Special Offer

Lake Natron Offer to See Maasai Boma visit, Maasai medicine walk, Maasai Dance) Climbing Oldonyo Lengai (depending on activity of the volcano

Lake Natron Tanzania

Lake Natron.
Lake Natron is dominated by vast open plains, escarpments and the surrounding landscape being dominated by volcanic mountains. The lake has stunning reflections of the extra ordinary scenery of surreal quality.
Algae within the Lake’s soda produces a dynamic collage of patterns surface of whilst from air. Lake Natron is situated in the bottom of Gregory (African Rift Valley Area). North of Ngorongoro Crater and highland.

Ol Donyo being South of the active volcano while Serengeti National Park in the west above the rift valley escarpment.

Despite of the long journey, its beautiful enjoyable when you pass through the harsh territories. To and from the Eastern Serengeti (wilderness mobile camp route) or expedition camp is the best way to access Lake Natron. This is also a camping safari to climb Ol Donyo Lengai Mountain or part of Safari walks for several days from Ngorongoro highlands.

Probably in the wet season, you may have a chance of seeing game near lake Natron. However, its not much about a game viewing place. With the immense views, the sheer scale and the awe-inspiring space of the place is breath taking.
River Ngaresero flows cool and clean into Lake Natron out of the Rift Valley, which provides an excellent contrast to the heat and dust from the rift valley.

The unchanged area for many hundred years ago is home to the Nomadic Maasai. It becomes more impressive in such a harsh environment, to see how they manage to settle in this area.
The area has no permanent camps of lodges so it probably becomes interesting for those looking for more adventurous safaris.
With the Fly camps and light mobiles safaris, there are some genuine walks, which take a number of days from Ngorongoro highlands down the Rift valley, accompanied by local Maasai guides, as well as climbing Ol Donyo Lengai.

Lake Natron, in Africa’s Great Rift Valley, practically sends a warning with its color. This bright red lake is the world’s most caustic body of water, but not to everything. An endemic species of fish, the alkaline tilapia, lives along the edges of the hot spring inlets, and the lake actually derives its color from salt-loving microorganisms that thrive in its alkaline waters. Spirulina, a blue-green algae with red pigments, passes its pigments along to the Lesser Flamingoes that feed on the algae and raise their young here.

The Advanced Space borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) flying on the Terra satellite captured this image on March 8, 2003. This image simulates natural color, showing where the salt-loving microorganisms have colored the lake’s salt crust red or pink. The salt crust changes over time, giving the lake a slightly different appearance each time it is photographed by astronauts or imaged by satellites.

Volcanic ash from the Great Rift Valley has collected in local lake basins, creating a network of soda lakes hostile to most organisms. This forbidding environment enables Lake Natron to serve millions of flamingoes as the ideal nursery; would-be predators avoid the saline lake and leave young birds in peace. Flamingoes must exercise caution, however, because the lake can turn deadly even to them. Depending on rainfall, its alkalinity can approach that of straight ammonia, and when the lake is flooded with water that has heated underground, its temperature can reach a scalding 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit)

Lake Natron Safaris

9days Budget Camping Safari Northern Tanzania

4days Lake Natron,Ngorongoro,Manyara Safari

5days Lake Natron, Tarangire Serengeti Safari

7 days Safari to Lake Natron,Ol donyo Lengai

8days Mobile Budget Safari to Lake natron

6days Budget Mobile Camping Safari

3days short budget safari to Lake Natron

Lake Natron Budget Walking Safari

Private Budget Camping Safari to Lake Natron

Lake Natron Safari

Lake Natron by air

Bird watching to Lake Natron

Lake Natron by road

Combine Budget in Lake Natron

Day - Trip to Lake Natron

Family - Safari to Lake Natron

5 days Safari to Lake Natron

North and South Tanzania Safari

Wildlife of Lake Natron

The area around Lake Natron is home to some wildlife, you might see the occasional giraffe or zebra – but this is not the main reason to come here. In stead, visit this area for its remoteness, scenery and for an interesting route into the back of Loliondo.

That said, the lake itself is home to a fascinating eco-system which thrives in this harsh environment. The lake is full of millions of Cyanobacteria - a salt loving micro organism which create their own food through photosynthesis. As the lake increases in salinity, so does the population of bacteria. The lake also supports a vast population of Spirulina, a blue-green algae with red pigments, on which the large population of Lesser Flamingoes feed on.

The lake is an extremely hostile environment and most other organisms are not able to live here. The alkalinity levels of the lake can become so concentrated, that they almost approach that of straight ammonia. Few predators can survive here, and the result is a safe breeding ground for the flamingos who return here annually to nest.

Lake Natron

Northern Tanzania Safaris

Southern Tanzania Safaris

Safari camps in Lake Natron
There are two permanent safari camps in the Lake Natron area – both are basic but offer comfortable beds and a good base from which to explore the area.

Moivaro Lake Natron Tented Camp
This camp is nestled in a shady woodland, which forms a cool oasis in the dry arid heat of the surrounding area. The rooms are tented with stone floors, and have proper en-suite bathrooms.

Ngero Sero Lake Natron Camp
Sitting on the unsheltered flats close to the lake, the tents here are shaded by a thick man-made gauze netting, which is camouflaged to blend perfectly into the landscape. Ngero Sero is a very rustic option, but the food and service are good and the camp has a great atmosphere.

Activities around Lake Natron
Activities in the Lake Natron area focus mainly on walks. You can walk out across the baked mud to the shores of the great soda lake itself, in which algae and zooplankton thrive – which in turn attract the flamingos that line the lake's shore. Look back at the mesmerising view of Oldoinyo Lengai – standing tall in amongst rolling hills and flat plains. Its ash-grey colour and smoking top remind you that this is still very much active. This walk is best done in the very early morning or late afternoon out of the heat of the day.

Whilst here, take the chance to walk up to the Engero Sero Waterfalls. This walk winds up through a shady gorge (very welcome in the heat) between steep cliffs. There's a bit of gentle scrambling involved, and you'll also cross the river a few of times. However, after a few hours you'll reach a beautiful natural swimming pool surrounded by steep rock walls – showered by cascades of spring-water and overlooked by palm trees. We didn't mind getting a little wet, and so loved this walk and the swim at the bottom of falls.

DAR ES SALAAM

DAR ES SALAAM. ZANZIBAR HOTEL P.O. BOX 12594.

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ARUSHA

ARUSHA BRANCH OFFICE. KALOLENI AREA OPPOSITE , PREMIUM HOUSE BOX 14477 ARUSHA,

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Camps
Lake Natron is off the normal tourist routes of northern Tanzania, but may be of interest for special safaris, for example traveling to Serengeti the hard way through the Loliondo area. The camps are not far from the active volcano Oldoinyo Lengai, which can be climbed.

Moivaro Lake Natron Tented Camp
This camp is nestled in a shady woodland, which forms a cool oasis in the dry arid heat of the surrounding area. The rooms are tented with stone floors, and have proper en-suite bathrooms.