Strangely enough Djibouti is probably one of the first African countries I ever learned about. My old sixth grade teacher had a quirky sense of humor and claimed the country as one of his favorites because of the name. While it made most of the other sixth graders giggle, I always wondered if there was something a bit off in his head. Anyhow, Djibouti is an east African country bordering the Red Sea as well as Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Once in, getting around the country seems fairly easy so long as you have patience for long bus waits. Sites of interest include Lac Abbé where Planet of the Apes was filmed years ago and Tadjoura which is the country's oldest town and good dive spot.

Diving in the Red Sea off the shores of Djibouti is said to be spectacular. Head down below to discover schools of barracuda, batfish, giant reef rays and turtles. The waters are also home to resting migrating whale sharks between mid-September until the end of November. Several dive sites offer detailed information on their underwater tours. DivingTravel.com is only one of many out there, but has an awesome "Devil's Caverns" excursion allowing avid divers to follow the tracks of two French adventurers and writers, Arthur Rimbaud and Henri de Monfreid. This world-class dive has some of the most interesting marine life and stunning colorful soft coral. Click here to find out more about their tours.

The photo above comes from Fred and Karen's 2004 Djibouti dive adventure. Visit their site to get an idea of what dicing in DJ is like.

Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, Scuba Diving, Photos, Africa, Djibouti