January 2022

Lac Abbé

DJIBOUTI

Djibouti, a small country in North East Africa, has a diversity of geologically odd landscapes. The limestone chimneys in the Lake Abbé at the border with Ethiopia, the saltlake Assal being the deepest point of Africa, and the youngest vulcanos. I started my trip in Djibouti City. I visited Dikhil and Lac Abbé, Lac Assal, Bankaoulé in the Goda mountains and Tadjoura and Obock at the coast.

Djibouti city from the air

Djibouti City, early morning

Lac Abbé, camp and chimneys

Lac Assal and vulcanic area

Goda mountains

We visited the Goda mountains northwest of the Gulf of Tadjourah. We stayed in the wild and hidden valley of Bankaoulé. In the valley is a small waterfall and gardens of the villagers.

Tadjoura and Obock

At the north coast of the Gulf of Tadjoura and Gulf of Aden we visited the small fishing towns Tadjoura and Obock with white washed houses and small markets. You can reach both by road or by sea with the ferry from Djibouti town.

Tadjoura

Obock

Obock is a small fishing town at the northern shore of the Gulf of Tadjoura.During the French colonialism from 1862 till 1892 Obock was the capital of Djibouti. In 1862 the Afar sultans of Obock sold their land to the French and the construction of the town could start. From that period is left the Governor's House and at the western entrance of town the French Cimetière Marin with graves of French soldiers who died from fever on their way to Indochina between 1885 and 1889.

In Obock we visited the fish harbour. In the market street we saw lifely and colourful marketstalls with vegetables.
And of course there was a fish market too.