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Afar state is endowed with a number of spectacular tourism spots that lead it to be one of the best destinations for a number of tourists. One such national park in the State is the Yangudi Rassa National Park. Rassa National Park is located in the northeastern part of the country. The head quarter is situated in Gewane, Afar region, some 365km from Addis Ababa on Djibouti road. The altitude of the park ranges between 400-146o meters above sea level.
Its 4730 square kilometers of territory include Mount Yangudi near the southern border. Sandy semi-desert and wooded grassland cover the majority of the park’s area. This Park lies between the territory of the Afar and Somali States, and while violence has been frequent between them, most of the park happens to be in an area where they avoid each other.
The park was specially created to secure a protected desert ecosystem for Wild Ass, along with the consideration of its geological and archeological significances. Its value being a refuge and a route to Palearctic and Intra- Africa migratory birds is also of a great concern.
There are truly few places on Earth that blend culture and nature as incredible as the one from Afar. Yangudi Rassa National Park lies in the warm Afar region holding 4730 square kilometers of territory next to the massive Mount Yangudi. Sandy semi-desert and wooded bush and grass cover the majority of the park’s area.
Yangudi Rassa is an extensive wilderness in this remote northeastern part of the country. More than 200 birds have been recorded here. Of these, no less than 23 Somali-Masai Biome species and two globally threatened species, namely, the Lesser Kestrel and Pallid Harrier are known to occur in the park.
It is an important flyway for species like the Terek Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Redshank, Woodchat Shrike, Lesser Grey Shrike, Black Cap and Ortolan Bunting. This protected area also has 36 species of mammals including Wild Ass, Beisa Oryx, Dorcas Gazelle, Soemmering’s gazelle, gerenuk and Grevy’s zebra, Hamadryas Baboon, Bat-eared Fox, Black-backed Jackal, Striped Hyena, and Aardwolf, Phoenicopterus, Petronia brachydactyla and Ardeotis Arabs.
The extensive wilderness in this remote northeastern part of Ethiopia lies Dallol, which has semi-desert trees and succulent scrub, semi-arid grass and plains, shrub-steppe, bush land and acacia-wooded grassland. Witnessing the flow of lava from deep in the ground is a breathtaking sight. Its major physical and geological features include Awash River, active volcanoes, archeological sites, extensive arid-desert ecosystem, nearby alkaline lakes and Dallol Depression.
Dallol is one of the exceptional places on the planet featuring earthquakes, volcano fountains and salt hills. Since the area is arid, it usually experiences an erratic and low rainfall pattern, ranging between 200 and 400mm. The rainfall distribution follows a bi-modal pattern, in which small showers occur from February through March and second rainy season usually July to August.
The town is famous for its volcanic erruption crater in the Danakil Depression. Part of the Erta Ale Range, the Dallol crater was formed when basaltic magma created giant salt deposits. The resulting hydrothermal eruptions also formed the volcano. The Dallol crater is one of the lowest known volcanic vents in the world at 45 meters below sea level, making the region a unique destination.
The hot springs in Dallol depict bright colors, a palette of ferrous chloride and iron hydroxide emissions forming deep blue lakes. Dallol Salt Mountain lies on the ground, creating an impressive view. The trek to Dallol locally referred as “the Gateway to Hell,” is long and challenging.
This active volcanic area is home to an incredible landscape of volcanic activities and several hot springs. This dazzling border town takes to extreme adventure through some of the country’s magnificent scenery.
Source Travel.jumia
The Ethiopian Herald January 21/2021
