Ethiopia’s Otherworldly Land is Neon-Yellow

In northern Ethiopia is Dallol, located in the Afar region. This area has the highest average temperatures of anywhere else in the world. It is practically uninhabitable, although nearby people from villages in Afar travel there regularly to mine the salt.

The area looks like the setting of a science fiction film. All around there are lava lakes bubbling, salt pans, volcanoes and, of course, neon yellow hydrothermal fields. Though mostly yellow, the salt deposits can be pink, red, green, gray and black. The salt deposits are thick and uplifted off the ground, likely created by a volcanic system underneath the salt structures.

Three tectonic plates joined together to create The Danakil Depression, the geological phenomenon. Scientists love studying the area because in the future the tectonic plates will have moved far enough apart the depression will become a new ocean.

Traveling here is not for the faint of heart. Not only is the temperature scorching, but also it’s a remote area. There are tour groups that will take travelers to Dallol and the locals do not mind bringing travelers along to mine salt. Make sure to pack extra water and stay hydrated. Despite the difficulties it presents, there is no other place like this on Earth, and it’s worth a visit.