Djibouti landscapes

Djibouti is a desert and volcanic country with a very arid climate and temperatures near 35 degrees Celsius during the day... sometimes even up to 40 degrees. The scenery is fantastic, but it is not a place where to go for a small holiday or to enjoy the Christmas holiday. It is too hot, the climate is too dry and there is a lack of green that could make it more appealing.

Ali Sabieh region

Road near the town of Ali Sabieh.

Yeah! A bit of shade under the heat.

There are a lot of these very poor villages.

Sand storm in the Grand Barra (a vast sandy area of several tens of kilometres).

Ghoubbet Bay

We had chosen Djibouti as a destination to spent Christmas and the New Year since we wanted to enjoy the beach in some sort of resort. We wanted to relax and enjoy a bit more luxury without driving around too much.

In the old travel guide that we were using, several beaches were listed as nice and with camp sites available. However, at the first beach we visited, we were quite disappointed. Travelling with a guide book that is more than 10 years old can sometimes reserves some surprises.

This beach was recommended in our guide book, but everything has changed. The place is abandoned and the huts have been left to rot. Moreover, the water is not very appealing.

The only interesting thing at the beach.

We then decided to bush camp... with a view on the bay.

Djibouti is essentially a volcanic country very unwelcoming... but very scenic.

Sunset on the Ghoubbet Bay.

Tadjoura region

Everywhere in Djibouti, we got the impression that everything was wasting away. Everything seems to be neglected and sometimes there is a lot of trash on the side of roads and near villages.

However, some untouched sites are still very lovely.

Bush camping.

The main road.

Open air dump.

The road along the Gulf of Tadjoura.

Plage des Sables Blancs

We went to several beaches and this one is the only one that looked like it was maintained. We stopped there for a few hours to do some snorkelling. We didn't stay for Christmas for the reason listed above, but also because the staff was expecting more than 100 guests on that day. The beach must have been filled with so many people... not very appealing to us.

The only nice beach.

At the entrance, we had some doubt about the place.

Road from Tadjoura to Randa

Road from Dikhil to Galafi

Truck accidents are very frequent in Djibouti. Of course, with more than 1000 trucks going to the border every day, it is possible to see several upturned trucks or worst. The border is only open during the day, thus I think it is normal that some truckers may sometimes be eager to reach it before it closes.

Rain is quite rare in the country. So, to help the people to survive this harsh environment, water is provided for them. These barrels are filled with water for people living a few tens of metres away from the road.

These white mounds are in fact gypsum. It is the material used in gypsum boards for our houses.

Plastic producing trees...

Goda Mountains