed 34°C, so it is often described as one of the least habitable places on Earth. Its main highlights include the following. The Dallol geothermal field has hot springs rich in sulphur, iron and salt that have formed yellow, green, orange and white pools and salt pillars that look like another planet. Lake Assale (Karum) is where Afar salt miners cut salt slabs with axes, which camel caravans then carry to the highlands. The sight of caravans crossing the salt plain at dusk is spectacular. Near Karum there are salt lakes and salt mountains. Erta Ale volcano has a lava lake at its summit that has been present for long periods, although its activity changes. Visitors hike up for about three hours at night and camp at the crater's edge. You can only visit with a licensed tour operator, usually setting out from Mekelle or Semera. Trips take three to four days, and convoys include local guides and armed escorts. The water in the Dallol pools is strongly acidic, so do not touch it, and walk on the salt crust only along the guide's route. The region borders Eritrea, and there have been attacks on tourists in the past. Before travelling, check the latest safety advice from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia.
Opening hours
Visit only with a tour group (no fixed opening hours)