Djibouti, the Capital
Djibouti is at the same time the capital, the economic, administrative and cultural center of the Republic of Djibouti. The city of Djibouti, built around 1886 to 1900, has inherited a rich urban cultural and architectural heritage, a mixture of influences from Africa, the Middle East and Europe. It drains almost all the political, economic and administrative activity of the country. Hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, supermarkets or banks are mostly concentrated in the capital.

The place of June 27, previously Place Ménélik, very shaded, stands out from the many café terraces that house many souvenir stalls.

From the Place du 27 Juin, you can get to that of Mahmoud-Harbi (ex-Place Rimbaud) by turning the picturesque alleys that intersect. Between two stalls and open-air bazaars of artisanal products ” Made in Djibouti ” are exposed stores where you can get traditional daggers, basketwork, bags, pearl necklaces, etc.

In the premises of the National Tourist Office located next to the Djibouti Town Hall building, there is also a showcase in which the various artisanal products are available. Place Mahmoud-Harbi, formerly called Place Rimbaud, dominated by the minaret of the great mosque, is teeming with people and teeming with products at very affordable prices.

The region of Arta, a sweetness that makes you feel good
At an altitude of 750 meters, perched on a mountain with soft airs and pleasant to sniff, the city of Arta is located 42 km from the city of Djibouti.

Given the position of the Republic of Djibouti on the rift, a seismic detection station is located in this city to list and exchange data with similar stations around the world.

This region is known for its cool climate, its hiking sites, its sumptuous beach for swimming and whale shark watching. Among its distractions, each year, the Djiboutians go to this unmissable meeting of the great march called “Peace Walk” .

The major tourist sites are in particular:
– The natural land area of ​​Djalelo located 40 km from the capital.
– The Decan refuge
– Little Bara’s desert
– The beaches of Arta
– Dimbiya Adaïle Canyon

Ali Sabieh, the city of the train
Created in 1899, the city of Ali Sabieh, capital of the region, is 90 km from the capital Djibouti and 10 km from the border with Ethiopia. Among the main areas and sights of this region, we can see to the horizon of the Grand Bara, a desert plain 30 km long and 10 km wide which is organized regularly by the French soldiers of the 13 th DBLE an annual sporting event, the 15 km cross of the Grand Bara, not to mention the sand yachting which is invited intermittently.

Mount Arrey at an altitude of 1,286 meters, the Assamo protected natural area, a natural habitat for the Beira antelope, the 19th century colonial coral houses or the WWII casemates are there to be discovered when the ‘we are passing through this corner. The new electric train connecting Djibouti to Ethiopia crosses this region which has the second stop station in the city.

Dikhil region – an archaeological museum

A two-day foray would present many attractions for visitors to this region for its cultural landscape, its agricultural potential, its prehistoric monuments and its ecosystem which bear witness to the different stages in the history of the earth and of people.

It was in 1928 that an administrative post was created in this place around which a village was to be born. Dikhil-ville, stronghold of the Sultanate of Goba’ad provisionally abolished by France in 1930 until the country’s accession to independence, capital of this region, is located at a distance of 121 km from its capital.

The commercial vocation of this region has continued to assert itself over the years due to its privileged location which makes it a very frequented passage between Ethiopia and Djibouti.

The very name of Dikhil also evokes a meeting place for the nomads of the plains of Hanlé, Gobaad, Petit and Grand Bara.

The Abbé Lake constitutes the major natural tourist site of the Dikhil region and also represents an exceptional fauna. Many species of birds are listed there. The most emblematic are the large flamingo or flamingo ”Phoenicopterus ruber” and the small flamingo ”Phoenicopterus minor”.

Lac Abbé is also atypical for its cultural landscape. Indeed, the people and animals who lived around this lake, millennia ago, left important traces and information discovered in archaeological sites, in particular in the site of Asa Kôma and that of Barogali.

The region is also home to other major sites such as the rock engravings of Garabayis or the archaeological site of Handôga dating from 3000 BC.

Tadjourah, the ancient city

The region of Tadjourah is known to be a locality which shelters numerous seaside and land tourist sites. The city of Tadjourah, capital of the region known as “the white city”, is accessible by sea at 45 minutes by speedboat or by ferry at 1 hour 30 minutes. It is also accessible by land from Djibouti city where you have to make a detour of 180 km to get there.

Cantor of the Sultanate of Tadjourah, this ancient city is a commercial port where traders once flocked when caravans traded salt to the Abyssinians from the Abyssinian highlands.

