3-Day Adventure To Erta Ale And Dallol From Arba Minch
Description
Drive deep into a geological depression located in one of the world's remotest regions. Hike to the top of the Erta Ale Volcano to watch the bubbling lava lake as you spend a beautiful night in a camp there. Also, visit salt mines, the beautiful Lake Asale and a colourful mineral formation in Dallol- all in all an otherworldly experience.
Highlights
- Trek to the top of Erta Ale Volcano to catch an occasional eruption
- Spend a peaceful night at the top in a camp
- Be awestruck at a colourful mineral formation in Dallol
- Visit salt mines and take in the views of beautiful Lake Asale
Itinerary Expand All Collapse All
-
Day 1: Arba Minch - Mekelle expand_more
Take an early morning flight from Arba Minch to Mekelle.
Depart at 7 AM to arrive in Mekele at 8:15 AM.
From the airport, we leave directly for Erta Ale Volcano via Abala-Erepti, a new asphalt road to Afdera. Some 30 km before Afdera town, we turn left and head towards the village of Kisrawad at the foot of Erta Ale. At Kisrawad village, we collect the camels which will carry our supplies: food, water, camping and cooking equipment, and the local guides and militia who will accompany us to the top of Erta Ale.
Set off up the volcano at around 5 PM. The ascent should take around 3-5 hours hiking, depending on how fit the tourists are. At the top of the caldera, the Afar people have constructed simple stone shelters, there are no roofs, but the walls offer some protection against the wind, making it quite chilly in the early hours of the morning. The best time to see the lava pits of Erta Ale is at night – you can sit back some distance and see the lava bubbling like soup, with the occasional eruption which throws gobbets of lava up into the air before subsiding once again.
-
Day 2: Hamed Ela - Dallol expand_more
Start your descent of the Volcano mountain at about 5:30 AM to avoid the heat. The descent is much faster than the ascent and will take around 2.5 hours to reach the base at the bottom, where you will stop for breakfast.
Drive to Hamed Ela via Berahile, an attractive little town set among mountains. The road is much improved with the advent of potash mining investors in Dallol.
-
Day 3: Leave for Mekelle expand_more
Before leaving for Mekele, we will make an early morning visit (when temperatures are still low) to Dallol.
This morning, we visit the salt mines, Lake Asale and the strange, multi-coloured mineral formations around Dallol. Salt is extracted directly from the ground in great slabs, carved into blocks called amole, which was once currency in Ethiopia, and then, loaded on camels which carry the salt up to the high lands. Camel trains can be made up of hundreds, even thousands of camels.
Arrive in Mekelle late afternoon for your return flight to Addis Ababa.
What's Included
4WD transportation
Guide
Scout
Professional cook
Complete cooking materials
Mule(s) & mule handler
Tent
Sleeping bags & mattresses
Tables & chairs on the mountain trek
All park entrance fees
Plenty of food & bottled mineral water
What's Excluded
Tips
Know before you go
This trip is for 5 people but the trip can run as a group trip, with prices starting from $350 per person for a complete group.
The trip can also run on a private basis to fit around your plans. Departures may be tailored.
Meeting Point
Arba Minch, Ethiopia
Cancellation Policy
For cancellations upto 2 days before the tour -
Refund of 80% of the tour price.Price Details
Adult | |
1 To 5 | USD 400 Per Person |
Child | |
1 To 5 | USD 150 Per Person |
This is a group tour |