For the longest time, when people think of a tourist bucket list destination, Djibouti rarely ever comes top of mind.
But over the past several years, Djibouti has emerged as one of the top tourist destinations.
Unfortunately, not many people even know where this hidden gem is located.
Or even that it is one, probably the only country in the world, that shares a name with its capital city.
If it wasn’t for the crush I had on my Geography class teacher, I’d be part of the team that still struggles to pin point Djibouti on an atlas or locate it on a map.
Although Djibouti is just a little country occupying an area of around 23,200 sq km, around the size of the US state of New Jersey, the country has so much to offer to its visitors.
Best known as one of 16 tree-free countries where less than one per cent of the land is covered in forest, Djibouti sizzles with picturesque beaches and volcanic salt lakes. Is blessed with a magnificent marine life. And pulsates with eerie landscapes.
All these scenic sites can easily fill a week’s itinerary for both active pursuits or a simply more laid-back holiday.
Furthermore, it is a melting pot of delectable cuisines influenced by its neighbors Somali, Afar, and Yemeni, as well as its former colonizers, the French.
If you’re still building your Djibouti itinerary and are struggling with options, here’s a quick guide on top things to do in Djibouti, must see things in Djibouti, must do activities or must visit places when in Djibouti, plus what’s best in Djibouti that deserves your time.
What's Covered in This Article
Day 1
Djibouti City Tour
After a quick breakfast at the China Shandong Restaurant and Hotel, a clean budget hotel in Djibouti city, the country’s capital, where I did spent my first night, I decided to explore the town center.
I was pretty much done with my Djibouti city tour in about 4 hours or so as its a rather small town.
It was so hot so I kept making stops here and there.
Djibouti city is divided into 2 main sections: the European quarter, and the African quarter.
I started off at the Djibouti downtown European quarter.
I was fascinated by its Gallic vibe of well-ordered boulevards and avenues as well as the mix of Arab, French, and Moorish architectural buildings that scream Djibouti’s past.
I then headed to the African quarter to soak up the local Djiboutian culture.
This is where the former African market (marché central) was located.
The African quarter is also home to the iconic Hamoudi Mosque built in 1906.
Palais du Peuple (The People’s Palace) is another not to be missed iconic monument in Djibouti City.
A gift from the Government of the People’s Republic of China, it is the symbol of Djiboutians struggle for independence and pays tribute to one of the most important national symbols of the country.
A stark contrast with the European quartier, the African Quarter is the perfect place for experiencing an eclectic mix of Somali, Yemeni, and Ethiopian as well as Djibouti vibes in one spot.
The much narrower and busier alleyways, the smaller stalls, shops standing cheek by jowl, and the lively fruit and spice markets were an attraction in themselves.
Walking through the quarter, I was deafened by the cries of sellers and buyers haggling in the open-air markets.
Some of the buyers pricking up their ears, hopeful that they would bag a bargain price.
At about noon, I got tired of walking in the sun, so I hailed for a taxi.
As I got into the taxi, the thought of which restaurant to tick off poisson yemenite from my must try foods in Djibouti bucket list lingered on.
This is where Seid, my taxi driver turned Djibouti tour guide, came in handy.
He recommended Restaurant National – Chez Hamdani, a local Djibouti restaurant on a dodgy neighborhood on Avenue 13.
Explore Djiboutian Cuisine
Seid’s recommendation of Chez Hamdani as the top restaurant in Djibouti for Djibouti local food was spot on.
I was delighted at the mix of the familiar and exotic I experienced here.
It gave me a glimpse into the culture of this nation – I come from the Luo tribe in Kenya – where fish is an important part of the diet.
More of my experience at Restaurant National – Chez Hamdani in this post here.
Restaurant National isn’t your ordinary kind of restaurant.
For starters, there is a separate sitting area for women.
Its located right at the entrance to the restaurant on the right hand side.
The main restaurant is reserved for men and other women that don’t mind mingling with them.
But you can guess where I sat.
Y’right, right smack in the middle of all the action, with the dudes!😉
Second, there are no menus, in the traditional sense.
As in, poisson yemenite is the main deal here.
Probably the only deal.
Step 1, I went to the the kitchen at the back and picked my choice of fish from a fridge containing the day’s catch – a medley of sea bream, grouper and barracuda.
