Danakil Depression And Awash Valley In Ethiopia: You Must Visit In Your Lifetime…..

Danakil Depression And Awash Valley In Ethiopia: You Must Visit In Your Lifetime…..

Danakil Depression is located in the northern part of Afar region. It is one of the lowest point on the earth resulted from the divergence of three tectonic plates in the horn of Africa. A beautiful landscape formed by the nature due to geological depression, resulted in bubbling volcanoes and sulphurous mounds of yellow contort which spark and light up the night. Denakil depression is assume to be the hottest place on the earth which is below 121-125 meter down from the sea level. You will find here incredible picture of vast desert basin at the heart of Ethiopia's ancient salt trade.  You could still find here caravan of camels passing through the salted desert and carrying the slabs of “white gold”. 

Awash Valley is located at the extreme end of northern-eastern part of the Acrica's Great Rift Valley. The Awash valley contains one of the most important groupings of palaeontological sites on the African continent. The remains found at the site, the oldest of which date back at least 4 million years, provide evidence of human evolution which has modified our conception of the history of humankind. The most spectacular discovery came in 1974, when 52 fragments of a skeleton enabled the famous Lucy to be reconstructed. In 1974, the valley produced the most complete set of remains of a hominid skeleton, Australopithecus afarensis, nicknamed ‘Lucy’, dating back 3.2 million years. Afarensis has since been proved to be the ancestral origin for both the Genus Australopithecus and Homo-sapiens. A recovered female skeleton nicknamed ‘Ardi’ is 4.4 million years old, some 1.2 million years older than the skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis ‘Lucy’. There is a wealth of paleo-anthropological and pre-historic tools still awaiting discovery and scientific study and these are seen as constituting an exceptionally important cultural heritage resource (UNESCO'1980).

The beautiful landscape of Awash Valley and Awash National park would attract and provide you a memorable experience. The place is also rich in indigenous Cultural diversity.

Don't forget to visit national museum of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa. Docent are available to guide you in musuem.

Accessibility: Both the places are well connected by road from the capital city of Ethiopia (Addis Ababa) and have good accommodation facilities with many food joints available within close proximity of the sites.

Note: please contact tourist information center at airport and near to Maskel Square for getting updates. Always book authentic and government recognized tour operator and car rental services. 

- e- Visa & Visa on Arrival facilities are available for many countries. Kindly check with Ethiopian Embassy for details.

- You could extend your trip to bird watching and wildlife watching and trip to lower Omo Valley in South.

- If you could manage then don’t forget to visit “ Kafa Biosphere Reserve” an origin point of Coffee Arabica and Majang Forest Biosphere Reserve in Majang zone of Gambella region south west Ethiopia.

Come and Enjoy Ethiopia: A Land of 13 Months With Biodiversity.. 

Stay Safe Today and Travel Tomorrow….


Article by Chiranjib Kumar, 04/2020