solipublishing.blogg.se - Lake natron in africa

The quiet calmness returns.Ī Maasai guide will take you for a walk along the shores of the lake. And as suddenly as they arrive, they disappear in spectacular waves of pink. Each year, around February or March, enormous flocks of gaggling birds converge on the salt lake. It is also the most important breeding ground worldwide for the Lesser Flamingo. In the dry season, a bacteria turns the dry surface red.

Breeding ground for the endangered Lesser Flamingo.

However, in the dry season, the view becomes almost a moon landscape, in which bright pink cactus blooms contrast against the dry, dusty rocks. The lake fills up from mineral-rich water flowing down from the Great Rift Valley. Sometimes one can even see the lava stream from Ol Doinyo Lengai, a sacred place to the Maasai.

Majestic and active volcano as a prominent backdrop.

If rain has fallen, or not if the millions of flamingo have arrived, or if the lake is still dry, it is an experience which cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world! Visit the prehistoric human footprints in the mud flats.Off the beaten track away from the masses! Real adventure seekers who visit Lake Natron, will be rewarded with a unique, near magical experience. You can walk with them from boma to boma and help them milk the cows.

There are many authentic Masaai villages in the area to visit. There may be animals right around the camp, but it is still safe to walk around because there are no dangerous animals in this area. Game Driveįull day game drive around the south and west side of Lake Natron. Flamingos breed here August-October, but there are flamingos all year. In the dry season, this may be a half-mile walk. Lake Natron is great for bird watching ! You will walk from your camp or from the road out on the mud flats to the edge of the water.

There may be baboons or other wildlife in the gorge. It is an excellent swim in the river and under the waterfalls for a nice cool-down from the hot sun. It is slippery and requires scrambling and walking through the river (sometimes waist deep). You will need non-leather sandals (soda harms leather). This is a 20 minute hike one-way up a river gorge. You would visit Lake Natron either on the way the Serengeti or on the way back. Lake Natron is a 3+ hour drive from the Lake Manyara area, and 4-5 hours from the northeastern entrance to the Serengeti (Klein’s Gate). The best months to visit are June-July and December-January. On the drive between Lake Natron and the Serengeti, the vast number of Maasai villages and cattle is amazing. On the drive between Lake Natron and the Arusha/Lake Manyara road, you can see many Maasai villages, termite mounds, gazelle, giraffe, zebra, baboons, bee boxes, and birds such as vultures, ostrich, starlings, Cory Bustards, and kites. Local, fresh springs form surprising oases in this landscape. The lake is extremely high in sodium carbonate, algae, and zooplankton supporting vast numbers of flamingos and other water birds, especially during and after the rainy season. It is also home to the only active volcano in Tanzania: Ol Doinyo Lengai (Mountain of God). Lake Natron is the lowest point of the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania (600m / 2000 ft).