Travel Guide Lac Assalé

The so-called "Lac Assalé" is actually two small lakes, the Karoum and the Maraha, depending on the season. In late September, at the end of the rainy season, torrential waters pour down from the Mékélé highlands to form this natural reservoir. Then, in the dry season, the water evaporates, creating these two small lakes.Camel caravan and salt miners. During the dry season, camel and donkey caravans from Tigray make their way across the desert to the salt mine at the heart of the lake. On the way, you'll come across these endless caravans of camels in single file, working alongside the miners on the site. The techniques have been the same for over two and a half thousand years: these convoys existed in the days of the Queen of Sheba! A slab of salt is first lifted with stakes, then broken with an axe, before being cut into regular blocks.Salt mountains. You can also stop off near a salt mountain to visit the caves. The cool translucent water at the bottom is deceptive: it's a powerful poison that kills the birds that come to drink. We also stop at the edge of the lake, in fact what remains of the water: a few dozen centimetres. Drowned in a mist of evaporating water, it appears like a mirage, and the scenery is very pretty. You can also take a break at the hot bubble baths, where the salt water is more concentrated than in the Dead Sea.