Lake Natron Safaris
Lake Natron is a destination that very few travellers visit. With flamingo filled lakes, ancient hominoid footprints and active volcanoes, Natron is a stunning region reserved for the adventurous. A truly wonderful region.
When to go to Lake Natron
Best Time to Go
Visit Lake Natron between November and March and July and August for the best experience.
Home to Lengai – the Maasai’s ‘Mountain of God’
Exceptional walking in the heart of Maasai land
Largest flamingo breeding colony
120,000-year-old humanoid footprints
Adventure in Northern Tanzania
The lake sits close to the Tanzania/Kenya border, in the Arusha region. Approximately six hours drive from Arusha itself, this is an area well off the beaten track, consisting of a near-pristine forest reserve and extensive grass plains interspersed with mountains, rocky hills, and even a live volcano – Ol Doinyo Lengai, ‘Mountain of God’ in Maasai. The scenery is phenomenal; some of the most spectacular in Africa.
Wildlife Highlights in Lake Natron
The area does not claim to rival the neighbouring Serengeti and Ngorongoro for wildlife numbers – big game is sparse here. Scenery however is breathtaking and with a population of lesser flamingo (approximately 2.5 million, the largest breeding colony in the world) congregating on the lake shore to feast on the blue-green algae Spirulina, you are guaranteed a spectacular sight! Other wildlife highlights include spotting the long-necked gerenuk, but neither of these matches the sheer majesty of the landscape of Natron. Surrounded by the Great Rift itself, scenery really is what this destination is all about!
Activities
Lake Natron has a magical location watched over by Ol Doinyo Lengai, an active volcano sacred to the Maasai. Activities include climbs, archaeological excursions, and cultural encounters.
Climb Ol Doinyo Lengai
See ancient fossil footprints
Enjoy authentic cultural encounters
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Ol Doinyo Lengai is an extremely steep climb, but reaching its peak is rewarded with breathtaking views over Ngorongoro, Kilimanjaro, and all the volcanoes of the Rift Valley. On a clear day, this view is absolutely outstanding.
Visitors to this region can marvel at ‘the Lake Natron footprints’, fossilised footfalls preserving moments over 120,000 years ago when two groups of Homo sapiens traversed the volcanic-ash terrain. This is one of the world’s largest collections of human footprints, and it’s well worth a visit.
The area is also notable for its location on village land, rather than within a game reserve or national park, which prohibits human settlement. As a result, there is a close and often symbiotic relationship between human and wildlife communities here. The former are mostly Maasai people, benefiting from local tourism. Travellers benefit in turn by enjoying truly authentic cultural experiences, among the best in Tanzania!
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