Danakil Depression

Not to be confused with Lake Assal in Djibouti. This salt lake, one of three in Danakil, is 116 m above sea level and has a surface of . Near the shore, the salt surface is hard enough to drive on, like a frozen-over lake. The salt flats are mined by hand, with the slabs of salt loaded onto to camel trains and taken to Hamed Ela, from where they are trucked to Mekele. Salt has been mined here this way for centuries.

Another salt lake, southeast of the former, and in size. This place isn't often included in the tour itineraries.

For many the highlight on a trip to Danakil and sometimes referred to as the Yellowstone of Africa. This is an active volcano less than 100 m in height from the ground (the summit is still below sea level) and its crater is 1450 m across. The rock formations are made up of different salts, sulfur (yes, it smells like rotten eggs here), iron compounds and andesite, and the surroundings with their unusual colors may make you think you're on another planet. The landscape got its current form in the last major eruption in 1926, though it's by no means static, with small ponds emerging where the hot brine springs are.

In 1918 an Italian company built a mining settlement to exploit the sylvinite (a potassium source) deposits in the region. They even built a railway to the Red Sea. After the Second World War, mining was ended and the railway was dismantled. The buildings made of salt blocks are still standing. You don't get to visit the settlement, however it can be seen from a distance from the front side of the crater.

Southwest of Dallol, these canyons have been formed through erosion. Up to 40 meters in height, from a distance they look like ancient ruins.

A small salt lake south of Dallol with the second highest salinity of any lake in the world - 43%. It's also a very young lake, as it was formed only in 2005 after an earthquake. The water temperature is around +50°C, and gasses released make the water bubble and create geyser-like outbursts.

The most active volcano in Ethiopia with the name translating to "smoking mountain". The crater of this volcano contains a lake of liquid lava. It's one of the few volcanoes worldwide with an active lava lake, and together with Dallol another top attraction in the Danakil. There's a 2.5-hour walk to reach the volcano from the base camp. Lava flows can be observed from afar, and if it's windy, smoke blows all over the place, decreasing visibility. The fact that the volcano is active means the shape of the crater and the level of lava keep changing. Hike up at night when it is not so hot with your guides and armed guards, view the lava lake in the dark, then catch a few hours' sleep at the summit before walking back down before the day's heat rises too far.

Danakil's largest salt lake, around in size, 102 m below sea level and with a depth of up to 160 m. Salt is also extracted here, not dug up but collected from evaporated salt water.