Quick Review: Lake Ghoubet Camp

We stayed at Lake Ghoubet camp (aka Plage Goubet) specifically because it has an outlet to the lake where you can attempt to see whale sharks. This is the campsite location though it’s not officially on Google Maps.

Spoiler alert: after wandering the bay for eight hours and paying $220/pp, we didn’t see whale sharks. They are much harder to spot than the internet leads you to believe! If you want to try your luck, this is the camp to try it from though.  

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Camp Facilities & Logistics

The facilities here are very basic. You cannot just “rock up” to this camp; you need to coordinate with a travel guide. We did not organize this ourselves as it was part of our 4-night Djibouti adventure with Massigo Travel. The manager speaks a little French, but not much, and seems like he was only there for the night because we were there. However, you can try to give the manager a call at 077636317 based on the signpost.

The cabin room has 2 beds inside and was pretty spacious. I forgot to take a picture but here is the room tour from my Djibouti Instagram story.

Our cabin

Our guide had to bring our own water for washing, which Wilhelm then had to carry to the washing area. There was one squat toilet and one pedestal toilet, but the pedestal toilet did not flush. Bring toilet paper.

You will need to bring your own sheets and towels. The sheets were organized with our guide but we brought our own quick dry towel. I also would have liked some of these body wipes for my entire Djibouti trip tbh though I managed a bucket shower.

Don’t forget a headlamp or you’ll up all your phone’s battery (and get a portable charger).

Our guide also provided all the food, which the camp manager then cooked for us. We had a simple dinner of pasta, salad, and sauce after some nice tea at 5:00 p.m. The dining area is completely covered to protect you from the wind gusts.

We also got to try some camel milk that another tour company’s driver had brought!

The Vibe of Lake Ghoubet

The camp area is beautiful, but the winds were so intense during our stay that we couldn’t really enjoy being outside. We were the only people staying the night at the camp but the next day there were other people who joined the boat tour to see the whale sharks. The views are just fantastic though.

Overall, this is a convenient spot if you are attempting to see whale sharks, and the views are stunning, but I think one night is enough.

Searching for the whale sharks!

What to do around Lake Ghoubet Camp

Before arriving at Lake Ghoubet camp, we visited the Canyon Viewpoint and the Ardoukoba Volcano area.

We also had some extra time to kill, so we checked out Spot de Kite – Goubet, a nearby camp right on the water. While the beach area was nice, the camp itself looked very rustic and a bit like it was falling apart, so we were happy with where we ended up.