"Djibouti" Top 5 Page for this destination Djibouti by traveldave

Djibouti Travel Guide: 194 reviews and 1,009 photos

I traveled to Djibouti in November 2007 as part of a birdwatching trip to Yemen and its island of Socotra. My group made a side trip to Djibouti specifically to see the Djibouti francolin, a partridge-like bird that is one of the rarest, most endangered, and most range-restricted birds in the world. (And I must admit, we also went for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this rarely visited country).

Seeing the francolin involved driving around the Gulf of Tadjoura to the high mountains on the north shore of the gulf, and then camping in a primitive campsite in the Forêt du Day National Park. Along the way, we passed through rugged desert landscapes and black lava fields. Roadside overlooks along the highway provided spectacular views of the Gulf of Tadjoura, the Ghoubet-Kharab, and Lake Assal, the lowest point on the African continent. We also spent a short time in Djibouti City and its surrounding areas looking for more common east African birds.

Last visit to Djibouti: Nov 2007
Intro Updated Jun 21, 2012
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Reviews (10)

The Decan Refuge Things to Do (2)

The Decan Refuge was founded by veterinarian Bertrand Lafrance as a refuge for cheetahs that have been confiscated from... more travel advice

The Port of Djibouti Things to Do (2)

Since ancient times, Djibouti has been a trading center because it sits at the crossroads of the Red Sea and Indian... more travel advice

The Afar Tribe Local Customs (1)

The Afar tribe, also known as the Danakil, is one of two main ethnic groups in Djibouti. They make up about 40 percent... more travel advice

Lake Assal Off The Beaten Path (3)

One of the hottest and most inhospitable places on earth, Lake Assal is a saline crater lake surrounded by dormant... more travel advice

Hotels (2)
See All Tourist Camp du Day
Favorites (1)
Djibouti City

Transportation (1)
Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport
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Travelogues (1)

Written Sep 16, 2012

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Map of Djibouti

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Comments (10)

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angiebabe Nov 14, 2011 at 3:24 AM

What an excellent opportunity to visit such an off the beaten track country with Eritrea next door still having major problems and probably Somali pirates not so far away. hope theyre able to do something about the problem with their juniper bushes! Excellent photos and info - the Ghoubet-kharab sounds amazing - and seeing the francolin! No pics of them here for us?!
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Jim_Eliason Apr 15, 2011 at 5:17 AM

great tips!
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balhannah Dec 13, 2009 at 6:25 PM

An interesting page. So glad that you were able to see the Djibouti francolin, and four of them too! that must have been exciting, as well as seeing all the other wildlife in the area.
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iwys Aug 14, 2008 at 8:08 PM

What an interesting page. It's funny, I'm a birdwatcher and I'm into that 100 countries thing too. I guess we must be twitchers by nature.
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Bwana_Brown Mar 6, 2008 at 10:36 AM

I love to visit off-the-beaten-path places like this so I really enjoyed your excellent photos and interesting information on Djibouti! You really visited a lot of amazing sites, so thank you for this peek into an almost forgotten country!
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LoriPori Jan 17, 2008 at 4:47 AM

Wow Dave! What an adventure for you. Those huts sure look primitive, but at least you were off the ground.
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SLLiew Dec 8, 2007 at 6:43 AM

What a diversity in Djibouti. Enjoyed a virtual tour. So much more than I have expected. Cheers, SL :)
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Hosell Dec 1, 2007 at 5:30 AM

Good to see some of your pics of your last trip! I liked all of them and is interesting to know that the city of Djibouti was founded by a catalan man!!! glad to know that you had a nice time there!!!
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Kuznetsov_Sergey Dec 1, 2007 at 12:15 AM

Great page on Djibouti, David! Such an exotic country and very interesting for travellers like you. The Decan Refuge and Forêt du Day National Park look very attractive. Thanks for sharing!
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deecat Nov 30, 2007 at 8:27 AM

Such an informative, interesting group of pages, David. Enjoyed learning about the Afar Tribe, Decan refuge, National Park. Such interesting facts about the people, the history, etc.