Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DALLOL
The Danakil's other must-see is Dallol (-125m at its base), about 20km north of
Hamedela, where great warts of twisted sulphur and iron oxide paint a yellow and orange
landscape that looks more like a coral reef than anything you've ever seen above the wa-
terline. The base of the hill is the lowest place in Ethiopia and the hottest place on Earth
with a year-round average temperature of 34.4°C. The dry, cracked lakebed of
Lake Asale
alongside Dallol is where the Afar people hack blocks of salt out of the ground. The fam-
ous camel caravans load up here and you can stop to watch.
LAKE AFDERA
Seldom visited (usually only by tours starting in Addis) is Lake Afdera (-102m), some-
times called Afrera, which is 60km (up to six hours by 4WD!) south of Irta'ale. Salt is ex-
tracted from its green waters and you can swim in it or the nearby hot springs.
