Lake Abbe in Djibouti

Astoura hijab shop is located on the outskirts of Djibouti.

Hamadryas baboons are on the road to the lake.

Hamadryas baboons attacked our jeep.

A troop of hamadryas baboons “Papio hamadryas” is on the asphalt road.

We are located on the RN6 road which lies between the Dikhil and Kouta Bouya towns.

View of the desert from the car on the RN6 road not far from Kouta Bouya.

Kouta Bouya.

Kouta Bouya is a small town in Djibouti.

Dust flies through the streets of Kouta Bouya.

Kouta Bouya is located in the Dikhil region.

Goats are walking by the streets of Kouta Bouya.

Woman is pushing a cart along the street of Kouta Bouya.

Woman dressed in niqab in Kouta Bouya.

Women on the streets of Kouta Bouya.

Usually a house in Kouta Bouya has the pale-yellow color.

Kouta Bouya town, several women gathered together to chatter.

Nomadic houses in the Kouta Bouya town.

Nomadic huts in the Kouta Bouya town.

Kouta Bouya Primary School.

Different buildings in the Kouta Bouya town.

Child walks near the house in Kouta Bouya.

We left Kouta Bouya and drove further to the lake.

Dorcas gazelle in the wild.

Dorcas gazelle “Gazella dorcas”.

These hills are the obstacles which can be overcomed by four-wheel drive jeeps only.

We have arrived to the lake.

Chimney.

Flat plain with few small chimneys.

Limestone chimney.

Worth the bumpy road to see such an amazing geothermal topography!

Landscape is marked by calcareous chimneys, former marine fumaroles.

It is a marvellous place with limestone chimneys.

“Planet of the Apes” movie was filmed here in 1968.

Usually people spend two days here but we were one day only, it was enough for us.

It was cool to walk amidst the chimneys.

Travertine chimneys.

Travertine chimneys were created by hot springs depositing calcium carbonate.

Travertine chimneys were created by the same process that creates stalactites and stalagmites.

As we further explored the area, we realized that these chimneys were everywhere.

Lonely tree on the background of the chimneys.

It was so amazing to hiking amidst the chimneys.

Steaming hot spring.

We saw the hot water running freely from many springs, in small streams, towards the lake.

Afar children beside the hot spring.

Afar children appeared here from nowhere.

You can see toys with the shape of dromedaries in the hands of children.

Afar girl.

Another Afar little girls came to us.

Faces and clothes of the Afar little girls.

Bright dresses of the Afar little girls.

There is the risk of falling into the boiling waters lying just under the surface.

The Afar Depression is fascinating to geologists because it is the place where new ocean is being formed.

The Afar Depression is forming as the African plate splits into the Nubian and Somalian plates.

In a few million years, the Indian Ocean will break through the coastal highlands and flood the Afar Depression.

The landscape of Lake Abbe can make you feel that you have left Earth entirely and are on a new planet.

Lake Abbe is fed by the Awash river.

Seasonal streams which enter the lake from the west and south, crossing the vast salt flats.

The nearest town is very far from here, but there is a small settlement near the lake's shore.

Lake is exactly on the spot where three tectonic plates meet, which explains some of the activity in this area.

Chimneys area lays on fault lines, where the hot water from below has formed the high pinnacles.

The most high chimney from all the chimneys which stand on the lake's shore.

Lake Abbe is Afar territory.

Abbe actually means rotten in the local language, describing the smell emitted by the chimneys.

Walking among the chimneys is amazing.

View of the chimney from a close distance gives you the impression of an otherworldly area.

These chimneys are formed by the vents of volcanic steam and create unusual landscape.

Looking at the landscape from a distance gives you the impression of a supernatural area.

Lake located on the Ethiopia-Djibouti border.

Some of the formations reach 165 feet (50 meters).

Hot volcanic gases coming out of the earth into the atmosphere, and the corresponding chemical process creates chimneys.

One may notice the visual effect of an optical refraction in the hot air.

Lake is surrounded by boiling water and salt water but somehow where water is abundant life will be close by.

Lake Abbe is a salt lake, the largest and last of a chain of six connected lakes on the Ethiopia-Djibouti border.

I'm on a background of the chimney.

The most beautiful chimney with the shape of column.

Lake Abbe is a saline lake, lying on the border between Ethiopia and Djibouti.

The lake isn't that deep with an average depth of 9 meters.

Donkey is grazing on the shore of lake.

Shepherdess and her sheep.

Vertical chimney.

Fields of chimneys.

Lake Abbe is found in the central area of the Afar Depression.

The lake lies at a point where the Arabian, Nubian, and Somalian plates are pulling away from each other.

The strain caused by the splitting of Nubian and Somalian plates has created a strange landscape.

This place is very hot in the midday.

As the magmatic activity suggests, Lake Abbe is surrounded by a number of rift volcanoes.

You should appreciate and photograph all the alien-like features of this amazing lake.

Chimneys and the surrounding landscape look surreal, creating a one-of-a-kind photo opportunity.

We have left our guide far behind us.

This place is a real desert.

I looked back to look at the lake once again.

Lake Abbe is the gem of Djibouti.

