Ethiopia is Africa's oldest independent country. It is a wonderful place rich in volcanos, lakes, rivers and other, unusual wonders of nature. In the most far-away of Ethiopia is the lowest part of Africa. This place is called The Danakil Desert. The Danakil Desert lies in the north-eastern Ethiopia. The homeland of the Afar people, it is known for its heat and for the Afar Depression, lying up to 100 m below sea level. Here a tectonic fault is located, it is usually called the Great Rift Fault of Africa.
Here you can also enjoy the view of acting and extinct volcanos. Great lava fields, multi-colored mineral formations, the most accessible lava lakes are considered to be the most wonderful places which are enough to know about to visit Ethiopia. The Danakil Desert has a lot of wonders to get acquainted with. Here you can find Dallol Volcano, Black Lake, a canyon, mineral nodes which resemble mushrooms, a salt lake which is called Lake Assale, salt caravans, Erta Ale Volcano with lava lakes, and you can also meet people there who are really far from our modern world.
Vulcano Dallol Territory. If you wish to enjoy the beauty of Dallol Vulcano, it's better to stay at Hameleda place located near Lake Assale. Dallol is a volcanic explosion crater in the Danakil Depression, northeast of the Erta Ale Range in Ethiopia. It was formed during a phreatic eruption in 1926. In four kilometres there is a boarder with Eritrea. The territory is disputable and the interclan struggle is rather severe, so, when visiting this place it's better to be very careful.
Dallol is the lowest world volcano. It is nested on top of an at least 1000m thick layer of quaternary evaporates including large potash (potassium salt) reserves. Dallol mountain is thought to have been formed as a result of intrusion of a basaltic magma body underneath. The characteristic white, yellow and red colours are the result of sulphur and potassium salts coloured by various ions. Here it is not allowed to smoke, to run, to wear flip-flops as acid is everywhere, and this place is really dangerous.
Erta Ale is a continuously active basaltic shield volcano in the Afar Region of northeastern Ethiopia, the most active volcano in the country. Have a look at the amazing view! The mystery of this volcano surrounds you once you see Erta Ale.
The road from Dallol Vulcano to Erta Ale will take 10 hours by car and 2.5-3.5 hours on foot. Erta Ale is 613 metres (2,011 ft) high, with one or sometimes two active lava lakes at the summit which occasionally overflow to the south side of the volcano. Erta Ale means "smoking mountain" in the local Afar language and its southernmost pit is known locally as "the gateway to hell".
When reaching the voclano itself, you will pass a salt lake and sand dunes. When you see Erta Ale you will understand that this volcano is not actually a volcano because it has no cone. Erta Ale is constatnly changing. In 2002, the lava lake was observed to be switching between low and high convection phases.This dense surface region traps gases in the conduit leading to slight pressurization.
