This is the Danakil Depression, the hottest location on the planet. The Danakil Depression is more than 1,200 feet below sea level and features extensive flooded salt plains, which we had to traverse to visit the geologically active "island" of Dallol. The cars left an eerie orange trail in their wake, contrasting starkly against the white canvas of the salt plain. I'm not entirely sure what causes the orange swirls, but they appear to be some sort of runoff from the hot springs and geysers of Dallol.

The Danakil Depression is also home to the continuously erupting Erta Ale volcano, which ostensibly sports the world's oldest lava lake, but was mostly drained during my visit (November 2019).

The Danakil Depression exists in the restive Afar Region of Ethiopia, one of the most remote areas in Northeast Africa. Visiting the Danakil Depression is only possible via an organized tour in land-cruisers, escorted by armed guards.

I visited the Danakil Depression while crossing Africa overland from Cape Town to Cairo via public transport. Flying my drone above the flooded salt planes around Daloll with the land-cruisers crossing below was one of my favorite aerial shoots of all time.

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This video was shot in 4k on a DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone.

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