Lac Abbé in Djibouti: Apocalypse wow

Lac Abbé in Djibouti: Apocalypse wow

Djibouti's Lac Abbé is both desolate and apocalyptic. Seeing this eerie lunar landscape is a surreal experience like little else on earth

It turns out that the 1968 film Planet of the Apes was not filmed at Lac Abbé in Djibouti, as several travel guides, numerous blogs, countless Djiboutian tour guides and even international newspapers proudly claim. The producers haven't even left the western United States.

This is a real shame, firstly because Lac Abbé is a suitably apocalyptic filming location, and secondly because it is Djibouti's only claim to fame.

Before Lonely Planet named Djibouti one of their best places to visit in 2018, I would have struggled to point to this tiny speck of a nation on a map - one-sixth the size of England. Stationed in the Horn of Africa between some pretty dubious neighbors, it's home to some of the strangest landscapes we've ever seen - Lac Abbé being one of them.

Located 140 km southwest of Djibouti City on the Ethiopian border, Lac Abbé might as well be on another planet. The salt lake lies on a plain known as Afar Triple Junction. This is the central meeting point where three divergent segments of the Earth's crust - the African, Somali and Arabian plates - are tearing apart.

It is this feature that defines and influences the strange topography of the Afar Depression. Just across the border in Ethiopia, other otherworldly phenomena dot the landscape of the Danakil Depression, including the sulfur pools of Dallol and the Erta Ale volcano.

The only practical way to visit Lac Abbé is by 4WD from Djibouti City. We joined an organized tour with Rushing Waters Adventures and left the city in the morning to drive across the country towards the border.

Along the way we stopped in the Grand Bara Desert, just another of Djibouti's many crazy panoramas. Broken clay - all that remains of the dried lake floor - stretches for miles in all directions, forming a vast dry plain in the center of the country.

alt=“Lac Abbé in Djibouti landscape 1″>Atlas & BootsThe Grand Bara Desert – just one of Djibouti’s many crazy panoramas

After a quick stop for lunch in the unforgettable town of Dikhil, we left the paved road to steam through the desert. Small villages appeared here and there, literally appearing out of nowhere. We stopped at one point along the way to stretch our legs and quench our thirst.

Incomprehensibly, life somehow reigns supreme out here. The Afar have established settlements in this seemingly barren land, where they raise livestock and dig wells to access water.

Closer to the shores of the lake there are wetlands that provide some pasture for their livestock. The Afar, who are a nomadic people, take full advantage of these pockets, leading their grazing goats back and forth from the shore.

Despite these pockets, there is not much at Lac Abbé: water. The lake may be the final destination of Ethiopia's Awash River, but its arid landscape absorbs almost all of the water. Instead, a thin, flat layer of muggy water stretches out like an inhospitable gray layer.

After our stop in the village, we made our way back to the 4x4 to continue our journey. We wound our way through rugged embankments before suddenly emerging on the basalt plateau of Lac Abbé.

The plateau is not without features. Rather, it is dotted with hundreds of limestone chimneys, some 50 m (160 feet) high and emitting puffs of steam. To add to the already dystopian landscape, there are hot springs that crack up the earth and intermittent dust storms that sweep over it.

alt=“Lac Abbé in Djibouti landscape 7″>Atlas & BootsThe plateau is dotted with hundreds of limestone chimneys

We wandered among limestone chimneys and twisted, tortured, corkscrewed pinnacles that rose sharply from the dusty plain. As the light began to fade, a typically ignited African sun set and the lunar landscape became Mars-like.

It actually felt like witnessing the apocalypse. Dusk soon set in and we drove on to our camp for the night, safe in the knowledge that the sun would rise again and we would see the whole scene unravel in reverse.

After camping in Ethiopia's Danakil Desert, we didn't have high hopes for this equally remote corner of Djibouti, but we were pleasantly surprised.

The camp was clean and had toilets, showers, running water and electricity. Our traditional Afar huts resembled armadillo shells and were equipped with mattresses and mosquito nets - all relative luxuries compared to what we had experienced across the lake in Ethiopia.

alt=“Lac Abbé in Djibouti landscape 16″>Atlas & BootsBoiling springs bubble and steam through chasms in the ground

We slept comfortably (albeit with a bit of mosquito repellent) and got up early to catch the sunrise and explore the landscape further. We drove deeper into the terrain and parked to inspect the different topography beneath our feet.

In places, boiling springs bubbled and steamed through chasms in the ground. Elsewhere, pockets of groundwater lay as if petrified, reflecting the eerie scene. Wild boars trotted across the greener parts of the plain.

After our morning exploration, we returned to camp for breakfast before climbing into our 4WD to make the journey back towards the coast to track Lac Assal, another unique landscape. Djibouti may be small, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in...well, craziness.

It doesn't matter that Planet of the Apes wasn't filmed here. It could very well have been.

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Atlas & Boots

Lac Abbé in Djibouti: the essentials

What: Visit Lac Abbé in Djibouti as part of a 2-day, 1-night tour to Lac Abbé and Lac Assal.

Where: We stayed in an Afar camp, which was surprisingly comfortable (running water, western toilets with bidets and electricity!).

We then returned to the Sheraton Djibouti overlooking the Red Sea. The rooms are clean and comfortable with excellent WiFi and lovely sea views on one side of the hotel. The outdoor pool is located on a raised platform above the sea and gives the unmistakable feeling of being on board a boat.

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Atlas & Boots

The hotel offers a range of amenities including a free airport shuttle, a convenience store, a business center and a fully equipped fitness center. Of course, we preferred the cozy lounge area, perfect for enjoying an evening whiskey sour and watching the sunset over a gently lapping sea. Overall, it was a welcome touch of comfort to end our trip with.

When: The best time to visit Djibouti is November to January, when whale sharks make their annual visit and the weather is cooler. The shoulder season of October and February to April is also a good time to visit. May-September is extremely hot.

How: We visited Lac Abbé in Djibouti on a two-day tour with Rushing Waters Adventures, currently ranked as the best company in Djibouti on TripAdvisor. Rushing Waters is run by Wisconsin native Ken, who has lived in Djibouti for over seven years (and can even speak Somali!).

Our tour was well organized and, as mentioned above, the overnight camp was surprisingly comfortable. The tour includes pickup and drop-off, all meals and non-alcoholic drinks, a driver for two days, and accommodation for one night.

Overall, it's an excellent way to visit these otherworldly landscapes. Book through Ken at Rushing Waters Adventures: www.kayakdjibouti.com, kgradall@kayakdjibouti.com, +253 77 79 49 58.

Djibouti is a small country, which means getting around is pretty easy. Taxis from the airport charge a fixed fare to hotels in the city (around 2,000 DJF / 11 USD). Check the board outside the airport to make sure you are not being overcharged. Some hotels, including the Sheraton, offer free shuttles, so check beforehand.

Book international flights through skyscanner.net at the best prices.

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To find out more about attractions like Lac Abbé in Djibouti, we recommend the Lonely Planet Ethiopia & Djibouti travel guide - ideal for those who want to both explore the main attractions and take the road less traveled.

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