The Danakil Depression is one of the hottest and lowest places on Earth, lying mostly below sea level and shaped by volcanic forces and ancient salt lakes. Named after the Afar people, whose traditional camel caravans still transport salt across the vast salt flats, this harsh yet beautiful land is a true wonder.

One of its main attractions is Erta Ale, a 613-meter-high shield volcano known as the “Smoking Mountain” in Afar. It holds the world’s oldest permanent lava lake, attracting adventurous trekkers from around the globe. Nearby, Dallol boasts stunning, multicolored geysers and hot springs — the world’s lowest volcanic vents — formed by an eruption in 1926, and is recorded as the hottest inhabited place on Earth. Lake Asale (also called Karum or Asale) marks Ethiopia’s lowest point at 116 meters below sea level, where glimmering salt flats stretch endlessly to the horizon.