Safari Information
- Departure; Scheduled and tailor-made departure dates
- Duration; 4 Days / 3 Nights
- Lodging; Lodges
- Group Size; Minimum 1
- Note: Travel insurance is compulsory for all safaris
Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Afdera Village
- Early morning, your divers will pick you up in Mekele and you will proceed driving into the Danakil Depression.
- Today’s journey will be mostly by asphalt road to Afdera via Abala town, where the local Afar regional police will accompany the trip.
- Continue to Afdera.
- Overnight camping/sleeping under the stars in Afdera village (very basic accommodations).
Day 2: Volcano
- In the morning, visit Lake Afdera, a salt lake nearly 100 km2.
- Here you can see the modern way of salt mining, as this place provides most of the salt for Ethiopia.
- You can swim in the lake as well as the nearby hot spring.
- After the visit, depart from Afdera to Erta Ale via Kursuwad.
- The Erta Ale volcano has been in a constant state of eruption for over 40 years.
- As the sun goes down you will start the 3-hour hike up to the crater rim of the Erta Ale volcano.
- The hike may be done by camel or on foot.
- At the top you will descend into the caldera and proceed to the crater’s edge.
- Here you will see the permanent lava lake inside the volcano (the only permanent lava lake in the world).
- Overnight on the rim of the volcano caldera in a crude hut.
Day 3: Hamed Ila Village
- Today is an early morning start to witness the sun rise over the horizon.
- You will have your last look at the volcano’s lake of lava before descending from the volcano.
- After breakfast, return driving to Hamed Ila through the arid desert land of the Afar people.
- In Hamed Ila you will see the life of the local Afar people.
- You will also see the camel caravans on their way in and out from the salt lakes.
- Overnight camping/sleeping under the stars in Hamed Ila village (very basic accommodations).
Day 4: Safari Ends
- After breakfast, depart for Dallol, which at 116m below sea level is the lowest point on the African continent.
- Admire the stunning landscape, the ground many shades of red, yellow and orange from the hot water, acids and minerals spurting up from the ground.
- Continue to Lake Asale, which is the salt lake from which the Afar nomads extract salt.
- You will witness (and even try) their laborious task of removing salt from the ground as hundreds of camels relax before the long trek back to Mekele.
- After the visit, proceed back to Mekele, with your last views of this desert and the camel caravans dotting the horizon.
Rates From
From US$ 1000.00 pp sharing
Rates Information
The Above Rates should be used as a guideline only.
- Rates are based on four people per safari
- All rates are subject to availability
- Rates may vary according to season
- Lodging may change depending on your budget
- All rates may change without notice
- Single supplement may apply
Rates Include
- Minimum two (2) 4WD vehicles including driver, driver’s allowance (food and accommodation), fuel, insurance and governmental taxes
- English-speaking guide
- Permits to travel in Afar region
- Local Afar road leaders, armed scouts, and security, as needed
- All food and water while camping in the Danakil Depression
- All cooking and camping materials, including cook to prepare food for entire expedition team
- All other costs associated with travel in the Danakil Depression
Rates Exclude
- All costs outside of the Danakil Depression including transport to/from Mekele, accommodation, meals, etc
- Alcoholic beverages
- Camera and/or photo fees
- Items of a personal nature
Palace Of Haile Selassie
Haile Selassie, King of Kings, Lion of Judah, by the grace of God, Emperor of Ethiopia. Quite a mouthful of a title for a single man or, as the Rastafarians would have it, the son of God. So awe-inspiring are the adjectives that you would have expected him to live in a magnificent palace made of the finest Carrara marble or a granite stone castle in the tradition of Gondar.Visiting The Lalibela Rock Churches
Your correspondent has been travelling in Africa for over three decades. I feel that I know sub-Saharan Africa; its smells, its peoples, its geography and its wildlife. Ethiopia is different, as different as snow is to sand. So different that you could get a very sharp knife and detach it somewhere in the Red Sea because it is not similar to any of its Arab world neighbours either.Where To Travel In Ethiopia
New on Uyaphi.com is our Travel in Ethiopia portfolio featuring safaris and tours to this somewhat new African safari destination; we are very excited about Ethiopia and all that she has to offer. Think of Ethiopia as a more cultural safari destination than what one is used to in Africa.