Danakil Depression

Route

What’s the plan?

Day 1: Mekele and drive to Hamdela, Beginning the tour to Danakil Desert

In the morning we drive 260 km via Berhale we reach Hamadella, which is called “base camp” located in the desert and only 25km away from Dallol. We have lunch on the way and stop at some places where you can enjoy a very impressive view and you meet the first camel caravans. In Berhale we stop to finalize paper process with administer. On arrival in Hamadella we proceed to Lake Asale to see the spectacular view of the sunset reflection. We spend the 1st night on local afar-beds, open air under the stars or in a wooden cottage. On the way you will also admire some local Tigrean and Afar tribes’ village and camel caravan carrying the salt bars to transport it to the nearest local town.

Day 2: Hamed Ela – Dodome – Erta Ale

In the morning drive to Dodome. Here we will arrange camels to transport your luggage and water, and then you will start hiking to the Erta Ale Volcanic hills (613 meters above sea level) which is 15km one way, and walk to see the volcanic eruption. The eruption is so colorful and spectacular. At night, we will camp nearby the eruption, on the crater rim above the active lava lake.

Day 3: Erta Ale- Dodom-Hamed Ela

From here we descend around early morning in the direction Dodom, which we will reach after 2hours. Here breakfast will be served and you have some time to relax. We start our drive to HAMED ALE, our next destination= 100 km/7 hours Lunch is served en route, we reach Hamed Ale around 4:30pm, a bigger village with a total population about 500.LAKE ASALE (lake ‘Red Mountain’) a huge salt lake-is in walking distance, where we take a deep breath and a wine or beer for sunset, taking in the many reflections. Our tonight camp is in Hamed Ale.

Day 4: Ahmed Ella to Dallol to Lake Asale to Mekele

Morning driving tour to Ragad (Asebo), the place where the salts are mined. Observe the breaking of the salt from the ground, cutting into rectangular pieces and loading on camels. We walk down to the camp at the bottom of the volcano and we drive to Afdera to swim in lake Afrera and take bath in a naturally hot spring water near by the lake. After lunch drive back to Mekelle.

What's included

Included:

√ Transport
Your trip starts in Mekele. All transportation during the trek is included. We will drive you in 4WD land cruisers. All fuel expenses and drivers allowances are covered.

√ Accommodation
During the first night of this trek you will spend the night on local afar-beds, open air under the stars or in a wooden cottage. On the second and third night you will camp. However, this camping experience is truly a unique one. On the second night we will camp in the Erta Ale Volcanic hills, nearby the eruption, on the crater rim above the active lava lake.

√ Guide
You will be accompanied by a professional and experienced guide and a scout. Also, we include a local guide service for the Afar region.

√ Meals
There will be plenty of food, you can be sure about that. We will take care of all the cooking materials and a professional cook will take care of prepearing the meals.

√ Camels
Camels and a camel handler will also be joining you on this trek. They will carry the food, camping equipment, and your backpack if you need them to.

√ Entrance Fees
All park entrance fees, licenses and government taxes are included in the total price.

√ Water
We will provide you with plenty of bottles of mineral water during this trek.

√ Camping equipment
We will provide you with sleeping bags and all other equipment necessary.

Excluded:

× Airfare
The plane tickets are not included.

× Accommodation before and after the trek
Before and after the trek you have to take care of your own accommodation.

× Tipping
The tip is not included in the price of the trek. Tipping guides, drivers and camel handlers is a usual practice in Ethiopia. Try to be generous, they will appreciate it.

× Travel Insurance
Your international travel insurance is your own responsibility. Discuss your itinerary with the insurance company before you travel.

×Personal Expenses
All personal expenses such as alcoholic drinks, and other similar expenses are for your own account.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Climate

A very important thing to know about this region is that it is hot, very hot. The Danakil Depression, in the northeastern corner of Ethiopia, has the distinction of being the hottest place on earth, with recorded temperatures of 51 C°. It’s sometimes called “the gateway to Hell”, so make sure you wear light clothes and that you keep your body hydrated.

