Mabla Mountains

The Mabla mountains rise inland from Obock to around thirteen hundred metres, dry rocky slopes with patches of juniper and dracaena surviving in the gullies where there is enough moisture, one of only two places in Djibouti with any forest left. The Djibouti francolin, a bird found nowhere else on earth, lives in these remnants along with the Day Forest population further southwest. The francolin is Djibouti's only endemic bird species and its total population is estimated in the hundreds.

The landscape

• The remnant juniper - the last forest patches surviving in the gullies.
• The Djibouti francolin - a bird found only in this country's two forest areas.
• The dracaena - the dragon trees standing on the dry slopes.
• The range - dry mountains rising to around thirteen hundred metres.

When to go

November to March is the cool season and the practical window. Summer heat is extreme. The remnant forest is greenest after the rare rains.

What to expect

The forest here has shrunk badly and what remains is patchy. Access needs four wheel drive and a guide on unmarked tracks. Francolin sightings are unlikely.

Nearby

Obock is northeast, and Tadjoura is southwest.

Key facts