Lake Asaal

I went to Lake Asaal a few weeks ago. It was quite amazing. If you ever get a chance to swing by Djibouti, there's not much to do anyways, so you should go out there. We got there by taking a nice long drive past the Djibouti Grand Canyon, a few tree goats, and finally through this small town off of a really terrible road.

So, as you may or may not know, Lake Asaal is the saltiest lake on the planet. It's incredibly salty. Words cannot describe the saltiness, so, I've ran some numbers so you can make your own batch of Lake Asaal water. Keep in mind that the salts are a mix in the lake, but it's pretty much the same.

Lake Asaal water - 1 gallon of water + 2.5 lbs of salt. Dissolve the salt and do not drink! 2.5 lbs per gallon, that's a lot!

When you get into the water, you'll need some form of sandals. The bottom of the lake is big sharp salt crystals. You'll also want to take plenty of water to rinse with. I had to go out where it was deep enough to attempt to swim down. Not only is it impossible, everyone is correct when they say it will burn your eyes. And, no, I did not open them. It felt like someone dropped flaming drops of acid into my eyes.

You can literally lounge in any position that you would like in the lake. I attempted to sit as if I were in a chair, kick back and lounge, stand up, it didn't matter what position I always floated. It was quite amazing. You can also purchase some salt from the locals as well as some other crystals and rocks. I also didn't see any signs that said not to gather the salt ;)

Another interesting area at Asaal was the nearby hot springs that flow into the lake. It was very hot and full of the brightest green algae. Someone was cooking eggs near one of the hot vents.