OBOCK

The Obock region has significant tourism endowments, particularly with the islands of the 7 brothers and several mangroves including the forests of Godoriya, Khor Angar and Ras Siyan which constitute habitats for many land and marine animals representing an important biological diversity. . They are also the meeting place for a large number of birds (green heron of the Red Sea, pelican, aquatic birds).

You can get to the town of Obock, capital of this region, by sea (2 hours by ferry or 1 hour by speedboat) and by land with 240 km from the capital Djibouti-ville.

Obock is a historic town and was the country’s first capital under the French protectorate. It houses the first residence of the first Governor of the Territory, Mr Léonce Lagarde, current residence of the Prefect of the Obock region. This city also evokes the travel stories of 19th century adventurers, with its marine cemetery steeped in history.

The town of Obock is the starting point for excursions to the mangroves of Godoria and Khor Angar (to be done by small motor boat or canoe kayak), the Ras Bir lighthouse, and the exceptional volcanic site of Ras Syan. In the hinterland, the Mablas, a green massif with a temperate climate, are capped with the country’s second forest.

The magnificent site is the favorite playground of sports driving enthusiasts in the bush, while mountaineering enthusiasts, from amateurs to experienced professionals, will find there the enchanting place of their passion. As in the Forest of Day, the plant species seem to be survivors of prehistoric times.

Moucha and Maskalli islands
Rest, Holidays, tanning, diving, snorkeling…. The choice is varied on these paradise islands.

Moucha and Maskalli islands are only 45 minutes from the capital. By going by speedboat, we undoubtedly have the opportunity to afford a very nice maritime excursion from the city. In addition to beautiful sandy beaches, these rocky islets are home to surprising mangroves, mangrove forests that plunge their long roots into salt water.

The Seven Brothers archipelago
No description can account for the abundance of colors available to the eye.

The seabed of the Seven Brothers archipelago make it a collection of unique habitats. In this paradisiacal universe evolve 167 species of corals, myriads of multicolored fish (clown fish, butterfly fish, crescent angel fish, black-tipped sweetlip, green and blue parrot …), 27 species of sharks, giant groupers, turtles , leopard morays, manta rays, several species of dolphins, etc.

BEACHES WITH TURQUOISE WATERS AND SUNSHINE
Khor Ambado beach
Located 20 kilometers from the city of Djibouti, you can access Khor Ambado beach by 4 * 4 by taking a track. On the way, you will have all the pleasure of meeting nomads with their herds of kids. The somewhat shaded Khor Ambado beach offers a place of relaxation and recreation for those who wish to enjoy the edge of the sea, while staying not so far from the City.

Douda beach
Peaceful corner about ten minutes from the capital, the beach attracts by its proximity, its cleanliness and especially by the originality of the tourist center which is there. Made up of a set of huts resting on stilts nestled between sea and mangroves, it is the ideal place to take leave of the vagaries of urban life, and indulge in spiritual zenitude.

The White Sands Beach
Wedged between a cliff and a majestic sea, the White Sands Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. An ideal beach for water sports or simply lazing around. The waters bordering the beach are crystal clear and rich in fish; so just a mask, a tuba and it’s a real kaleidoscope of shapes and colors that will suddenly appear before your dazzled eyes.

Raysali Beach
Pebble beach with superb diving spots as well as relaxation… Located at the entrance to the bay of Raysali (Ras Ali), not far from the white sands, the beach is an ideal place and conducive to night fishing. Its bay is full of reefs where remarkable corals and more or less gigantic fish live.

You can also indulge yourself in this calm and serene atmosphere in Raysali, and if you suddenly feel the need for entertainment, do not hesitate to indulge yourself in the activities offered on site, such as pétanque, snorkeling, hiking or snorkeling, or even kayaking.

The sumptuous beach of Arta
Great place for fishing and scuba diving and Sanctuary of the giant of the seas: whale sharks… It is a pebble beach with sublime depths, including formidable aquatic varieties. You can also discover the seabed from the coast, which is rare in Djibouti. And this particularity makes it possible in particular to organize night dives.

Whale sharks
Djibouti is frequented every year by large groups of whale sharks. They come here come in these warm, tropical and clear waters filled with plankton. Between mid-October and late February, these deep blue mammoths can be seen in the most natural way possible. Harmless, whale sharks can reach 12 to 15 meters.