Step 2, told the chef how much spice I wanted on it.
Step 3, came back to my table, where the waiter took my selection of bread(s) and sauces that I’d be taking down the fish with.
A medium-sized freshly-caught piece of sea bream and freshly baked local bread was my fare that afternoon.
Meanwhile, the chef split open my choice fish diagonally and prepped it with spices.
Afterwards, he smacked it against the walls of a charcoal grill and barbecued it to finger-licking goodness.
In a record 10 minutes later, my poisson yemenite was delivered straight to the table on a silver platter (well,may be not silver) and with a bright smile.
It had a crispy black base, a modestly succulent interior, and an orange-colored crunchy top.
It tasted tender and briny.
The tangy lemon sauce on the side had a hint of sage and bouquet to it.
The warm freshly – baked flat bread in wide round loaves soon followed, putting forth it’s aroma of wholesome goodness.
Having replaced hunger, the most basic of my needs at that point, with a full stomach in a divine and fulfilling manner; and in an atmosphere where I found happiness for my belly and completion of my soul, it was time to explore the rest of this city.
Port de Djibouti
My next stop would be the Port of Djibouti.
Strategically located at the nexus of major shipping routes between Europe, the Far East, the Horn of Africa and the Persian Gulf, the Port of Djibouti is one of the busiest in Africa.
There wasn’t really too much here to see other than the beach, shipping containers, and of course loads of 26 wheeler long distance trucks – most of which are destined for landlocked neighbor Ethiopia.
I got off the car, checked it out, and even got a chance to chat with some friendly and handsome Djibouti men who asked for a selfie with me.
I swear I didn’t coerce them into taking this pic.
Actually, they are the ones who asked for it.
Why they are not smiling though is beyond me.
Maybe they were having 🦋s in their stomachs.😉
I mean, look at all that serving of #melanin goodness smothered in #cocoa #love.😉
I also got to explore The Doraleh Multipurpose Port and Balbala areas of Djibouti.
Check out PK 12
Thereafter, we headed for the roadside destination of PK 12, aka “Point Kilometre 12″ in French.
This is an ‘attraction’ 12 km outside of Djibouti city and the port of Djibouti.
It is the biggest rest stop for trailer-trucks in Djibouti.
As far as my eyes could see, thousands (okay, I’m exaggerating, maybe hundreds) of colorful trailer-trucks lie here, either having offloaded or waiting to offload various commodities imported from Ethiopia; and then reload with stuff that has arrived from the port.
PK 12 was a stark reminder of Mlolongo area on the outskirts of Nairobi in Kenya.
Nagad Railway Station
The new Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway has always been a bucket list item for me and actually, I always dreamed that this is how my maiden trip to Djibouti would happen.
Anyhow, things don’t always go as planned.
So since I somehow found myself here in Djibouti, I figured I may as well check out the new Nagad Railway Station. For future, you never know!
So we drove back and headed towards Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport, where it is located.
Nagad Railway Station is a little further out of Djibouti city center but the characteristic green Djibouti taxis stood at attention waiting for passengers.
By now I was kind of exhausted from the heat and needed to relax and unwind.
Again, Seid saved the day with a brilliant idea.
A lazy afternoon at the Beach of Douda
Conveniently located just about 15 minutes from Djibouti City, Douda is a very quiet beach in Arta that offers a much needed staycation from the hustle and bustle of the city.
After parting with 500 Djibouti francs, I was granted access to the beach.
The sand was floury underfoot and a plumy, powder-cream of hue.
I got here during ebb and the waters had receded massively from the beach by about 500 meters or so, offering an opportunity to literally walk into the sea.
Slumbering in its blue robe, the sea looked drowsy as it relaxed in the afternoon glow.
I saw a couple heron birds bobbing and lolling in the incoming tide, like toys in a bath.
After exploring the beach and walking in the shallow waters for a bit, I spent the rest of my time here just lounging.
Looking around the secluded beach, I didn’t see any of the expected usual sights; beach bummers with day-glo tans, rickety stands or chattering hawkers.
We were the only ones here and had the entire place to ourselves.
