The uplands northwest of the Gulf of Tadjourah can be blanketed with green after one of the region’s occasional rain showers. The district includes the Forêt du Day, Djibouti’s only national park, which has a scattering of hiking camps and cool, misty tracks to explore, where you can look out for monkeys, leopards (or at least their tracks) and rare birds. . .
For most visitors, the main attractions are underwater – this is a superb, little explored diving destination where you can wonder at schools of barracuda, shimmering reef fish and those giants of the deep, whale sharks. . .
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Although Djibouti is a member of the Arab league and has a strongly Arabised culture, most of the population are Afar-speakers and Somalis of the Issa clan (when it was under colonial rule, Djibouti was known as the “French Territory of Afars and Issas”). In early 2011 there were demonstrations in Djibouti City protesting against the authoritarian rule of the largely Somali government led by President Guelleh, but they soon fizzled out.
Djibouti Web Culture, history and mysteries.
Office National du Tourisme de Djibouti Official tourist info (in French, and not working at present. . .).
RTD National radio and television channel, with news clips.
This page last edited 9 June 2011 © Richard Trillo and Emma Gregg
First-Time Africa: know before you go 