Best Season

It is always hot in the Danakil Depression, there isn’t much you can do about it. However, the ‘coolest’ time to visit the area is from November to early January. Any other time of year you are very likely to experience temperatures over 46 C°.

Tipping

Tipping is more common in Ethiopia than in other East African countries. However, opinions on how much are divided. We advise to tip the guide around 7 or 8 USD per day of trek. Try to be generous, it will be appreciated.

Accommodation

Accommodation

The region of the Danakil depression is homeland of the Afar people. During the first night of this trek you will spend the night on local afar-beds (a wooden platform with thick ropes tied between its sides and the mattress placed on top of it), open air under the stars or in a wooden cottage. On the second and third night you will camp. However, this camping experience is truly a unique one. On the second night we will camp in the Erta Ale Volcanic hills, nearby the eruption, on the crater rim above the active lava lake.

Packing List

Packing List

Everything is arranged for your trek in Ethiopia, the only thing left is to pack your bags and get going. Now, what do you need? Here we have some recommendations for you:

Bear in mind that the facilities in the Danakil Depression are very basic: there is no electricity, there are no showers. Here are the essentials:

– light clothing
– a headlamp
– a small backpack for the volcano trek
– sunglasses and a hat
– a mask or a scarf to cover your face at the volcano
– toilet paper and baby wipes
– sun cream
– first aid kit (bandages, pills, band-aids, disinfectants)
– power bank and extra bateries

Simien Mountain trekking and tou

Simien Mountain trekking and tours

We have been operating in the field since 2009 and have provided the best services to happy customers from all over the world thus far. Our Team is always driven towards providing the best experiences for our valued clients. Our passion and professionalism has made us the leading trekking agency in Ethiopia .Our team is always working towards making dream vacations of our customers into a pleasurable reality. In addition, our highly professional and well-trained guides and staff will always make sure that you have a problem-free holiday.

Likewise, our services range from the planning and preparation of tours to immaculate trip arrangements. You are guaranteed to get the best accommodations, transportation, food and guiding services. No matter if you are planning for trekking and historical, a cultural tour or peak climbing, we are the best to plan your trip in affordable price.

We aim to give our clients the most memorable experience through whatever facilities are available to us. We always try to provide accommodation that is both interesting and characterful, and transport – another important part of any tour – that is as varied and comfortable as possible. All our trips are led by our experienced tour leaders who are both knowledgeable and fun to travel with.

Our clients are our greatest asset. Travelling to remote regions is not for everyone, and as such we tend to attract open-minded travellers looking for genuine experiences, and a desire to reach those hard to get to places.

Safety

Safety

Safety is of the utmost importance to us. That is why this is an area in which we simply do not compromise when it comes to keeping the cost of our trekkings low. Our guides have been selected on the basis of their technical competence, proven safety performance, impeccable judgment, friendly attitude and ability to provide useful and expert instructions. They are also very professional and well trained in first aid and personal protection equipment. First aid kits are available on all treks. Furthermore, a park ranger or a scout will also be joining us during the trek.

How To Book

How does it work?

On Bookatrekking.com you can find and compare the adventures of your dreams. Is this trekking adventure your match? In that case you can proceed to booking. At Bookatrekking.com you make a deposit of 15% of the total amount. You pay the remaining amount on location prior to the trek directly to the trekking company.

Bookatrekking.com uses only the safest payment methods. Once your booking has been received, your place is reserved, your place is safe and you can look forward to your chosen trekking.

After you have made your booking, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with all necessary information and the contact details of the trekking company. If you have any questions or if you want to clarify something, you can obtain information directly from the right person. Of course, you can also always ask us your question. Send us an e-mail on support@bookatrekking.com

The trekking company will also receive your details and can therefore always contact you and provide you with extra information.

Cancellation Policy

You wish you didn’t have to, but there is no other way: You find yourself having to cancel your plans. In this case, you lose your deposit, but since you haven’t paid the large sum yet, you at least save that. Please do let us know if you cannot make it. A no-show can be a small disaster for your trekking provider, who did its best to block your dates. View our complete cancellation policy here.