There are even few green trees in this deserted place.

Traces of water on the ground.

Wide salt flats.

This area is the most desirable place to visit for any tourist in Djibouti.

Cracked ground.

Area of the low dried grass.

Cracked ground and dried grass.

The further we go, the more mysterious places we see.

It is strange, but our guide didn't want to show us these beautiful places.

We had to be assertive to get to these charming places.

Look on these chimneys attentively and you'll find different amusing shapes.

Towering chimneys of unusual shapes and sizes.

Long row of the chimneys.

Only two from the group of five people have seen these impressive chimneys.

You may notice the traces of various animals and humans on the ground.

This landscape is a miracle of nature.

Looking on these chimneys you may found different shapes of animals.

I couldn't ever imagine that the view of chimneys could be so fascinating.

Do you see the chimney with the shape of an elephant?

Lake Abbe is an awesome place where you can feel yourself as an astronaut on another planet.

Chimneys with interesting natural shapes.

We are close to the most glorious chimneys of the lake.

We walk across the vast white plain.

It's just Mars but not Earth.

Warthog “Phacochoerus africanus”.

Warthog is running in the white plain.

Warthog is running away.

Fabulous place with the magnificent chimneys.

Afar shepherdess has led the herd of sheep to feed them.

Blackhead Persian sheep are grazing at the foot of the great chimney.

Blackhead Persian sheep on the background of the highest chimney.

Blackhead Persian sheep is a fat-tailed breed of domestic sheep from Africa.

Thousands of limestone chimneys, which are arranged in rows, have the height up to 50 m.

Impressive chimneys will capture your imagination through their tremendous size and unusual history of creation.

This mysterious place is full of the splendid limestone chimneys.

Shepherdess and her sheep at the foot of the limestone chimney.

Awesome limestone chimneys are the miraculous natural wonders.

This is the tourist destination number one in Djibouti.

This place is opened for the energetic tourists full of desire to see the natural miracles.

You may see herds of sheep and donkeys and the shepherds around.

You may see a huge quantity of donkeys in the distance.

Donkeys, green grass and limestone chimneys.

Great limestone chimney, the view from the foot.

Donkeys graze among the water.

Herd of domestic donkeys.

This pasture exists due to the hot springs.

Donkeys are getting plump on this pasture rich of nutrients.

Hot spring has the poisonous yellow color.

Wild geese.

Huge limestone chimney.

Hot spring comes out from the ground.

And now I want to tell you my story about this place.

As you may see, the are plenty of water in this area.

Charm of these chimneys never fails to surprise anyone coming here.

Impressive limestone chimney is found among the fields of green grass.

Herd of domesticated donkeys returns home.

Small group of round chimneys.

Magnificent limestone chimneys reach the incredible height of 50 meters.

These limestone chimneys are very different by its shape.

Great limestone chimneys in the desert.

Stunning chimneys.

Deserted landscape.

A group of grandiose chimneys.

Chimneys have the fabulous shapes of jaws.

Limestone chimney has the shape of camel.

Yes, we arrived to another planet.

This lifeless place looks like the dead lunar landscape.

Surface of the chimney has a very complicated structure.

One more chimney which we have seen.

Small tornado in the desert.

Small tornado consists of a sand.

This tornado is approaching us.

This is the place where we will be three hours without any water.

Great chimneys, the view from afar.

We approach to the place where we want to find a shade.

Place of our rest in the midday.

While I rested in the shade I have created the panorama of great chimneys, this is the first photo.

Great chimneys, the second photo from the series of panorama.

Great chimneys, the third photo from the series of panorama.

The fourth photo from the series of panorama.

Great chimneys covered by the cloud of dust.

Dust in the desert.

A strong sandy wind arose over the great limestone chimneys.

At 4 o'clock we have decided to find any people because we were without water.

On the road I looked back on the place where we had a rest.

Road in the desert.

Great chimneys in the twilight.

Breathtaking shapes of the chimneys.

Astonishing chimneys.

Stupendous limestone chimneys.

The entire area is one of the most desolate and inhospitable places I have ever seen.

The wind is what defines Djibouti for me, no matter where we were, the wind was also there.

Lake Abbe is a paradise of a natural chemistry.

I've remembered these chimneys, if our group is still here at the lake, they should be close to this place.

I don't advice to climb on these chimneys because of their fragility.

I looked back on the great limestone chimneys one more time.

One hour before the sunset.

There are only two predators to this lunar landscape: human beings and rain.

Limestone chimney formations on the shores of lake.

Clusters of the limestone chimneys are scattered everywhere on the shore.

You may see the clusters of massive limestone chimneys in the distance.

This dry place absorbs the water very fast.

Limestone chimney with the shape of dragon.

We have noticed our fellows amidst the chimneys.

Lake Abbe is a must see destination for every tourist in Djibouti.

Warthogs are grazing in the green filed.

Warthog has the tusks.

A sounder of warthogs in the field.

We saw the dorcas gazelle on the back way.

Dorcas gazelles are highly adapted to the desert, they can go their entire lives without drinking.

On the back way from Lake Abbe to the Djibouti city.

We returned to the capital of Djibouti very late at night.