Discovery of the seabed
Scuba diving in Djibouti will surprise more than one diver with its diversity of marine organisms. This destination is still little known to divers, yet the diving is quite incredible. The small and unrecognized Republic of Djibouti is located on the Horn of Africa, between Eritrea, Somalia and Ethiopia, surrounded by the Red Sea to the north, the Indian Ocean to the south, and the Gulf of ‘Aden in the East, it is a meeting place between several seas and oceans, and therefore an unimaginable diving spot.

Diving cruise
During your stay in Djibouti, if you feel like going on a pleasure cruise in a luxury boat, including at least catering and accommodation on site (in the cabin) … do not hesitate to make your choice to board the Boat “LUCY” or the Magnificent Turkish schooner the “DELI”. Thanks to the diving cruises offered by a team of experienced instructors, you can explore the unspoiled beauties of the Indian Ocean in Djibouti, by snorkeling …

Sport fishing
Fishing is an exciting activity that you can practice in Djibouti. By boat or on board, you will never be disappointed because the catches are impressive and the risks of breakage enormous. The fishing areas are approximately 1 hour from Djibouti in the Arta area. It is very easy to access by boat. This fishing site is interesting because the seabed goes very quickly from 700m to 45m to finish on a high bottom of 9m.

Canoe Kayak
You have the option of spending a few days paddling a 22 km kayak ride along basalt cliffs with secluded sandy beaches along Arta Beach and through the Ghoubet. What a thrill to paddle to coral reefs and then snorkel along the coast. During whale shark season, it is possible to camp on beaches near where whale sharks usually feed.

The surf kit
The surf kit is one of the best water sports in the world, and especially Djibouti, it is one of the most intense and exciting activities that is able to connect you with nature by completely aligning your body and your senses in front of the waves and wind. The Moucha and Maskalli Islands, thanks to the protective coral reefs, benefit from a large water lagoon which creates perfect surf kit spots.

Jet ski in Djibouti
If you love the feeling of freedom and lightness that one experiences above the sea, you have the opportunity, once in Djibouti, to take a Jet Ski getaway! … Test this unusual activity which will propel you at high speed on the waves of the sea . Between adrenaline rushes and contemplative walks, there is something for everyone.

A country where BREWING is the BARYCENTRE
Djiboutian culture draws its source from the ancestral nomadic origins of the di ff erent ethnic communities that make it up. This culture presents a wide range of folk repertoire including songs, poems and varied dances in which embrace and embrace epic and lyrical styles.

The perpetuation of this traditional heritage is a witness that one generation passes to another, the significance of this nomadic universe of the collective imagination begins in adolescence through an initiation into the various rites and rituals.

Certainly, this culture, based essentially on the oral tradition that literary and linguists call “Oraliture”, has been able to endure despite the pangs of sedentarization and the modernization of a pastoral-nomadic people since the dawn of time. It is practiced both in the bush and in urban areas. The extent of the cultural repertoire is confirmed during various cultural and social events, namely weddings, circumcisions, enthronement, etc.

Its geographical position gives it the status of a cultural crossroads, a country of mixing, in short the crucible of a plural culture with nomadic origins enjoying an oriental coloring and easily adapting to western modernity. A trinity which is the charm of our city life.

This cultural mix has forged this mosaic nation with legendary hospitality, highly tolerant, proud of its brave nomadic ancestors and confident in its destiny.

The Folklores
In the country, weddings are the best times and means for a total immersion in the extent and richness of Afar and Somali cultures savored to the rhythm of folk dances, “Daanto” “Sadehleh”, “Zeili’i”, “Wilwilleh »Among the Somalis. The “dabbal”, “Laalé”, “Keeke” or “sadda ‘” among the Afars, to name a few among a large inventory of folklore. These are dances which are both collective and mixed; poetry being composed often solo. During these folkloric events which consolidate the pact of social coexistence, one cannot remain insensitive to the elegance of the young girls, beauties of the desert with thin silhouettes and wasp waists draped in long multicolored dresses (Gaaryse , Kurta) and their pearl, gold and silver adornments (bila, Kuul).

Let us also evoke the liveliness, flexibility and agility of the brave warriors with protruding muscles, true aesthetes with marble bodies, maintaining a sustained pace and twirling in all directions. Weddings remain the only opportunities for relaxation after long days spent in search of the best pastures for their animals under a scorching sun.

In the mild coolness of the night to the chimes of the crickets, before the bride and groom return to their wedding mats once the dust raised by the folk dances settles and fades, the vibrations of the ground beneath the feet subside, then subside stop as soon as the first pale rays of a timid moon become perceptible.

