2 Days Lake Natron & Ol Doinyo Lengai Safari

Overview

What makes this journey special

Lesser flamingo coloniesEngare Sero waterfall walkOl Doinyo Lengai viewsMaasai country of the Rift

Two days in the Rift Valley north of Mto wa Mbu – the soda flats of Lake Natron, flocks of lesser flamingos, the Engare Sero waterfall and the volcano the Maasai call the Mountain of God.

Lake Natron lies on the Kenyan border, on the floor of the Great Rift Valley. Its warm, alkaline water turns red and pink with algae, and it is the most important breeding site in the world for lesser flamingos – more than a million birds can gather here in a good year.

Above the lake rises Ol Doinyo Lengai (2,962 m), the only active volcano on Earth that erupts natrocarbonatite lava. The drive from Mto wa Mbu crosses open Maasai country with views of the Rift escarpment, small bomas and volcanic cones.

This short safari suits travellers who want something wilder than the main park circuit. Fit hikers can extend it with an overnight climb of Ol Doinyo Lengai.

See the journey

Destinations you will visit on this safari

Lake Natron Explore destination →

Mount Ol’doinyo Lengai Explore destination →

Day by day

Your itinerary

Day 1

Arusha – Mto wa Mbu – Lake Natron

Arusha · Mto wa Mbu · Engare Sero

Early pick-up in Arusha and drive west to Mto wa Mbu, then north on the gravel road through Maasai country along the Rift Valley escarpment, with Ol Doinyo Lengai rising ahead. Arrive at Engare Sero around midday for lunch at your camp. In the afternoon walk with a local Maasai guide up the Engare Sero gorge, wading through the stream to the waterfall at its head. Dinner at camp under some of the clearest night skies in northern Tanzania.

Tented campFull board

Day 2

Lake Natron flamingos – return to Arusha

Lake Natron · Arusha

Morning walk across the mud flats to the edge of Lake Natron to watch flamingos feeding in the shallows, with a stop at the Engare Sero footprint site, where early human tracks are preserved in volcanic mud. After breakfast, drive back towards Mto wa Mbu with photo stops over the Rift, arriving in Arusha in the late afternoon.

BreakfastLunch

Getting there