Salt Country · Afar Region · Danakil
Lake Assale
Where salt becomes a way of life.
- Best Time
- Nov – Jan
- Suggested Stay
- An afternoon and a morning
- Altitude
- About 120 m below sea level
- Region
- Afar Region · Danakil
Why We Go
The white road: a salt plain that is work, trade and history, not just scenery.
Lake Assale, also called Lake Karum, lies about 120 metres below sea level. Salt dominates the landscape and the surface can appear almost endless, but it is not an empty wilderness. It is one of the oldest working landscapes in Ethiopia.
Every morning in the working season, men head out onto the dry lake bed to prise up the salt crust with axes and wooden poles and shape it into blocks. For centuries these blocks, called amole, were used as money across Ethiopia.
Camel caravans carry the salt west to Berahile, the region’s main salt-trading town, now linked by road to Mekelle; historians think the trade has run for well over a thousand years. Trucks are gradually replacing camels, which makes the caravans you may still see more precious.
The connection between landscape and livelihood is what makes Lake Assale worth understanding. Where work is under way, we watch from a respectful distance and never stage it.
Highlights
- The salt plain at sunset, as the colour changes
- Salt cut by hand into blocks, where work is under way
- Camel caravans, depending on timing and activity
- Overnight at Hamed Ela, the salt workers’ settlement
Expeditions Including Lake Assale
Routes that pass through here
Plan This Destination
Build Lake Assale into your journey
Tell us what you are curious about, what you want to photograph and how slowly or quickly you want to travel. We build the journey around you and confirm current conditions for your dates.
Speak With a Designer
Your Ethiopia should not feel like someone else’s itinerary
Ask about road conditions, the season or what a day here is really like. You will get a straight answer from the team that runs the route.
Or call us directly on +251 956 61 6969