Danakil Bivouac

the coolest way to explore this dramatic area

Danakil Bivouac is a relatively simple mobile camp that we can deploy to the remote Danakil area from our base in Addis Ababa.

The camp comprises a simple table and chairs for dining, but no mess tent. Guest accommodation is in up to eight dome tents with simple bed-rolls and rudimentary shared bathroom facilities.

The camp can be set up for private groups of up to sixteen guests and there is no minimum number of nights.

The main reasons to stay here are to visit the remarkable volcanic scenery and the famous salt extraction areas, as well as to meet and interact with people of the Afar tribe.

We usually visit this region by means of a very long day trip from a lodge in the Gheralta area in the highlands to the east, but if you want to take more time and explore this incredible region beyond the usual sights, then this is a really good option.

The Danakil Depression area tends to be combined in trips with various places of interest in the north of Ethiopia, including Gheralta, Axum, Lalibela, Gondar, the Simien Mountains and Bahir Dar.

Seasonality

The best time to visit the Danakil Depression is generally considered to be during the Nov-Mar dry season period, which is usually a little ‘cooler’, with daytime temperatures around 40C/104F and nighttime temperatures around 25C/77F.

At other times of year it can get really hot down here, especially during Aug-Oct, with daytime temperatures around 50C/122F and nighttime temperatures around 28C/82F.

Fortunately the humidities are usually low out here in the desert, but if light rain or humidity blows in from the Red Sea the conditions can become unbearably oppressive.

Getting around

The north of Ethiopia is usually reached by means of regular daily flights from the capital Addis Ababa.

Some of the interconnecting journeys within the region are best done by air, others have to be done by road.

The Danakil Depression is usually accessed by road from the Gheralta area to the west.

usually accessed from the nearby Gheralta area