600 km²
Size
22-38°C
Temperature
600 m
Altitude
Hot, arid Rift Valley, little shade
Climate
Lake Natron is a caustic soda lake under Ol Doinyo Lengai, dusty, hot, and one of the main East African nesting sites for lesser flamingos. It is not a game park and it is a rough road from the crater highlands.
The water burns if you treat it like a swimming hole. The colour shifts with algae and minerals. Flamingos pack the shallows when conditions are right; they also fail some years. We walk the edge with local Maasai guides, visit waterfalls when the stream has water, and we sleep in simple camps because there is no lodge strip here.
Ol Doinyo Lengai, the Maasai Mountain of God, is an active volcano with a night climb that is steep, loose and genuinely hard. It is not an add-on for people who found Ngorongoro tiring. We only put Lengai on a trip when you ask for it and we like your fitness notes.
The drive from the crater or from Arusha via Mto wa Mbu is long and corrugated. Natron works as a two-night detour on a northern safari if you care about landscape more than cats. It is a poor substitute for Serengeti game viewing.
Things to See & Do
Getting There
Road
From Mto wa Mbu or Karatu the road north is rough 4x4, often 4 to 6 hours depending on ruts and water crossings. We do n...
Wildlife you can see here
All 12 speciesAntelopes
Common Eland
Taurotragus oryx
The largest antelope in Africa, a calm giant of the plains.
Lake Natron, Serengeti +2 more
Flightless birds
Common Ostrich (Masai Ostrich)
Struthio camelus massaicus
The largest and fastest-running bird on Earth.
Serengeti, Tarangire +3 more
Waterbirds
Lesser Flamingo
Phoeniconaias minor
Pink flocks that turn East African soda lakes into a moving carpet.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Lake Manyara +2 more
Antelopes
Thomson's Gazelle
Eudorcas thomsonii
A small, fast antelope that flicks its tail as it grazes.
Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +1 more
Antelopes
Gerenuk
Litocranius walleri
A long-necked antelope that stands on its hind legs to browse.
Tarangire, Lake Natron
Small cats
Caracal
Caracal caracal
A tufted-eared cat that can leap high to catch birds in flight.
Serengeti, Tarangire +1 more
Antelopes
Kirk's Dik-dik
Madoqua kirkii
A tiny antelope, no bigger than a hare, that lives in pairs.
Tarangire, Lake Manyara +3 more
Raptors
Secretary Bird
Sagittarius serpentarius
A long-legged raptor that hunts by stamping on snakes and rodents.
Serengeti, Ngorongoro Conservation Area +2 more
Best Time to Visit
FAQs
Is it safe to walk near the lake?
On established paths with a local guide, yes. Do not wade. The soda is nasty on skin and worse in the eyes.
Can we climb Lengai without camping at Natron?
You can approach from other sides, but the usual night climb is based here. We start around midnight and we are off the upper slopes before the rock turns to grease in the sun.
Add Lake Eyasi to Your Safari
The route is ours to design — you just pick the places that call you.
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