Tours to the Danakil Depression and Ataele Volcano

An Exciting Trip to the Danakil and Ataele Volcano.

Solomon was featured in a BBC Radio 4 documentary on the Danakil in 2006.
Click here for more information and to listen online

Click here to view photos from previous treks to the Danakil and Ataele Volcano

ITINERARY

Day 1 Depart Heathrow, fly overnight.
Day 2 Arrive Addis Ababa. Overnight Hotel in Addis Ababa. Optional City Tour.
Day 3 Drive to Awash National Park. Overnight in Awash Park camping or Genet hotel in Awash .
Day 4 Drive to Asaita, Lunch at Mile en route. Arrive a tbasic hotel by about 4p.m.Nice journey through the landscape of The Rift Valley. A chance to see Wildlife and Birdlife on the way.
Day 5 Continue on to Afrera. Camping overnight, desert area of the Afar Region.
Day 6 Cross via a relatively unexplored route to a campsite from which we trek or ride camels to the Volcano. Set up main campsite with vehicle support.
Day 7 Early start towards the site of the Volcano with all necessary food and water. Camping Overnight.
Day 8 Time to explore the area around the Volcano at group's discretion.
Day 9 Return to main Campsite and vehicles.

Volcanic Crater

Campsite at Ahmedala

Day 10 Drive to Ahamedela Camp. This is a 3 to4 hours hard walk away from the salt mining area.
Day 11 Very early morning start to walk to the site of the cutting of the blocks of salt to be transported by camel to Mekele. Return to Ahamedela Camp the same day. Interesting, but long hot day.
Day 12 Early morning Drive to the Dallol Depression, the lowest point on Earth. Return to Ahamedela. Camping Overnight.

Walking with the camels

Salt mining

Alternative A on foot

It is a further 3 days walk to arrive in Berahile. A wonderful trek accompanying the Salt Caravan, following the riverbed from Ahamedela up to Berahile.

Another 5 days walking takes you up to Mekele. There is spectacular scenery as far as the escarpment at Desae, where a car could meet the group cutting short the trip to Mekele by three days. This avoids the rather monotonous scenery through the rural outskirts of Mekele.

The trip can take either 19 days or 16 days to Mekele depending on the options chosen by the group. From Mekele a day is needed to fly to Addis and then a further day to fly home. Even shorter is Alternative B using 4 wheel vehicles all the way back to Mekele.

Alternative B by vehicle

Day 12 Early morning drive to the Dallol Depression, the lowest point on Earth. Return to Ahamedela Camp and continuedriving on up to Berahile. Camp Overnight at Berahile.
Day 13 Drive to Mekele to arrive at lunchtime. Overnight in comfortable Hotel.
Day 14 Fly to Addis Ababa. Overnight Hotel.
Day 15 Fly Home.

Costs vary according to the number of people in the group and the time of year and options chosen.


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