Adding to the peaceful ambiance were the swaying mangrove trees, the solitary over-water bungalows with great views, and the non-stop slurp slapping of the tides as they rose and fell gently.
The setting sun laminated me with its warmth as a theater of food scents wafted toward me from the on-site restaurant.
My serenity was soon ruptured by the raucous cry of my phone’s alarm.
It was time to make it back to the city.
My footprints in the sand followed me all the way to the taxi that waited on standby.
I resolved to come back to this spellbinding place again someday when in Djibouti.
This had been a transcendental experience…
Just what I needed.
Day 2
Having explored the main corners of Djibouti city, it was now time to explore the outskirts.
The Desert of Barra, Lake Abbe aka Lake Abhe Bad, and Lake Assal would be my next destinations.
The scenic drive lasted about 7 hours in total.
Early morning the next day, at about 9 am, the four of us left Djibouti city in our 4×4 Toyota accompanied by Gerad our English-speaking guide, and Dawood, our driver.
I took the co-driver’s seat both to and fro.
Best decision ever.
I had an un-distracted view of the scenic drive.
And Dawood was the sweetest.
Whenever he saw me pull out my camera, he’d either slow down or bring the car to a complete halt without even me asking.
He spoke no English, and I spoke no Arabic.
It was awkward at first, but somehow we managed to have some very decent conversations in my very rusty French and his near perfect French.
After about 2.5 hours of driving on the well-paved Djibouti Ethiopia road, we took a stop over at Dikhil for lunch and also to wait for the sun to cool down.
The moment we slid into our seats, we were served an enormous salad to share.
After some time another waiter arrived with the main course: fried chicken, sauteed french beans, potato chips, rice and baguettes.
He then took our drinks orders with all the efficiency of a toddler tying their laces with mittens on.
We had all skipped breakfast that morning, so we dug into the food with ravenous hunger.
Except for Alexa (my other traveling partner).
She was eating the food like she believed it was poisoned.
Each forkful was tinier that you’d feed a baby and even then she nibbled it, pausing before taking any more.
She had just arrived from Ethiopia 2 days before where she suffered massive food poisoning, and was still struggling with loss of appetite.
I felt bad for her.
Several waiters later, none of our drinks had been served.
They seemed to forget what we had told them before the words had even left our lips, so that we had to repeat our drinks orders so many more times it was absurd.
In my case for instance, it took Ricarda (God bless her souls) firmly asking, without batting an eye lid, for my bottle of coca cola to arrive.
Albeit just as we were about to leave.
But I didn’t care.
As long as it was now here.
Drinking that cold coke in the Djiboutian heat felt like the greatest luxury of the day.
Condensation bead the outside of the bottle, as my fingers slid on them before regaining their grip.
I felt the chill run down my esophagus and my head make an involuntary shake.
A numbness crept into my brain the way it did the first time my eyes locked with that of my Parisian bae.
But without the embarrassment 😉
We then set off and continued with our journey.
The Desert of Barra
At some point, after another say 1 hour, the driver veered off the tarmac road.
For a moment I thought the car had developed a problem or something.
But before I could find the right French words and conjugate them into the correct tense ask Dawood what the matter was, a vast singed-yellowish flat and mournful pan of emptiness as far as the eye could see, greeted us.
Only the crystal blue sky, where rays of sunshine bounce on forever, now empty like a box of no cotton, broke up the emptiness.
It was the most barren and lonesome environment I had ever found myself in.
“Bienvenue dans le Désert de Bara. Cést le plus plat Désert non fertile du monde entier”.
Please stop cursing me from behind your computer screen and make Google Translate your friend!
Anyway, all he’s saying is that “they say no one is perfect, but have they seen you?”
Surprise!
An item kicked off my bucket list.
The Grand Bara desert is the flattest unfertile desert in the world.
The Desert of Bara is an 18.5 miles long and six miles wide desert that came about as a result of lake beds drying up to form large arid plains.
Only brittle shrubs afar off, a bunch of lone camels, and an eagerly scoundrel woman tending her donkeys at a watering hole broke up the emptiness of the desert.
Apparently, the women here try to insight men for no reason in the hope that the man will beat them so they can sue and get some money off them.
How lame, woman!
The argument with the woman became so intense that Dawood and Gerard had to come out of the car.
Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to take pictures of some camels roaming about the desert, and donkeys by a watering hole.
Dawood and Gerard came back to the car and we drove back to the tarmac road and off to our next stop.
Look-out on a Roof-top at the Village of Asela
Once Gerard had sought permission, we climbed up the roof-top of some random house in the village of Asela.
Honestly, I struggled to come to terms with what the attraction here was.
So after 5 seconds of checking out the tiny village from the rooftop, I decided to convert this short stopover into a photo shoot session before I got bored again and headed for a bathroom break.
Lac Abbée
We left village of Asela and begun the drive to Lac Abbe, aka Lake Abe aka Lake Abhe Bad aka “the rotten lake” in Afar.
The landscape soon started changing from vast unending plains of wasteland-brown to more rugged and mountainous.
There were also several nomadic settlements along the way.
After a few hours of driving on unpaved or rather non-existent roads, we started catching a glimpse of the limestone chimneys of Lake Abbe which have continually formed from chalk concentrations with the progressive regression of the lake.
After about 30 minutes of exploring the chimneys, I was exhausted.
We left for our overnight camp at Lake Abbe Campement Touristique d’Asboley, a short distance away.
And boy, didn’t we have the most unique accommodation!
A traditional Bedouin tent of the Afar people which is made of woven goats’ hair.
You’re probably wondering what happens when it rains.
Well, the woven tent contracts sealing the openings such that no water can sip through.
This cool technology enables the tent to function just like an AC.
When the heat is blazing outside of the tent, the inside remains refreshingly cool.
My tent came complete with a safari bed, a bed sheet, and a white brand new mosquito net.
We had barely rested when the sun started rapidly retreating from the sky.
It was time for our final activity of day 1 Djibouti itinerary.
Watch a Sunset
At first there appeared to be a tiny golden yellow ball of fire in the horizon.
It slowly came out of the shadow of clouds, increasing in size.
Far to the west, the limestone chimneys towered, steely and fine as needles in an unmoving row, shimmering confidently.
The ball of fire dipping behind the crest of the chimneys soon changed to hues of orange, and then almost tangering; licking and kissing them a golden tint like the fruits of autumn.
I wanted to be kissed too…
As the sun bowed down further, the slumbering chimneys became a-glow like melted platinum.
Scarlet, then amethyst, emblazoned the enormous sky, then it darkened to obsidian, parting away like a defeated king giving up his throne.
We then headed back to camp for the evening.
We were served black tea in a communal area as we waited for dinner.
As we were enjoying our meal, the generator suddenly powered off.
Mother nature’s show that night would never escape my memory.
She painted a picture more sublime than Van Gogh’s starry night at the museum of modern art.
I clearly remember how the sky above like a black velvet ceiling sprinkled with diamond dust, winked down at me, stealing every carousel of care from my mind.
What else was there to worry about?
Blankets of sequin-silver stars, like the glowing embers of a dying fire uncontrollably decorated the atramentous canvass of sky.
Suddenly, a courageous one, with a brilliant flash of silver light, whirled and danced briefly in the inky sky before vanishing.
“Look! a shooting star!”
Just then, I spotted a half moon looking at me with love so intense it warmed my soul like a fireplace on a cold winter’s night.
I couldn’t ignore her.
I just… stopped eating…. and thinking.
To take it all in.
Living at the heart of Nairobi city, I don’t get to see these beautiful blinking fairy lights in the night sky.
So it was a little disappointing when the lights came back on.
After dinner, a group of children from the village entertained us with local Afar songs and drumming tunes.
I fell asleep at 10 o’clock to strong winds, only to awake in the wee hours of the morning to peaceful silence.
Time for Day 3 in Djibouti itinerary.
Day 3
Lake Abbe Morning Walk and Sunrise
We woke up long before dawn while the moon and stars were still up, to catch the sun rise on the plains off the shores of lake Abbe; and also to take a walk around the lake, have a natural sauna by the hot springs, and to see the Chimneys at sunrise.
After catching the sunrise, we walked amidst limestone chimneys, and over vast bog-like salt flats with hot springs gushing forth steam.
Hot water from the springs beneath runs freely from the springs in streams, towards the lake.
The only visible patches of green was areas that were in close proximity to the springs.
