Salt Flats (Asale)
For centuries, the Danakil Salt Flats have been the lifeblood of traditional trade in Ethiopia. After intense evaporation under the desert sun, vast salt pans stretch to the horizon like cracked glass. Each morning, Afar salt miners carve blocks of salt by hand, using age-old tools and techniques, enduring temperatures that often soar above 45°C (113°F).
Once cut and shaped, these heavy salt slabs — locally called “amolé” — are loaded onto the backs of camel caravans, forming long, slow-moving lines that snake across the desert. These caravans can take several days to reach the highland towns where salt is traded, as it has been for generations. Travelers to the region often witness the rhythm of pickaxes striking the earth, the low groans of camels, and the shimmering illusion of water on the horizon an experience that offers a window into one of the world’s oldest living commercial traditions.