Arts & Crafts
KNOW-HOW and nomadic dexterity
Leather, wood, palms, pearls, clay or even ceramics constitute the basis of craftsmanship mainly dominated by women.

It is an income-generating activity, a business for mothers providing for the needs of families. Experienced national craftsmen never miss the opportunity to participate in all fairs, exhibitions or forums where the display of their craft products varies and alternates between embroidery, tannery, basketry or pottery thus attracting a clientele in all directions. Local craftsmanship contributes to the embellishment and enhancement of folk outfits and accessories.

Gastronomy
Djiboutian gastronomy is a real culinary melting pot. Inventive, daring and intoxicating, Djiboutian cuisine is illustrated by the diversity of culinary traditions that it embodies. This unique gastronomy with multiple flavors has taken root through a rich culinary heritage, tinged with distant horizons. But it is in the subtle and controlled marriage of spices and aromatic herbs that this refined art draws all its letters of nobility. Culinary pleasures are endless in Djibouti. With its diverse cultural influences, Djibouti offers an eclectic mix of African, Asian and European flavors. An explosion of flavors and a feast for the eyes, Djibouti’s gastronomy is just like the country: colorful, spicy and exotic! Through the play of local cultural influences and the mixing of population, there is today in Djibouti a very large number of powdered spice blends very popular with all visitors. These mixtures, responsible for a large part of the pleasures of the table, easily accompany meat and fish.

HIKING RICH IN CONTRASTS AND IDYLLIC ENCOUNTERS
If you don’t mind getting sunburned, why not take a grandiose hike through lands that have fascinated artists and adventurers! Like Henri de Monfreid, Joseph Kessel, Arthur Rimbaud… Set off on the route of the old salt caravans, the Abbé lake and hot springs, the immense salt lake of Assal, at the foot of ancient volcanoes, or in the Goda Mountains, or even the primary forest of Day, sheltering the Djibouti francolin and the leopard.

Breathtaking landscapes! Djibouti is the ideal destination in the heart of adventure for all those who are eager to contemplate the beauty of the lunar landscapes resulting from the particular tectonics of the region… etc.

IN THE WAKE OF THE SALT CARAVAN
Reliving the adventure with the oldest salt trade route, while walking alongside camels loaded with white gold is a must: a hike, a trek with camels on the ancient nomadic path, and revealing a setting sublime all along the rift. A long concession walk that will leave you speechless, and which will fill you with incredible sensations. A test of humility and humanism of a route during which you will have the chance to perpetuate the ancestral traditions of the salt road.

AN EXCEPTIONAL GOLF CLUB
Founded decades ago, the Douda Golf Club is a green in Brown (mixture of sand and oil), and 6000m long par 72, with thorns as a marker for the holes. An extraordinary golf club.

An atypical course interspersed with dry wadis beds, ravines, bordered with sandy red and punctuated by numerous bunkers. The area is cool and windswept and is located 4 km from Djibouti International Airport.

SPECIFIC ORNITHOLOGICAL OBSERVATION
In addition to its unusual landscapes, its intact seabed, the Seven Brothers Islands and the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb are a veritable migration corridor for several hundred thousand birds which can allow for detailed ornithological observation. More than 399 species are listed there, all statuses combined.

Professional photographers, or amateurs with sensitive shots, you can travel through this welcoming territory with your camera slung to meet these species without ever being disappointed.

CHAR A SAILING, AN INVITATION TO ADVENTURE
The Republic of Djibouti is a country made for Adventure… Henry de Monfreid, Arthur Rimbaud, or even Cousteau could not resist the attraction of this thousand-year-old land… Why not you too? Why not experience during your stay the same intense feeling of being at the end of the world, in these extreme and strange territories, by indulging in sand yachting in the middle of the Grand Bara desert, an exceptional site of 10 km wide, and 30 km long.

Do not hesitate to join the sand yachting center of Grand Bara, a vast expanse, overwhelmed by the heat, and traversed by winds and whirlpools of sand, and which invites you to adventure.

The 15 km cross of Grand Bara
Every year, athletes come to compete in a 15 km cross organized by the French army, so that a large number of tourists are surprised by their choice to join this marathon in the desert, rather than try sand yachting. or undertake a trek . Whatever the choice, we are more than ever seized by this immensity, and the Grand Bara cross country is the only moment to taunt by taking up this challenge. arid and you may be fooled by the mirages that the heat draws on the horizon.

