Travel documentary creator Joe Hattab has shared a new visual essay from one of the most extreme landscapes on Earth: the Dallol volcanic field in the Afar region of Ethiopia. The post, published on his official Instagram channel earlier this week, takes viewers deep into the Danakil Depression's hydrothermal sulfur springs and salt flats.
What the post shows
The footage focuses on Dallol's acidic pools and mineral terraces, which produce vivid yellows, greens and oranges across a salt-crusted plain. According to geological reference site Brilliant Ethiopia, the area sits roughly 125 metres below sea level and is among the hottest inhabited places on the planet, with average annual temperatures around 34 degrees Celsius. The colours that dominate the imagery come from iron, sulfur and potassium salts precipitating out of acidic hot springs as they meet the surface air, forming brittle, crystalline pavements.
About the creator
Hattab, born in Jordan and raised in Saudi Arabia, runs the long-running Discover with Joe Hattab travel series.Esquire Middle East reports that the channel has produced hundreds of travel documentaries since 2016, and his Instagram account currently lists roughly seven million followers, with additional reach across YouTube, TikTok and Facebook. Ethiopia is one of several destinations featured on his portfolio site, alongside other off-grid locations he has covered over the past decade.
Why Dallol draws filmmakers
The Danakil Depression is a recurring subject for travel filmmakers because it combines volcanic activity, mineral chemistry and remote desert geography in a single frame. Hattab's Dallol post follows a pattern visible across his channel: short-form, image-led dispatches from locations that are logistically difficult to reach, typically requiring 4x4 transport, armed guides and multi-day expeditions from Addis Ababa or Mekele, with daily costs that tour operators list in the $200 to $400 range.
The full visual essay is available on Hattab's Instagram feed for followers who want to see the location in motion across the full sequence.
