Lake Natron

It is the single most important breeding site in the world for lesser flamingo, supporting well over a million birds. The reason is its extreme alkalinity, which at times approaches pH 10.5 and makes the water caustic. Predators cannot cross it to reach the nesting islands on the salt flats, so the colonies are effectively unassailable, which is why the species concentrates here to breed. Everything physical here is done at dawn or overnight, because the middle of the day is genuinely punishing.

No, and it would be genuinely dangerous to try. The water is intensely alkaline, at times approaching pH 10.5, and surface temperatures can reach 60°C in the dry season. It causes chemical burns to skin and eyes. The hot springs and the freshwater pools at the Engare Sero waterfalls are where people swim instead, and those are perfectly safe and pleasant. Access is by 4×4 only, and the approach crosses dry riverbeds that can flood without warning during the rains.

It is the only active carbonatite volcano on earth, erupting a rare natrocarbonatite lava that is cooler and more fluid than ordinary lava and appears black rather than red in daylight. The Maasai call it the Mountain of God. It can be climbed overnight, starting around midnight to reach the summit at dawn, and the ascent is steep, loose and considerably harder than its 2,962 metres suggests. Community guides from Engare Sero village arrange the waterfall walks and the footprint site visits.

Extremely. Lake Natron sits at around 600 metres on the Rift Valley floor and daytime temperatures regularly exceed 34°C, reaching 40°C in the hottest months, with very little shade anywhere. Any walking, including the waterfall hike and the Lengai climb, is done at dawn or overnight for this reason. Carry far more water than you think you need. Everything physical here is done at dawn or overnight, because the middle of the day is genuinely punishing.

The usual route is from Mto wa Mbu near Lake Manyara, around 110 kilometres of rough road taking three to four hours in a 4×4, which is essential. The road crosses several dry riverbeds that can flood without warning during the rains. It is also possible to reach Natron from the Serengeti's eastern side, and some itineraries link the two. Access is by 4×4 only, and the approach crosses dry riverbeds that can flood without warning during the rains.

June to October is the dry season and the most reliable for road access, though the heat is at its most punishing. November to April brings what rain there is, greening the country briefly but making the approach road difficult and flash floods a real hazard. Flamingo breeding follows water levels rather than a fixed calendar, so ask locally rather than planning around it. Community guides from Engare Sero village arrange the waterfall walks and the footprint site visits.

They are a set of preserved human footprints in volcanic ash near the lake's southern shore, made by more than a dozen individuals walking across the surface somewhere between 5,000 and 19,000 years ago. They are among the most significant finds of their kind in Africa and are visited with a local guide from Engare Sero village, which also arranges the waterfall walks. Everything physical here is done at dawn or overnight, because the middle of the day is genuinely punishing.

For travellers drawn to extreme landscapes, very much so. It is stark, hot and genuinely unlike anywhere else on the northern circuit, and the combination of flamingo colonies, an active volcano and preserved hominin footprints is remarkable. It is not a conventional safari destination and holds little large game, so come for the landscape rather than expecting game drives. Access is by 4×4 only, and the approach crosses dry riverbeds that can flood without warning during the rains.