Apparently, Lac Abbé is located on the exact spot where three tectonic plates meet and that the chimneys area actually all born on these fault lines
We spent about 3 hours here before heading back to camp for breakfast and to freshen up.
We didn’t make it to the shore of the lake as I kinda wandered off and delayed everyone else plus the rest of the team had a flight to catch at 7 pm that evening.
If you’re in luck, you’ll spot flamingos.
We didn’t.
After a basic breakfast of baguettes, some dumpling-like bread, marmalade, butter and of course a pot of sugared tea, we began the drive to Lake Assal.
We stopped over at the Chimneys one final time.
Gerard gave a short geology lesson.
Back in the day, hot water saturated with minerals rose from the springs beneath the crust.
On contact with the cooler waters of Lake Abe, the mineral deposits slowly started crystallizing into the limestone chimneys under the surface.
But as the water levels kept going down due to high temperatures, the chimneys were left freestanding revealing these eerie moonscape landscapes that have made many people associate Lake Abbe with the 1968 film Planet of the Apes.
And just for the record, the movie was not filmed in Lac Abbé, Djibouti, as proudly claimed by numerous guidebooks, numerous blogs, Djiboutian tour guides and even international newspapers.
Adaleh Canyon
After about an hour’s drive after the turn off on a rather deserted road ee stopped by the Adaleh Canyon look-out on our way to Lake Assal.
Adaleh Canyon is to Djibouti what the Grand Canyon is to the United States of America.
Having been to the former, I must admit that Adaleh Canyon was quite impressive.
I walked down to the pit and was overwhelmed by its sheer depth, size and beauty.
I however wasn’t confident enough to stand so I just sat at the edge over the rim.
The things we do for the gram!
I watched as the late afternoon Djiboutian sun filled the Canyon’s vast void with a luminous golden tint; and the subtle colors in the stratified canyon walls gently separating into gold, grey, and ember.
The Fault in Ghoubet al-Kharab
Next up, we stopped over at the fault in Ghoubet aka قبة الخراب, aka the Gulf of the Devils, another lookout point on the way to Lake Assal.
Just about one meter above sea level, Ghoubbet al-Kharab hosts two volcanic islands popularly referred to as “Devil’s Islands” as it is believed that demons reside here.
The view of Adaleh Canyon to the right, the Gulf of Tadjoura (junction between the mouth of the Red sea and the extreme western end of the Gulf of Aden) to the far North, Lake Assal to the west – separated only by the Ardoukôba Volcano- was out of this world.
I could barely hold my camera steadily as it was a very windy afternoon.
So I just took a few photos and spent the rest of my time here soaking it all in.
Lac Assal
It’s a wrap!
The final stop on this whirlwind 4 days 3 nights Djibouti itinerary was Lac Assal aka LakeAssal aka Bu ayrah Asal (honey lake) in the local Afar language.
Located in the Danakil Desert of Djibouti, just by visiting this amazing lake, I got to cross of 3 more items off my bucketlist:
- Lake Assal is the world’s largest natural salt reserve;
- Lake Asal is also the lowest point in Africa (-115m below sea level) and the third in the world after the Dead Sea and the Lake of Tiberian also located in Middle East;
- It is the second saltiest body of water in the world ~ saltier than the Dead Sea. The saltiest is Don Juan Pond in Antarctica.
Travel tip: should you decide to take a dip – which you technically can’t because of the water density, don’t you even dare pee in the water. It will all float up as the water is super thick!
#NotSpeakingFromExperience
The lake gets its jade blue color from dormant volcanoes and black lava fields while the whitish parts are dry salt beds which are a result of high evaporation rates over time.
The combination of sun, water and white salt is blinding, so make sure you wear your sun glasses throughout.
It was always my desire to float on Lake Assal.
But at this point in time, I was so exhausted and the rest of my tour partners had flights to catch.
So we just explored the lake for about 10 minutes before leaving for Djibouti city.
We were back to Djibouti at exactly 4:30 pm.
What a ride that was!
Coming from Nairobi, a city that never sleeps, people tend to forget what relaxation feels like and Djibouti gave me just that.
Relaxation.
For now, I will attempt to relive my experience through pictures and the words I have shared on this post.
