Tanzania · Rift Valley lake
Lake Natron
Flamingos, volcanoes and raw Rift Valley landscapes
Size
About 1,000 km² lake
Location
Northern Tanzania, near Kenya
Best time
June – October
Known for
Flamingos · Ol Doinyo Lengai
About the park
Africa at its most elemental
Lake Natron is a shallow soda lake in the Great Rift Valley, close to the Kenyan border. Its alkaline water, coloured red and pink by algae in places, is the most important breeding ground on earth for lesser flamingos. Above it rises Ol Doinyo Lengai, the Maasai “Mountain of God” and an active volcano.
This is not a classic game-viewing area, but an extraordinary landscape for adventurous travellers: hot, remote and beautiful. You can walk along the lakeshore among flamingos, hike up a river gorge to the Engare Sero waterfall, see ancient human footprints preserved in volcanic mud, and climb Ol Doinyo Lengai by night for sunrise over the Rift.
Highlights
Why visit Lake Natron
Lesser flamingos
The world’s key breeding site for lesser flamingos.
Ol Doinyo Lengai
Climb an active volcano by night for sunrise.
Waterfall hike
Wade up a river gorge to the Engare Sero waterfall.
Maasai communities
Walks guided by local Maasai.
When to visit
June to October, the cooler dry months, are most comfortable. Flamingo numbers vary with water levels and breeding.
Wildlife you may see
Lesser and greater flamingos, waterbirds, zebra, wildebeest, gerenuk, oryx and ostrich in the surrounding plains.
Getting there
About 5–6 hours by road from Arusha via Mto wa Mbu, or combine with the northern Serengeti.
Visit with Asili
Trips including Lake Natron
Night climb
Ol Doinyo Lengai
7 days
The Great Migration Safari
14 days
The Complete Tanzania & Zanzibar
Plan your Lake Natron safari
Tell us when you’d like to travel and we’ll design a private journey that includes Lake Natron.
Enquire now