Have
you Googled Djibouti lately?
By Jerry W. Bird. Photos
by Mjuguette Gofrani
In our efforts to sing the
praises of travel and tourism to Africa, our
magazine's staff and I rely on Google as a
foolproof guide and fast, accurate measuring
stick. Like magic, it confirms whether our
message is getting through to readers worldwide.
The good news? We lead the pack in a variety of
Africa topics, beating out media rivals and
giants of the travel tourism scene. So when it
came to Djibouti - we asked Google to search its
vast domain for "Marketing Djibouti Tourism?"
Voila - our web site was #1 and #2 from 270,000
entries. Having traveled on Djibouti's doorstep
during the past seven years with tours and ATA
World Congresses in Ethiopia, we are excited
about the region's potential for positive,
unbridled growth. So we asked Google about
Djibouti becoming another Dubai thanks to its
climate and strategic location. Again - our site
was sitting in the #1 position. With our pioneer
visit to Djibouti comes the opportunity to
produce this souvenir edition as a showcase of
positive views and scenes of this rapidly
emerging country. So, by way introduction, we're
letting Djibouti tells it's own
story.
I am Djibouti
...This magazine's editors call me "Africa's
Red Sea Miracle." Why? For starters think of the
familiar line - location, location and,
location. I am a former French colony situated
on the Red Sea in Africa's farthest corner,
bordered by Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia, with
Yemen across the way in the Arabian Peninsula.
My coastline extends from the Red Sea to the
Gulf of Aden, the same route taken by traders
and explorers since early times. Lonely Planet
describes me as an ideal place to recharge one's
batteries before or after an overland trip to
Ethiopia or Eritrea. The Africa Travel
Association (ATA) chose me as host country for
its 11th Annual Eco Cultural Symposium in
January, 2008, which became an opportunity to
showcase my travel, trade and tourism
attractions to influential contacts from North
America, Africa and points beyond. Some say I
have the location and potential of becoming
another Dubai, which time will tell. Among my
most popular visitor attractions is year round
diving and snorkeling in the Gulf of Aden with
denizens of the deep including Whale Shark. I
compare in size to Massachusetts and my three
main regions, include the coastal plain and
volcanic plateaus in my central and southern
regions and mountain ranges to the
north.
Djibouti City, my
strategic seaport, has a half million
populationr. Do you enjoy warm weather? You will
find me a great vacation spot, with November to
mid April the best time to visit. Being at the
mouth of the Red Sea, with my status as a free
trade zone in northeast Africa I serve as an
important transshipment location for trade goods
entering and leaving the highlands of East
Africa. My two official languages are French and
Arabic, however Somali and Afar are spoken
throughout the country. I have two main
population groups, the Issa (Somali) and the
Afar, with Europeans, Arabs and Ethiopians in
lesser numbers.
Djibouti Palace
Kempinski
What can I say about the
miracle that took place when Dubai World
financed and built this remarkable 5 star hotel?
What's more they did it in record time.
Away from the busy districts, yet only few
minutes from my international airport, Djibouti
Palace Kempinski is ideally located at a prime
beach front between the Red Sea and the Indian
Ocean. At the moment now, there are further
signs of activity as construction cranes and
tradesmen are erecting a multi story extension,
casino and private beach. It is a secluded and
peaceful setting of palms and bougainvillea. As
the brochure says, "The vanilla colored Hotel's
silhouette etch against the turquoise blue of
the African sky and the deep Ocean. Djibouti
Palace Kempinski features a plethora of
entertainment amenities, including a fully
equipped fitness center, mountain bikes, outdoor
swimming pool, mini club, restaurants and bars.
Djibouti Palace Kempinski redefines luxury
service in the Land of Gods."
The Djibouti
Scene
I am Djibouti,
strategically located on the Red Sea in East
Africa's farthest corner. I am bordered by
Ethiopia to the north and northwest, Eritrea to
the north and Somalia to the southeast. Lonely
Planet describes me as an ideal spot to recharge
one's batteries before or after an overland trip
to Ethiopia or Eritrea. Some say I have the
location and potential of becoming another
Dubai, which time will tell. Among my most
popular visitor attractions are year round
diving and snorkeling in the Gulf of Aden with
denizens of the deep including the Whale Shark,
whose enormous mouth appears to be as wide as
the keyboard of a grand piano.
For more about Djibouti
visit www.africa-ata.org/djibouti.htm
I compare in size to the
state of Massachusetts, and my three main
regions, include the coastal plain and volcanic
plateaus in my central and southern regions and
mountain ranges to the north.
While Djibouti City, a
strategic seaport, has a half million
population, two other communities, Ali-Sabieh
and Tadjoura are much smaller. If you like warm
weather, you will find me a great vacation spot,
with November to mid April the best time to
visit. Being at the mouth of the Red Sea, with
my status as a free trade zone in northeast
Africa I serve as an important transshipment
location for trade goods entering and leaving
the highlands of East Africa. My two official
languages are French and Arabic, however Somali
and Afar are spoken throughout the country. I
have two main population groups, the Issa
(Somali) and the Afar, with Europeans, Arabs and
Ethiopians in lesser numbers. To be
continued.
.