Venture to one of the most remote and geologically active places in the world on this once-in-a-lifetime 4x4 Ethiopia Tour to the desolate Danakil Depression, as well as Awash National Park.
Trek to the active volcano of Erta Ale to see its incredibly rare molten lava lakes. Spend the night camping in the volcanic hills and watch the glowing red lava of Erta Ale bubble, boil, and spurt. Visit vast Lake Afdera to see the expansive salt flats mined for centuries. Encounter the fearsome Afar people with their camel caravans in the inhospitable, yet striking Danakil Depression region. Then explore Awash National Park on game drives, spotting an impressive array of birds and unusual animals.
This 4x4 Ethiopia Trip is ideal for the intrepid traveler who wants to experience nature in its full power and raw intensity.
Our 4x4 Ethiopia Tour to Danakil Depression starts in Addis Ababa where you are collected from the Bole International Airport. From the airport, you are transferred to your comfortable 4-star hotel in Addis Ababa.
On the first day in Ethiopia, you can embark on a city tour of Addis Ababa, one of Africa's major diplomatic hubs (if time allows). Addis Ababa features an interesting mix of modern and historical elements offering insight into the fascinating history of ancient Ethiopia, as well as more cosmopolitan contemporary culture. Highlights on the city tour include Ethiopia's most important Orthodox Church, the Holy Trinity Cathedral, and the National Museum which houses the famous hominid fossil remains of Lucy, amongst other archaeological and historical finds.
Early this morning we return to the airport and catch our flight to Semera in northeastern Ethiopia. From Semera, the capital of the Afar Region, we drive to the village of Dodom at the foot of the Erta Ale volcano. This relatively short journey (around 80km) takes us about 6 hours on one of the roughest roads in Africa. We travel through the barren Afar Depression, also known as the Afar Triangle. The Afar Triangle is a geological depression in the Great East African Rift Valley. Some paleontologists consider the Afar Triangle the cradle of human evolution due to the early hominid fossil found here.
Our destination, Erta Ale, lies in the northern area of the Afar Triangle, called the Danakil Depression. This is an inhospitable region of arid landscapes with sandy plains, rocky terrain, and solidified lava fields. Along the way, we pass through a scattering of isolated small villages and palm-treed oases.
When we reach Dodom we'll have dinner and prepare for our trek to Erta Ale. It takes us about three hours to reach the shield volcano on foot with camels carrying our camping equipment, water, and food. We trek to the rim of the crater and spend the night marveling at the molten lava. This is Ethiopia's most active volcano, hosting the oldest permanent lava lake in existence. Erta Ale translates from the local Afar language as "smoking mountain" and stands 613 meters above sea level.
As the daylight fades the molten lake of lava glows fiery red in a hot cauldron of bubbling basalt and burning rivulets, making for incredible photographs. Enjoy the rare and unusual experience of watching the molten lava bubble and glow in the darkness giving rise to orange clouds of smoke and natural firework-like sparks. The remote Erta Ale is one of only five lava lakes in the world, so this is a sight that very few on earth will ever witness. Tonight we camp out in the hills of Erta Ale witnessing one of nature's most powerful spectacles.
On the third day of our Ethiopia Tour, wake up to the sights of the secluded Danakil Depression and the 'smoking mountain' of Erta Ale. This isolated 50 km-wide volcano is surrounded by strange rock formations and lava plains created by volcanic eruptions over the ages.
The day begins with breakfast at camp before we set off for the Afdera in our 4x4 safari vehicle. Along the way, we visit the Afar people of this harsh region.
Lake Afdera (also called Afrera) is a hypersaline lake where rock salt has been mined for centuries. Today, one of the largest salt mines in the world is located here. Reaching Afdera we take a walk around the salt mines to see the expansive salt flats around the lake and watch the local people going about their daily lives. The salty Lake Afdera lies in a deep depression covering about 100 km² (39mi²) fed by numerous thermal springs.
Tonight we camp in Afdera, which is one of the lowest places on earth at 103 meters below sea level.
Day four begins with breakfast at Lake Afdera before we drive to south Awash National Park, the next destination on our Ethiopia Tour. Awash is located in the Great Rift Valley at the base of the dormant Mount Fentale volcano.
Later this afternoon we venture to Hyena Hill as darkness falls. This area is home to over 200 hyenas, hence the name Hyena Hill. Here we witness the hyenas of Mt Fentale emerge from their caves at dusk. With luck, we might spot packs of more than 50 hyenas coming out to hunt. The haunting laughter of the hyenas' calls makes this an even more remarkable wildlife experience. To add to this memorable wildlife sighting, warthogs are often seen emerging from their dens in the caves with the hyenas!
Today we explore Awash National Park on our Ethiopia Tour. Our 4x4 game drive takes us in search of the animals and birds inhabiting Ethiopia's oldest game reserve.
The park is named after the Awash River which flows through it. Awash National Park is the most developed Ethiopian wildlife park covering about 850 km² (330 mi²) of the Rift Valley. The landscape consists of grassland plains, low hills, river gorges, and patches of scrub, with Mount Fentale towering in the background. There are over 81 species of mammals found here, including a large population of Beisa Oryx. Other wildlife includes salt's dik-dik, Soemmering’s gazelles, greater and lesser kudus, waterbuck, olive baboons, colobus monkeys, warthogs, and white-maned hamadryas baboons. Awash is a birding hotspot with over 460 bird species recorded.
After our rewarding bird and wildlife watching in Awash National Park, we return to our hotel for our final overnight stay in Ethiopia.
This morning we embark on one more game drive in Awash National Park. This is an excellent time of day to see birds and animals in the wild so sit back and enjoy. After our final exploration of Awash, we drive back to Addis Ababa where our Ethiopian adventure began. Arriving in the capital of Ethiopia, you have some free time to explore and shop for souvenirs. Addis Ababa is the economic, political, and cultural heart of Ethiopia.
Tonight you are invited to join a farewell dinner at one of the best traditional restaurants in Addis Ababa. Spend the evening celebrating the adventures of your 4x4 Ethiopia Tour to Danakil Depression, sampling delicious Ethiopian dishes and watching traditional folkloric dances.
This tour does not take children.
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