Northern TanzaniaField Guide
Lake Natron
A remote soda lake beneath an active volcano, and the breeding ground for East Africa's lesser flamingo.
- Region
- Northern Tanzania
- Best time
- Jun-Oct
- Wildlife
- Lesser flamingo breeding grounds, Ol Doinyo Lengai
- Safaris here
- 1 itinerary
Lake Natron lies in genuinely remote country close to the Kenyan border, beneath the cone of Ol Doinyo Lengai, the volcano the Maasai call the Mountain of God. The lake is intensely alkaline, and in places its surface turns deep red from the microorganisms that thrive in it.
It is the single most important breeding site for East Africa’s lesser flamingo, which gather here in vast numbers because few predators can tolerate the water. Visitors walk to the Ngare Sero waterfalls, visit the flamingo flats, or make the demanding overnight ascent of Ol Doinyo Lengai. The landscape is stark and unlike anywhere else on the northern circuit.
Photographs
Safari Packages
Trips that visit Lake Natron
Each is a fully costed starting point, and every one can be reshaped around your dates, pace and budget.
