Djibouti

French and Arabic are the official languages. French is the main language of government, business, signs and menus. In daily life, most people speak Somali or Afar, and Arabic is widely understood.

English is spoken in some large hotels, dive centres and tour agencies, but not widely elsewhere. A few words of French make everyday life much easier. Greeting people in Somali or Afar is always appreciated.

Djibouti Telecom is the only mobile network operator. You can buy a prepaid SIM card at its shops in Djibouti City. Coverage is good in the capital and along the main roads, but it is weak or absent in remote desert areas such as the lake regions. Mobile data and hotel internet are slower and more expensive than in most countries.

Do not drink tap water. Bottled water is sold everywhere; buy plenty, because the heat causes fast dehydration. Medical facilities are limited, even in Djibouti City. Get travel insurance that covers medical evacuation.

• Mosquitoes: malaria is present, and antimalarial tablets are recommended even for short stays. Dengue and Zika also occur. Use insect repellent and cover up at dusk.
• Fresh water: do not swim in lakes or rivers inland, because of the risk of schistosomiasis (a parasite). Sea swimming is fine.
• Yellow fever: you need a vaccination certificate only if you arrive from a country with a risk of yellow fever.
• Pharmacies: there are several in Djibouti City, but outside the capital they are rare. Bring enough of any regular medicine.
• Vaccinations: see a travel health clinic at least 8 weeks before your trip.

Most visitors need a visa to enter Djibouti. The simplest option is the official Djibouti eVisa portal: apply online before you travel. Some nationalities, including UK citizens, can also buy a tourist visa on arrival, paid in cash in US dollars.

• Passport: it must be valid for at least 6 months after your arrival date.
• Onward travel: you must show proof of an onward or return journey.
• Overland: if you arrive by train or road from Ethiopia, get your eVisa or visa before you travel.
• Yellow fever: bring a vaccination certificate if you arrive from a country with a risk of yellow fever.

Visa and entry requirements change frequently. Verify current requirements with the official immigration authority or your country's embassy before travel.

Djibouti is a Muslim country with conservative customs, although Djibouti City is relaxed by regional standards.

• Dress: wear loose clothes that cover shoulders and knees in towns and villages. Swimwear is fine on beaches and at resorts, but not in town. Women should cover their hair when they visit a mosque.
• Ramadan: during the holy month, do not eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight hours. Many restaurants close during the day, and offices work shorter hours. Ramadan moves about 11 days earlier each year.
• Qat: chewing qat (khat), a mildly stimulating leaf imported daily from Ethiopia, is legal and a big part of social life. In the afternoon, many men gather to chew it and talk, and activity in towns slows down. Qat is illegal in many other countries, so do not take it home.
• Alcohol: it is sold in hotels, some restaurants and bars. Public drunkenness is a crime and can bring a prison sentence.
• Photography: always ask before you photograph people, especially women.
• Greetings: greet people before you ask a question. Use your right hand to give, take and eat.
• Relationships: public displays of affection are frowned upon, and same-sex couples can attract the attention of police under laws on "good morals".

On public holidays, government offices, banks and most shops close. Islamic holidays, such as Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan and Eid al-Adha, follow the lunar calendar and move about 11 days earlier each year. Independence Day on 27 June brings celebrations and parades in Djibouti City.

Friday is the main day of rest, and many offices and shops close. Most shops open in the morning, close for a long break at midday during the hottest hours, and open again in the late afternoon. In the afternoon, many locals chew qat, and business slows down.

Public transport outside Djibouti City is limited. Most visitors see the lakes and the north on organised trips with a 4x4 and a driver.

• By train: the electric Addis Ababa–Djibouti railway links Djibouti with Ethiopia. Passenger trains run several times a week and stop overnight in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. Djibouti's station is at Nagad, outside the city, so take a taxi. Buy tickets at the station at least one day ahead.
• By 4x4: sites such as Lake Assal, Lake Ghoubet and Lake Abbe are reached by road and desert tracks. Hire a 4x4 with an experienced driver through a local agency.
• By boat: boats leave from Djibouti City for Moucha Island and for whale shark trips in the Gulf of Tadjoura. Boats and ferries also cross the gulf to Tadjoura and Obock.
• By minibus: shared minibuses connect Djibouti City with the main towns. They leave when full and are very cheap, but crowded and hot.
• In Djibouti City: taxis are cheap and easy to find. They have no meters, so agree the fare before you get in.

Djiboutian food mixes Somali, Afar, Yemeni, Ethiopian, Indian and French influences. Breakfast is often lahoh, a spongy pancake, with sweet tea. Lunch is the main meal, served early in the afternoon before the hottest hours. Dinner is eaten late. The best-known dish is skoudehkaris, spiced rice with lamb or goat. Also try fah-fah, a spicy goat soup, and Yemeni-style fish, baked whole in a clay oven and served with flatbread.

Street snacks include sambusa, fried pastries with meat or lentils. For a sweet treat, try halwo, a sticky jelly sweet with cardamom. Sweet spiced tea is drunk all day, and fresh fruit juices are popular. In Djibouti City, you can also find French bakeries and cafés. Most local eateries are simple, and many close during daylight hours in Ramadan.

The capital

• Djibouti City is the starting point for almost every trip. It has most of the hotels and restaurants, a lively central market and the railway to Ethiopia.

Lakes and volcanic landscapes

• Lake Assal is a turquoise salt lake about 155 m below sea level, surrounded by black lava and white salt. It is a popular day trip from the capital.
• Lake Ghoubet is a deep bay at the western end of the Gulf of Tadjoura, next to volcanic fields, on the way to Lake Assal.
• Lake Abbe, on the Ethiopian border, has tall limestone chimneys and flamingos. Most visitors stay overnight at a simple camp to see the chimneys at sunrise.

The sea

• The Gulf of Tadjoura is famous for whale sharks, which gather here roughly from November to February.
• Moucha Island, a short boat ride from the capital, has beaches and coral reefs for snorkelling and diving.

The north

• Tadjourah Region includes the old white town of Tadjoura on the gulf and the cooler Goda Mountains, home to the Day Forest, a rare juniper forest. Do not travel near the Eritrean border in the far north of the region.
• Obock is a quiet coastal area facing Yemen, reached by ferry or road. Do not travel near the Eritrean border.