LAKE NATRON CAMP

Location: Lake Natron Camp is located on the southern end of Lake Natron in the Great Rift Valley, near Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania’s only active volcano, some 240 kilometres to the northwest of Arusha town. The road is tarmac up to Mto wa Mbu in Lake Manyara (120kms or 2 hours drive from Arusha), and from Lake Manyara the drive takes about 3 hours in unpaved road to Lake Natron.

Accommodation: The camp has 10 sleeping tents, one common tent with the bar, dining and lounge area, kitchen tent and staff tents. The camouflaged Bedu shade nets were especially designed for the Natron area. The Bedu shade nets help keep guests cool during the day and protect them from the occasional strong winds.

Each sleeping tent is furnished with full size beds, quality linen and blankets, tables and chairs and has its own running water, en-suite shower and compost toilet. A private path leads from each tent to a natural swimming pool in the spring-fed stream.

Facilities & Services: Initially designed / founded by an eco-enthusiast Tim Leach, Lake Natron Camp continues to be operated as a very low impact eco-camp, with many new improvements under new ownership and management by Summits Africa. There are no permanent structures, no cement bricks or wooden platforms. Water is manually pumped directly from the spring for bathing and run through a desalination filter for drinking. Solar power is used extensively to reduce or omit carbon emissions and avoid noise pollution from generators.

Located within walking distance are the hominid footprints and Lake Natron where over 1 million flamingos come to breed.  The lodge can arrange half or full day walks up Engare Sero gorge to several waterfalls, and the adventurous hike up Ol Doinyo Lengai (2890 metres), an active carbonatite volcano with stunning views.