Africa & Middle East Archives

Group members depart from their chosen European gateway cities and rendezvous in Djibouti town. A significant regional port, Djibouti serves Ethiopia as that country’s only outlet to the sea. Tourism is embryonic, but there are significant attractions for adventurous travelers in Djibouti’s desert outback and surrounding seas. Late December is the peak of the 6-week whaleshark season in Djibouti. Expect opportunities to observe migrating whalesharks along with dolphins, hammerheads, sea turtles, mantas and reef sharks around Moucha Island and in the Ghoubet el Kharab. Visit Lake Assal, the lowest point in Africa at 157 m (515') below sea level. The lake lies in the Afar Depression in the midst of dormant volcanoes and twisted lava fields where summertime temperatures reach 57 °C (135 °F). Other than a few saltwater ponds in Antarctica, Lake Assal is the saltiest body of water on earth, with an amazing 40% concentration of salt at a depth of 20 meters (66').

After four days in Djibouti fly toSana'a, a UNESCO World HeritageSite city and a treasure chest of medieval Arabian architecture. Visit the ancient Medina with its labyrinth of souks after spending five days on Socotra, a rare ecological treasure also designated by UNESCO as a World HeritageSite. With camels for logistics support, make a 3-day/2-night trek with local guides into the Haghier Mountains. Weird landscapes abound as do fat bottle trees and forests of the endemic Dragon's Blood Tree that exudes a red sap when injured. Dive/snorkel two of Socotra's premier dive sites, one a stunning coral reef in a marine reserve and the second a shallow water shipwreck. Return to Sana'a for homeward-bound departures.
THE CARTOGRAPHY
DJIBOUTI IN AFRICA
DJIBOUTI
THE YEMENI ISLAND OF SOCOTRA
for 2010-2011...
DJIBOUTI TO SOCOTRA, UNESCO'S "INDIAN OCEAN GALAPAGOS"
RENDEZVOUS
DATE
JOURNEY
RENDEZVOUS
CITY
NO. OF
DAYS
GROUP
SIZE
TRIP
COST
December 29,
2010
Djibouti to Socotra, UNESCO's
"Indian Ocean Galapagos"
Djibouti
11
4-8

$5,482 + air


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THE DAY-BY-DAY BRIEF
THE HIGHLIGHTS

                    
Day 1: Calidex Group members rendezvous in Djibouti town in the afternoon and tour the city and nearby Khor Ambado Beach on the Gulf of Tadjoura. Optional snorkeing over beautiful coral reefs. Hotel night in Djibouti town.

Day 2: Early morning visit to the fish market then ferry to Moucha Island in the Gulf of Tadjoura. Make two boat dives with excellent chances to see whalesharks, hammerheads, dolphins & sea turtles. Hotel night on Moucha Island.

Day 3: Explore Moucha Island's coral reefs in the morning. Look for whalesharks at the Arta de Ghoubet and Ghoubet el Kharab dive venues in the afternoon. Hotel night in Djibouti town.

Day 4: Depart by 4WD on a 240 km roundtrip into the Danakil Desert and Lake Assal, the lowest point in Africa at 157 m (515') below sea level. Depart Djibouti by air for Sana’a, Yemen in the evening. Night in Sana'a.

Day 5: Fly to Yemen's Socotra Island in the Indian Ocean. Arrive Hadibo, Socotra’s capital, and go by 4WD to the fishing villages of Soq, Delesha and Hala on Socotra’s Arabian Sea north coast. Dive the near-shore reef in the Dihamri Protected Area. Drive south of Delesha into the Haghier Mountains and hike two hours round trip to Ayhaft Canyon. Night in Hadibo.

Day 6: Meet guide and driver and drive to Shouab at the west end of the island. Make two dives to Socotra’s largest shipwreck with excellent opportunities to encounter spinner and bottle-nosed dolphin at close quarters. Sperm whales and pilot whales have also been spotted close to shore.Night in Hadibo.

Day 7-9 Drive south of Hadibo to the start of a three-day camel-supported trek into the Haghier Mountains, pinnacled red granite massifs rising from a limestone plateau. The trekking route winds along the northern slope of the Haghiers into the Scand Region, descends Wadi Daazhz and Wadi Darhu, reaches the Firmin tableland and descends the Wadi Dirharr to meet the vehicle. Night in Hadibo.

Day 10: Morning flight to Sana’a. Tour the Sana’a medina, a medieval Arab time warp. Richly ornamented stone and brick tower houses are the finest examples of ancient Arab architecture in the world. Night in Sana'a.

Day 11: Deapartures this day on homeward-bound flights as trip comes to a close.
  • Djibouti's Danakil Desert and Lake Assal, the saltiest lake on earth and the lowest point in Africa

  • Exhilarating underwater encounters with big plankton-feeding animals from whalesharks to manta rays

  • The gastronomic delights of traditional Arab cuisine

  • The eerily beautiful, otherworldly landscape of Socotra

  • The more than 700 Socotran plant and animal species found nowhere else in the world

  • The spectacular tower houses of UNESCO World Heritage Site Sana'a with their white gingerbread ornamentation

  • Qat-chewing Yemeni men in traditional attire, each with a curved dagger in his waistband
Djibouti is strategically situated between the western end of the Gulf of Aden and the entrance to the Red Sea. The small country lies in the Afar Triangle, an inhospitable area seared by summer sun and parched by scant rainfall. In the mid-1800s France acquired part of Northeast Africa, naming it French Somaliland with Djibouti as capital. In 1945 Djibouti became a French Overseas Territory. After considerable local pressure, France recognized Djibouti’s independence in 1977. With little arable land and no developed natural resources, Djibouti relies almost solely on shipping and refueling for its income.
Socotra Island is 120 Km long by 40 Km wide, located in the Indian Ocean some 250 km south of the Arabian Peninsula. The population of 55,000 retains its own very distinct culture and language. The coastal area is inhabited by fishermen most of whom are of African origin; the wadis and mountains are the province of Arab nomads who speak Socotri, and ancient Arab dialect without a written script. The island receives about 3,000 visitors per year and welcomes visitors.
THE GALLERY: DJIBOUTI
Djibouti Town
Lake Assal, the lowest point in Africa, and a camel caravan on the descent to the lake to load salt

Whalesharks, manta and eagle rays and other plankton feeders flock to Djibouti's sheltered waters during the December-January peak season for encountering these benign giants.
THE GALLERY: SANA'A & SOCOTRA
In the Haghier Mountains, Socotra
Socotran Bottle Trees
The medieval Arab wonder of Sana'a, Yemen
Socotra's south coast
Dragon's Blood Trees, Socotra
The Ayhat Valley in the Haghier Mountains, Socotra

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