Lake Natron is a blood-red soda lake on the Kenyan border, the most important breeding ground of the lesser flamingo, watched over by the only volcano on Earth that erupts natrocarbonatite lava.
01 A shallow, highly alkaline lake coloured red and pink by salt-loving algae. Lesser flamingos come here in huge numbers to breed on the mud flats.
02 An active volcano that rises steeply above the lake. The climb starts around midnight on loose ash and reaches the crater rim for sunrise.
03 A Maasai village by the lake, with a gorge walk to a waterfall and ancient human footprints preserved in volcanic mud.
The water of Lake Natron is so alkaline that few animals can live in it, which is exactly why lesser flamingos breed here, safe from predators on islands of salt and mud. Most of the world’s lesser flamingos are hatched at Natron. You walk with a guide to the edge of the flats, where thousands of birds feed in the shallows.
01 A late-afternoon walk to the lake edge to watch the flamingos feeding, with the volcano behind you.
02 A steep night climb on loose ash with an experienced local guide, reaching the crater for sunrise. Hard work and unforgettable.
03 Walk up the gorge to a waterfall pool, then see the human footprints left in volcanic mud thousands of years ago.
04 Time with the Maasai families who live around the lake and graze their cattle on the plains.
Add Lake Natron between the Ngorongoro highlands and the northern Serengeti, or climb Ol Doinyo Lengai. Tell us your dates and we will plan the route.
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