The Danakil Depression

One of the hottest, driest, lowest and most desolate places on earth.

This geological depression, sometimes called the Afar Triangle or the Afar Depression, is situated in the north east of Ethiopia and extends into neighbouring Eritrea and Djibouti, the area that is commonly known as the Horn of Africa. It is probably the most inhospitable place on the planet and is deserving of its nickname, the "Devil's Kitchen".





Part of Africa's Great Rift Valley, it is one of the hottest areas on earth and one of the driest, with only a few inches of rain falling each year. It is also one of the lowest regions, in places more than 120 m (390 ft) below sea level.

Apart from the narrow green strip along the banks of the Awash River, the landscape is a mixture of desert scrub, rocky outcrops and mountains. About 1,200 sq km (463 sq mi) of the income for many of the nomadic Afar tribespeople who inhabit this hostile environment.

The base of the Depression is composed of basalt lava and the whole area is a great source of interest to geologists and volcanologists. Hundreds of small earthquakes shake the area every year and volcanic cones and deep cracks in the earth are commen sight.




There are bright yellow fields of sulphur to be seen, not to mention places where boiling water and steam come bubbling out of rocks.

Despite the almost unremitting bleakness of the area, the few intrepid travellers who make the effort to go there are always left with adeep and lasting impression of this most extraotdinary landscape.

Simien National Park

A nation park and UNESCO world Heritage Site with stunning landscapes.

Simien Mountains National Park is one of the National Parks of Ethiopia. Located in the Simien Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, its territory covers the Simien Mountains and includes Ras Dashan, the highest point in Ethiopia.

It is home to a number of extremely rare species, including the Ethiopian wolf, Gelada Baboon, and the Walia Ibex, a wild goat found nowhere else in the world. More than 50 species of birds inhabit the park, including the impressive Bearded Vulture, or Lammergeyer, with its 10-foot (3m) wingspan.

The Simien National Park lies in one of the most spectacular landscapes on earth. Over millennia, the Ethiopian plateau has been eroded to created a lunar vista of flat areas and peaks separated by dramatic steep-sided gorges that run down to broad valleys and grasslands.

At 4,620 m (15,157), Ras Dejen is the fourth highest peak in Africa and snow often falls in the highest areas of the park, even though it is only about 13 degrees north of the equator, and temperatures can fall below 0 C (32 F) at almost any time of the year.

The park's specialities include several very rare animals, including the walia ibex, which occurs only here and is the reason for the park being set up, gelada (bleeding heart) baboons, Simien fox and small numbers of Ethiopian wolves.

This breathtaking landscape is perfect for trekking from the lower slopes where farmers grow crops and graze animals, through the alpine forests and up to the high grasslands, where spectacular plants include giant lobelia and kniphofia. Mountain tracks between villages allow for easy access to most areas.

Tassili N'Ajjer

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, Tassili N'Ajjer is a massive mountain plateau extending for nearly 500 km (300 mi) across the Sahara Desert of south-eastern Algeria. The soft sandstone has been carved by the wind and sand grains that howl across the desert into fantastic landforms, with sheer cliffs and sudden, unexpected, deep chasms and more than 300 rock arches. Because of its isolation, this beautiful landscape remains relatively undisturbed.

During the last ice age, this area used to be far wetter than it is today, and the sandstone has managed to retain some of the ancient moisture, allowing the growth of sparse woodland, including the Saharan myrtle and Saharan cypress.

The wildlife was also much richer thousands of years ago, as can be seen from the cave paintings that dot the area and show such animals as antelope and crocodiles, as well as cattle, indicating that there must have been land for grazing and pasture and waterholes for the crocodiles.

There are also vivid depictions of the life of the people who lived here. In order to protect the rock painting from further damage, visitors can only enter the central area with an official guide or accredited tour group.

Discover Algeria

Shiver as the sun rises over Assekrem, the mountains at the 'End of the World.'Rock the Casbah in Algiers, one of the finest coastal sites on the Mediterranean.Explore the best Roman ruins in Africa, and the oldest rock art in the world.Tie your turban like a Yuareg and be swept up in the magic of the world's greatest desert.

Guidebooks to Algeria