4-Days Danakil Depression With Gheralta Churches
Starting from Arbaminch through Omorate to Yirgalem, a trip that will give you the chance to experience the true nature of Southern Ethiopia
Overview
Group Size : Two
Tour : Danakil Depression With Gheralta Churches
Duration : 5 Days (7th – 11th February 2017)
Day One
Tuesday 7th February 2017 : Mekele 50kms– Ab’ala 70kms Irepti 80kms junction
Picked up from Mekele airport at 9:45AM, you will be heading East to Erta’Ale volcano peak via Ab’ala and Irepti (where we will have a brief stop at Irepti to arrange for two accompanying polices and a local Afar guide). Proceeding further and arriving Kusrawad, you will spend 20 minutes to arrange for accompanying camels for your transportation up to the peak. Driving further to your base camp Dodom arriving around 5:30PM, you will gear up for a 2.5hours walk upto Erta’Ale peak, tentatively arriving at the peak at about 8:00pm. With a further 10 minutes walk down to the lava pit, you will have your first sighting of the volcano lava flow. After a 30 minutes stay at the lava pit, you will be returning back to the peak for dinner and camping overnight.
Erta Ale Lava Pit (Night Vision) Erta Ale Pit (Morning Vision) Erta Ale Lava (Day Vision)
Day Two
Wednesday 8th February 2017 : Erta Ale – Dodom – Berahile – Hamedila
With additional photo opportunities early morning at 5:30am, you will be walking down from Erta Ale peak at 6:30AM, arriving at Dodom base-camp at about 8:30AM. With breakfast at the base-camp, you will start driving to Kusrawad and on to Berahile via Irepti and Ab’ala, with lunch-box stop on the way around Ab’ala. Passing Berahile mid-afternoon, you will be driving into the Dallol lowlands, enroute possibility seeing camel caravans loaded with salt bars from the Dallol Salt plains. Arriving Hamedila at about 6:00PM, you will be camping overnight.
Day Three
Thursday 9th February 2017 : Hamed Ila – Dallol – As’Ale – Hamed Ila
At 7:00AM, you will be driving into the Dallol Plains where you will be able to see locals making salt bars (cutting, shaping, packing and loading), the colorful sulfur springs, Lake As’Ale, the old Italian potash site are also to be seen. Mid-afternoon, you will be returning back to Hamed Ila where you will be camping overnight.
Day Four
Friday 10th February 2017 : Hamedila – Berahile – Hawzien
With additional visits of camel caravans heading into and out of the Danakil Depression, you will be heading to Mekele via Berahile. Arriving Mekele mid-afternoon, you will check in for your flight to Addis Ababa at 5:30PM. Arriving Addis Ababa at 21:10, you will be transferred to your hotel, thereby ending your 5 days tour of the Danakil Depression.
At 7:30AM, you will be driving into the Dallol Plains where you will be able to see locals making salt bars – cutting, shaping, packing and loading, the colorful sulfur springs, Lake As’Ale, the old Italian potash site are also to be seen. Mid-afternoon, you will be returning back to Hamed Ila where you will be camping overnight.
Hamed Ila – Dallol – As’Ale – Hamed Ila
