El Sod

Mafia like scam - just skip it

The place, a volcano lake where people fetch salt and bring it up with donkeys is an interesting attration BUT I would advise against visiting it. The self-appointed guides charge you more than the en...

Ridiculous rip off

To visit the site, you need to pay an entrance fee for the park in Yabello (100 birr per person) and take a guide from Yabello (further 300 birr). El Sod is not in the park, but it does not stop the g...

Extraction of Black Salt

Trekking to the lake and uphill was wanderful. You can see people extracting salt (it was black when we were there)

Spectacular crater

The crater at El Sod (which means soda - nothing to do with sodomy) is quite spectacular. You can drive up to the rim and look down several hundred metres. There are numerous kids demanding money, but...

AKA Lake Chew Bet

This is a long way from Yabelo, but if you are heading south its definitely worth a visit. The main road from Yabelo going south is very good quality for Ethiopia so it doesn't take as long as you wo...