Lake Natron

Lake Natron is famous for millions of flamingos and amazing sunrises and sunsets.

The water is extraordinarily alkaline — caustic enough to burn skin, and warm enough in the shallows to deter almost all life. What thrives is the cyanobacteria that tints the surface red from the air and feeds the flamingos.

That hostility is the point. Because nothing can easily cross the water to reach the nesting islands, Natron has become the single most important breeding site for East Africa’s lesser flamingos, and the great majority of the population hatches here.

Getting there

The journey from the Serengeti is made with an on-route game drive, arriving late afternoon.

It can also be reached from Arusha in a long day. Roads in are rough in every direction and a 4WD is essential; the approach is one of the more demanding drives on the northern circuit.

The alternative approach is north from Mto wa Mbu. Either way the surface is rough and slow throughout, and heavy rain can cut the route entirely for days at a time.

Destination Attractions

The active volcano of Ol Doinyo Lengai stands beside the lake and can be climbed, though it is very steep and covered in volcanic ash — from the top the effort is rewarded with incredible views.

The Ngare Sero gorge behind the lake holds a series of waterfalls reached on foot through the streambed, and is the usual way to cool off after a climb.

Maasai communities live around the lake, and the area is far less visited than the parks a few hours west.

The Engare Sero footprints on the southern shore are a set of ancient human tracks preserved in volcanic mud, among the largest such collections found anywhere in Africa.

The ruined irrigation terraces at Engaruka, passed on the drive in, are the remains of a substantial pre-colonial farming settlement and make a natural stop along the way.

Safari experiences

The volcano climb is not a casual undertaking. It starts around midnight, gains over 1,600 metres on loose ash, and brings you back down in the heat of the following morning — guides assess fitness before agreeing to take a group up.

Flamingo viewing is done from the lake edge on foot with a local guide, and the waterfall walk is a half day. Most visitors stay two nights to fit in both the climb and a recovery day.

The shoreline must be walked with a guide. The dried crust looks solid but gives way underfoot, and going through it is the main hazard on the flats.

Best time to visit

June to October is the practical window for both the roads and the climb. Daytime temperatures on the lake floor regularly pass forty degrees, so activities are compressed into early morning and late afternoon.

Flamingo numbers peak in the drier months as the water concentrates. The long rains from March to May can cut the roads entirely and the area is often dropped from itineraries then.

Breeding does not follow a fixed calendar — it depends on water levels from one year to the next, so it is worth asking what the birds are actually doing before committing to dates.