Travel to Djibouti, the Red Sea Paradise - scarcely 100 years old this tiny, but ambitious country, tries hard to be recognised as a little Dubai in the Red Sea despite its lack of natural resources.

The capital, also called Djibouti, is home to two-thirds of the nation’s population. Djibouti sits on the western shore of an isthmus in the Gulf of Tadjoura, overlooking a small marina where dhows, fishing skiffs and pleasure boats are moored. Djibouti is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. On the other side of the Red Sea, on the Arabian Peninsula, 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the coast of Djibouti, is Yemen.

Travel to Djibouti city and you will find that French is the main language of the people in this African city. Djibouti is an ideal spot to recharge your batteries before (or after) an overland trip through Eritrea or Ethiopia. Sweltering heat is to be expected all year round, but November to mid-April is the best time to visit, as it is just too hot for the rest of the year.

Djibouti Highlights: • Djibouti City • Ali Sabieh • Tadjoura • Obock • Dikhil

Djibouti City is best explored on foot, and it is easy to do

Main travel attractions in Djibouti: • The Presidential palace • Le Marche Central - Central Market • Aquarium Tropical de Djibouti   (haven for Red Sea marine treasures)

A walk along the L’Escale especially around sunset is a must to absorb some local atmosphere and spend tranquil moments watching the dhows, skiffs and random pleasure craft gently swaying in the waters of the small marina. The best beaches near the city are Doralé and the less accessible Khor-Ambado. The chaotic central market in Djibouti is a must for travelers. Go there early morning or late afternoon, when it bursts with activity. Around 13:00, don’t miss the arrival of qat leaves with narcotic properties chewed as a mild stimulant, its arrival from Ethiopia sets of a spectacular noise of cars hooting and people shouting.

Ali Sabieh:
About 95 km from Djibouti city, on the road to Ali Sabieh, are two stunning salty desert plains called the Petit Bara and the Grand Bara. There is also a centre in the eastern end where one can windsurf on wheels!

Tadjoura, Obock & Gulf of Tadjoura:
Some of the best diving, underwater photography and snorkelling on the Red Sea coast can be found off the Gulf of Tadjoura in Djibouti. This area includes the towns of Tadjoura and Obock, the former an attractive seaside town housing seven mosques and the latter, the site where the former Afar sultans of Djibouti sold settlement rights to the French colonialists. The best way to reach Obock is by boat from the L’Escale in Djibouti city. Tadjoura is Djibouti’s oldest town, and as such it gave its name to the gulf separating the Afar and Issa lands. Originally a small Afar village trafficking in slaves, it’s nestled in the shadow of the green Goda Mountains with the bright blue sea lapping at its doorstep. When viewed from the sea, Tadjoura’s setting is especially spectacular. Within 10km (6mi) of town, there are several peaks that rise to more than 1300m (4260ft), and there are superb coral reefs accessible to snorkelers and divers close to shore.

The Lakes will provide some of the best memories of your travels in Djibouti, each for a different reason:

• Lac Abbé in the far south-west of the country on the border with Ethiopia is the place to see flamingos and pelicans feeding and taking wing by the thousands each dawn, an unforgettable sight. The lake can be reached only in a 4WD, and the town of Dikhil is a good starting point for your trip there and you’ll need to hire a guide and set aside two days to do it. Lac Abbé must rate among the most desolate places on earth. The scenery is unique: the plain is dotted with hundreds of limestone chimneys, some standing as high as 50m (165ft), belching out puffs of steam. These spike like chimneys are the result of calcareous deposits across time. It’s often described as lunar type landscape. Though desolate, it is not uninhabited. Numerous mineral-rich hot springs feed the farms of local nomads who graze their camels and goats here.

• Lac Assal is one of the lowest points on the surface of the earth (more than 470ft below sea level!) and is surrounded by black lava fields and dormant volcanoes. To get there you will need a guide and to set aside one days travel via tarmac road west from the capital.

• Lac Goubet, a saltwater lake, lies just across a stark volcanic formation from Lac Assal and is known to the locals as the ‘pit of demons’

National Parks of Djibouti:

• Day Forest National Park
• Djibouti National Park
• Yoboki National Park

With its excellent diving and natural splendour Djibouti makes for an unforgettable travel destination in Africa.

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