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Referred to as the 'Mountain of God' by the Maasai, Ol Doinyo Lengai is an active volcano just north of the eastern border of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area...The hike to the top is through volcanic dust and ash and is very steep, but an extraordinary experience for those who wish to view the inside of an active volcano...The summit reaches over 9,000 feet and the climb and descent take an entire day...The view from the top includes the Crater Highlands, Lake Natron and a glimpse into Kenya.
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A visit to this area isn't complete without seeing Lake Natron...A soda lake on the border with Kenya, it's seldom visited, but well-remembered for it's pink ribbons of Lesser and Greater flamingoes by those who have made the trip...The area around the lake is inhabited by ostriches, zebra, giraffe and the occasional Thompson gazelle.
Day 1:
We drive to the town of Mto Wa Mbo, than follow the Rift Valley escarpment north to the village of Engare Sero where we will camp.
Day 2:
Today we start early in order to gain as much altitude up the volcano as possible in the cool of the morning...Our hike follows narrow ridges of scree and volcanic dust and ash which run between steep gullies...We’ll set up camp in the south crater, a safe distance from the active north crater...The north crater itself offers a unique opportunity to view an active volcano with recent streams of molten lava, steaming vents and open lava pools...The lava on this mountain has the distinction of being black during the day and a dull orange at night due to its relatively cool temperature.
Day 3:
We trek to the summit this morning and enjoy the sunrise over the Maasai Steppe...From the top our vista will included Mount Meru, the extinct volcano Kerimasi, Lake Natron and even Mount Kilimanjaro...After lunch we will descend the mountain and return to our camp at Engare Sero village by early evening.
Day 4:
Today we’ll visit Lake Natron and the local Maasai who make this area with its harsh environment their home.
Day 5:
After breakfast we will drive back to Mto Wa Mbo and continue our safari itinerary.
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A beautiful little crater that exists in the Ngorongoro Highlands and only a half-day drive from Ngorongoro Crater but seldom visited...This caldera is six kilometres wide with nearly half of its floor is occupied by lake, and its slopes covered by a thick forest...The scenery is spectacular from every point along the rim; from the northern and eastern side you can look out to the dramatic volcano of Oldonyo Lengai, the Great Rift Valley and Lake Natron; from the south and west you can see across the Bulbul depression...Sometimes you can even see the distant snows of Mount Kilimanjaro far to the northeast.
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Red oat grasslands make up much of this enormous semi-arid plain which dominates the interior of northern Tanzania...During the dry season the animals congregate around the Tarangire river in neighboring Tarangire National Park; but when the rains return, many animals flow out of the park onto the steppe where they share the land with the Maasai...It's not unusual to see herds of zebra and wildebeast near the grazing livestock of the Maasai, but what you won't see are safari vehicles...While the migrating herds may move beyond the park's boundary, tourists rarely follow.
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The Usambara Mountains, situated in north eastern Tanzania are covered by dense tropical forests and is the location of the Amani Nature Reserve established in 1997 to protect the biodiversity of the flora and fauna found here...In fact, the environment at Amani contains one of the greatest diversity of animals and plants in the world...Located within the Amani Nature Reserve is the Amani Botanical Gardens, which were established in 1902...Several nature trails have been established here along with campsites which we enjoy visiting.
