When I was researching our trip to Ethiopia I soon realised the sheer amount of places to see and experience across the country. It became clear to me that we would need to concentrate our efforts to a specific part of the country and after much deliberation, we decided the North of Ethiopia would be our first choice for our first visit. The Danakil Depression is one of the highlights of Northern Ethiopia, but it is a rough and rugged adventure you need to be prepared for. Here is my complete guide of tried and tested tips to ensure you get on board the best Danakil Depression tour, for the right price and know what you are up for!
Planning a trip to the North of Ethiopia, I never could have imagined how many places I would stumble upon that took my interest. Cities like Gondar, Lalibela, and Axum were recommended by friends who had visited in the past. Despite city recommendations, we were both more drawn to the journey over the destination, so we settled on a plan to visit the Danakil Depression and Simien Mountains. Any cities that we could fit in during our journey to these locations we would, but cities would not take priority.
The Danakil Depression struck me as a place so unlike any other I had ever visited, so it quickly shot to the top of my list of non-negotiable locations. The Danakil has been dubbed the hottest place on earth, is regarded as inhospitable, and just by looking at photos alone, I knew I had to see it for myself.
Is it Safe to Visit the Danakil Depression?
The Danakil Depression has been described as the lowest, the driest, the hottest, and the most inhospitable place on earth. So, why should you visit?
I asked myself this same question when booking our trip and when describing it to friends, I settled on the fact that a trip to the Danakil is like an educated gamble. There are tour companies that make their way out there daily so it is relatively safe, but there is certainly an element of risk involved. The air is filled with poisonous gases from the volcano, the sulphuric acids of Dallol, the combination of these gases with the heat and of course the reputation it has for being inhospitable.
But for all the risks, the reward is worthwhile. I would be kidding myself (and my readers) not to mention the German tourist who was shot dead near Etra Ale volcano in 2017. It was never reported who was responsible for the attack, though there have not been any attacks on tourists since.
The risks are thus possible but at the time of writing not present.
How to Choose a Danakil Depression Tour
If you’ve decided you are up for the adventure to the Danakil Depression, it is important to choose your tour group wisely.
The main tour company operating tours in the region is ETT, a huge company that take large group convoys to the Danakil. Traveling in large groups is not really my style, so I looked for a smaller operator.
We settled on Magma Flow, a small group company who offered to get us back to the airport in time for out (4:00pm) flight on the final day of the tour. Most other groups claim to return to Mekele at 5:00-6:00pm in the evenings and were inflexible, so this reason alone decided our fate.
At first we were really happy with our tour choice but soon realised we had fallen victim to paying way too much for way too little. Other travellers in our group paid $325 USD per person for the two night tour, whereas we paid $500 USD per person by booking in advance online. It is much easier to negotiate prices on the ground and if you are worried you won’t be able to get on a tour, rest assured there are plenty of tours departing daily.
