Travel guide Djibouti

The Afars and Issas are the two main groups making up Djibouti's population. The former live mainly in the north of the country, the latter in the south. They are found in Djibouti-Ville. Descended from the Cushitic peoples, Afars and Issas speak different languages of common origin and share the same religion.

Gate of Lamentations or Gate of Tears, this is where the waters of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean meet and clash. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which separates Djibouti and Yemen, is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, and has always been and remains a highly strategic passageway.

Hated by some, adored by others, and not very shy, crows are numerous and noisy in Djibouti, especially in the capital. And the authorities have a hard time fighting against their proliferation. Much more pleasant to see and hear, parrots, parakeets and herons are also quite numerous in the city.

The daboïta (or daboyta) is the basic element of the Afar nomadic habitat. It is the ancestor of the igloo tent: the framework is obtained by criss-crossing branches and tying them together at each intersection with twine or plant fibers. The slightly ogival dome is covered with woven mats.

Sand wind blowing from North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, with temperatures often in excess of 40°C. Supposed to blow for 50 days(Khamsin means "50" in Arabic), it gives the sky an ochre-orange hue. Its arrival, in June, is preceded by another wind, the sabo, which is also dry, but less scorching.

Many people are familiar with Djibouti and were inspired to visit after reading the accounts of Henry de Monfreid (1879-1974), adventurer, navigator, smuggler, photographer, painter and writer, encouraged by Kessel. No other foreigner has described this part of the world so well. Les Secrets de la mer Rouge is his first novel and bestseller (1914).

This plant, legally imported from Ethiopia, governs the daily life of Djiboutians. Euphoric, the fresh leaves, chewed for a long time, are mostly consumed in the afternoon, during mabraz, which plays an important social role. One sits down, discusses, smokes, drinks sodas, while "grazing" (a common term).

Inaugurated in 1917, the railroad linking Djibouti to Addis Ababa puts an end to centuries of caravan economy. The line, designed to carry passengers and freight, has been at a standstill since 2010, and resumed service in 2018. The train does not run at night. The journey between Djibouti and Addis Ababa is in two stages, with an overnight stay in Dire Dawa.

The whale shark, the largest fish in the world (up to 20 m long), is the star of the Gulf of Aden. Djibouti is one of the best places on the planet to see it, especially in Goubet. Nonchalant and harmless to humans, it feeds on plankton, algae and microscopic animals. The species is considered threatened.

The Afar Triangle, or Afar Depression, is a vast triangular collapse zone stretching from Awash in Ethiopia to the Gulf of Tadjourah in Djibouti and the Dahlak Islands in Eritrea. The region is a treatise on open-air geology. It was studied by Haroun Tazieff as early as 1960, resulting in a book entitled L'Odeur du soufre.

Built in the middle of the 20th century, the N1 road links Djibouti to Addis Ababa. 80% of Ethiopian imports come from this axis. This asphalt road makes it possible to visit the South easily despite the intense truck traffic. It is the only road in the country where one has to overtake. All other roads are almost deserted.

The French imported the term toukoul and used it to refer to any nomadic habitat on the continent. Toukoul and daboïta are two totally different dwellings. The toukoul is a circular wooden dwelling with a thatched roof, common in Ethiopia. Tourist camps are made up of daboïtas and toukouls.