A soda lake at the base of the active Ol Donyo Lengai volcano, the area around Lake Natron is often described as having a desolate and almost lunar beauty. Lake Natron is found in the northern part of Tanzania. Nearest towns to Lake Natron are Arusha in Tanzania and Magadi in Kenya. It is the most important breeding site for Lesser Flamingos in the world.

East Africa has 1.5-2.5 million Lesser Flamingos, representing three-quarters of the world population and most of them are hatched at Lake Natron.  Food is plentiful, nesting sites abound – and above all, the lake is isolated and undisturbed.  The lake and its ecosystem provides a source of livelihoods to the local communities.

High levels of evaporation have left behind natron (sodium carbonate decahydrate) and trona (sodium sesquicarbonate dihydrate). The alkalinity of the lake can reach a pH of greater than 12. The surrounding bedrock is composed of alkaline, sodium-dominated trachyte lavas that were laid down during the Pleistocene period. The lavas have significant amounts of carbonate but very low calcium and magnesium levels. This has allowed the lake to concentrate into a caustic alkaline brine

Walks around the lake and to the streams and waterfalls along the nearby escarpment make for a fantastic adventure off the beaten track.

There are a number of campgrounds near the lake, which is also the base for climbing Ol Doinyo Lengai

About Lake Natron

• Inflow source: Ewaso Ngiro
• Length: 57 km
• Catchment area: 932 km²
• Surface elevation: 600 m
• Basin countries: Tanzania

Weather and Climate

Lake Natron is in an arid region which means the temperature around here can get quite high. At day time the temperature is around 30° C and can even go above 40°C / 104°F past 2 P.M.

The lake’s temperature can itself go as high as 60°C / 140°F because of the chemical mixtures in it!

When to Visit

Tanzania experiences a dry season from July to October which would also be good months to visit Lake Natron. Because of no rain, the region will be less humid and cooler

If you want to get a view of the flamingos and other birds then mostly August to October are your months. To get confirmation about whether you will be able to see the flamingos or not while visiting you should get in touch with your tour operator.

Location and How to Reach

Lake Natron is located in Northern Tanzania and is North East to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.

You can travel to Lake Natron by road. From the city of Arusha, it will take about two and a half to three hours to reach Lake Natron. Or, you may drive to Lake Natron while you are on your way back from Serengeti or Ngorongoro.