Northern Circuit · Tanzania · Rift Valley

Lake Natron

A blood-red alkaline lake at the foot of Africa's most active volcano. One of Tanzania's most otherworldly and least-visited landscapes.
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57 km

Lake length

1 million+

Flamingos breeding

pH 10.5

Alkalinity

Active

Vulkaan in de buurt

57 km

Lake length

The most remote landscape in Tanzania

Het Natronmeer ligt in de afgelegen Riftvallei aan de voet van Ol Doinyo Lengai, Afrika's meest actieve vulkaan. De levendige karmozijnrode kleur is afkomstig van zoutminnende micro-organismen die gedijen in het sterk alkalische water. Toch is deze bijtende omgeving de belangrijkste broedplaats voor de flamingo's van Oost-Afrika. Dit is geen doorsnee bestemming. De wegen zijn hobbelig, de hitte is meedogenloos en het landschap is totaal anders dan waar dan ook in Tanzania. En dat is precies de bedoeling. Natron beloont de reiziger die iets totaal anders wil: een maanlandschap, een wild vulkanisch gebied en het gevoel op een plek te staan waar de meeste mensen nooit zullen komen.

Choose your adventure

We're a Tanzanian family operation crafting deeply personal adventures that go beyond the guidebooks.

9-Day Private Cultural Safari Cultural & Wildlife Immersion
A 9-day private safari that takes you beyond the game drive, from cycling through Arusha's coffee plantations to spending a day inside a Maasai village to tracking big cats across the Serengeti.
  • Duration: 9 days, 8 nights
  • Begins: Arusha
  • Operates: Jun-Oct, Jan-Mar
  • Difficulty: Easy
$4,700
Off the Beaten Path · 8 Days · Tanzania Off the Beaten Path Safari
An 8-day private safari into Tanzania's lesser-known jewels: flamingo-draped Lake Natron, the wild frontiers of Mkomazi, and the hidden valleys of the northern Serengeti, where few tourists tread.
  • Duration: 8 days, 7 nights
  • Begins: Arusha
  • Operates: Jun-Oct
  • Difficulty: Moderate
$5,500

A glimpse of what awaits

Real photos from real guests. This is Tanzania.

The Rift Valley story

The Chemistry

Alkalisch water

Het water van het Natronmeer heeft een pH-waarde van 10,5, bijna net zo bijtend als ammoniak. De rode kleur is afkomstig van haloarchaea: zoutminnende micro-organismen die gedijen in omstandigheden waarin geen andere organismen kunnen overleven.

2 Million Birds

Flamingo Breeding

Lake Natron is the primary breeding site for Lesser Flamingos in East Africa - up to 2 million birds nest here when conditions are right. Nothing else looks like it.

Active Volcano

Ol Doinyo Lengai

The lake sits in the shadow of Ol Doinyo Lengai -Africa's only active carbonatite volcano. Its eruptions are visible from the lakeshore at night.

Deep Geology

The Rift Valley

Lake Natron is part of the East African Rift - one of the largest geological features on Earth, where the African continent is slowly splitting apart.

The Springs

Engare Sero

At the lake's southern end, freshwater hot springs feed small waterfalls. Prehistoric footprints discovered in the area date back over 5,000 years.

Natron Questions, Answered.

Everything you need to know about Natron safari

Is Lake Natron worth visiting?

 For the right traveller, absolutely. Remote, challenging, and unlike anything else in Tanzania. If you've visited the main parks and want somewhere genuinely different, Natron is one of Africa's most extraordinary landscapes.

Can I see flamingos?

Hoe kom ik bij Lake Natron?

Can I climb Ol Doinyo Lengai from Lake Natron?

Plan Your Natron Expedition


One of Tanzania's most remote and extraordinary landscapes. Very few travellers ever reach it. We'll take you there.

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