The oldest salt caravan begins in Djibouti, on Lake Assal, located in the heart of the Danakil desert, next to the Dallol depression. With an altitude of 155 meters below sea level, Lake Assal is the lowest point on the African continent. Its salinity is ten times higher than sea water and even exceeds that of the Dead Sea. It is considered the saltiest lake in the world.

The camel drivers transport the salt harvested by hand on the ground, according to a 2500 year old process. The camels can carry up to 120 kg on their backs and travel across the country, and sometimes as far as Ethiopia, through the arid and mountainous landscapes of Wadi Kalou where temperatures easily exceed 45 degrees in summer.