The highlight of my recent photographic tour to Ethiopia was, ironically, somewhere we weren't even supposed to visit. The trip had initially included the Simien Mountains in the north of the country, but prior to departure the area was deemed unsafe to travel in, necessitating a change to our itinerary. In its place our operator added the Danakil Depression in the country's arid northeast — which, it turned out, blew my mind.
Ethiopia has had more than its share of adversity over the years, but, recently, conflict in the Tigray and Amhara regions brought tourism to a standstill. Fortunately, the owner of Simien Eco Tours, Marco Degasper, an Italian expat living in Ethiopia, assured us the remainder of the country was safe to visit. Indeed, at no time on the trip did I feel unsafe. Aside from the occasional army checkpoint and a curfew when we neared the Amhara border, there was no evidence of unrest.
However, visiting the Danakil has its challenges. Those