Lake Assal
The traveler will be amazed by this unique place. The gorgeous colorings vary throughout the day. Mysterious alchemy of colors, the white of the salt, the black of the lava, the ocher of the earth, the intense emerald of the depth of the lake, the perfect blue of the sky make this place a magical place and rare beauty. It is one of the most exceptional sites in the region and the lowest point of the African continent, located less than 153 meters below sea level. The salinity of Lake Assal is 35g / liter or 10 times more than the salt content of the Red Sea. The Lake has a solid part, the pack ice, with an area of ​​52 km2 with a maximum thickness of 60 m, and a brine part of 54 km2 with a depth that can reach up to 40 m.

The Abbe lake: a landscape of a fantastic world …
Would you like to discover idyllic landscapes during your trip to Djibouti? Treat yourself to a sensational stroll along the shores of magnificent Lac Abbé and you will understand that there is nothing more attractive, and more fascinating than this one-of-a-kind jewel. “Extraterrestrial” landscape, lunar and magnificent at dawn, with astonishing mineral formations, hot springs, and abundant fauna: flamingos, ibises, ostriches, hyenas, gazelles.

THE ALLOS DEPRESSION AND ITS SALT LAKES
A natural site with an extraordinary landscape….

Difficult to access, the Allols are supplied with sea water by underground fractures. Made up of vast expanses of salt, the landscape is very different from Lake Assal: there are many hot springs, small swamps, narrow expanses of surprising greenery where the tree from which we draw wine grows. palm: the palm-doum.

THE RIFT FAULT, ARDOUKOBA VOLCANO, GOUBET EL-KHARAB
Live the overwhelming experience of our world in perpetual turmoil…

The rift fault
Main breaking point, a triple junction, which is located in Djibouti in the Afar depression ……… ..

The beginnings of a new ocean
Main breaking point, a triple junction, which is located in Djibouti in the Afar depression (north of Ethiopia). It causes a separation of tectonic plates. This Rift presents many manifestations of crustal distension: open faults, recent volcanism and significant heat flux. Numerous volcanic cones dot this sector, including the Ardoukoba, the last volcano born on November 7, 1978.

Ardoukoba
During your stay in Djibouti, do not hesitate to make your way to this unique area in the world, located between Goubet and Lake Assal, considered in particular as a paradise for geologists and volcanologists. Few places in the world allow one to contemplate with such ease the movements and the perpetual work of the earth’s crust.

Culminating at an altitude of 298 meters, the Ardoukoba, a mushroom-volcano, was born and died in one week in November 1978. In the place, lies a veritable sea of ​​black lava, shining, sometimes smooth, sometimes tormented and chaotic which hurtles down between Ardoukoba and Goubet.

The Goubet al-Kharab
At the extreme tip of the Gulf of Tadjourah, Goubet Al-Kharab is a magnificent and disturbing cove dominated by Devil’s Island, an impressive dome that sprang up in the middle of the bay during tectonic movements linked to the formation of the Rift of Assal. Accessible by the road which dominates it or by boat, the Goubet has always suffered from an evil reputation, to such an extent that no Djiboutian fisherman would still risk his boat there today! The site, it is true, has something to strike the imagination, surrounded by arid mountains which descend directly into the waters.

Even if, nobody was “pulled by the feet” towards the depths of Goubet, nobody today doubts the existence of an underwater fauna of a particularly imposing size (manta rays, sharks) .

DAY’S PRIMARY FOREST
An exceptional reservoir of biodiversity, the Day forest is a living remnant of what the vegetation of the Sahara and Arabia was a few thousand years ago…

The Day Forest National Park is located at an altitude of 1,500 meters, on the slopes of Mount Goda. Living vestige of what must have been the vegetation of the Sahara and Arabia a few thousand years ago, the forest is home to giant acacias, junipers, wild olive trees, jujube trees, but also sacred Baboons of Egypt, green monkeys, warthogs, and an infinite variety of birds and a few panthers… An exceptional reservoir of biodiversity. The most notable animal species is certainly the Francolin of Djibouti ( Pternistis ochropectus ), the only endemic bird of the country.

PROTECTED AREA OF ​​THE DJALELLO VALLEY
A formidable site of astonishing biodiversity and for the observation of Gazelles …

During your stay, do not hesitate to visit the Djalelo valley for its astonishing biodiversity. Indeed, located 1 hour from the capital, this valley is home to the highest concentration of “giraffe gazelles” or “guerenuks” in the local Somali language.

With a little luck, we can see 4 species of antelope in the same place:
– Giraffe gazelle
– Soemmerring’s gazelle
– Pelzeln’s gazelle
– Salt’s dik – dik