AMBOULI GARDENS

Located in the southern districts of Djibouti-Ville, Ambouli (which is the name of an important wadi for Djibouti) is, in a way, the city's market-garden zone, where jasmine, khadi, colorful and fragrant hibiscus, red, orange and white bougainvillea bloom in small gardens - when they are not abandoned and cluttered with plastic waste... In squares of earth, fruit and vegetables and aromatic plants grow under palm trees. An unsuspected oasis of greenery, nearly 1 km long and 400 m wide. An irrigation system with underground canals draws water from deep in the wadi and waters all the plots. The name Ambouli has long been associated with the liquid element and the idea of an oasis. Arab sailors came here in search of fresh water long before the arrival of Europeans. A few flocks of sheep, water-carrying donkeys and camels roam here and there. The whole is modestly dominated by the Ambouli lighthouse, which marks the beginning of the Balbala district. Ambouli acts as a nursery for the city's gardens. It's here, amidst the flowers and lemon trees, that we meet Anwar, a passionate young gardener who has made the family garden his pride and joy. This patch of greenery is a real blessing in an arid land. You can stroll here at any time of day, accompanied by a guide, preferably in the cool of the morning, when the garden looks better than it does in the late afternoon.