natron (soda ash), supplied by lava
sodium carbonate from the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano. Its colors range from pink to
blue and change according to the season and rainfall. The lake has only three
meters deep, reaching temperatures in excess of 40°C or 104°F, it has not
no flow, resulting in high salt and soda concentrations, and
yet algae and artemia thrive there, and even a small species of
cichlids at the mouths of a few streams. Storks, flamingos, pelicans
and other water birds can be found by the thousands in the estuaries of the creeks,
while the rest of the lake, stretching as far as Kenya, belongs solely to the
some two million Lesser Flamingos, able to live on seaweed and other algae
brine shrimp. The animal carcasses left in the water form a
bizarre decor, as they are soon preserved by salts and calcified,
i.e. fossilized, by the sodium carbonate contained in the lake. Near the lake
fossilized footprints dating back 100,000 years.
The area around the lake is dry, hot, desolate and, at the same time, beautiful.
alluring. On our way back, we look at Ol Doinyo Lengai, which dominates everything here and
which we climb in the cool of the coming night. We return to camp at
time for lunch and an afternoon of relaxation, after a leisurely dinner we
we retire to the tent and gather our strength. Around 11 p.m. we
wake you up, and after a snack you'll begin the climb to Ol
Doinyo Lengai with your mountain guide.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Campsite: Lengai
Lodge: Africa safari lodge