1050 km²
Size
18-34°C
Temperature
1,030 m
Altitude
Hot, dry Rift floor, seasonal lake
Climate
Lake Eyasi is a seasonal soda lake on the south side of the crater highlands, better known for Hadzabe hunter-gatherer mornings and Datoga blacksmiths than for game drives.
A proper Hadzabe visit starts before sunrise, not at 10 a.m. with a cooler box. You walk with a small group, you keep your voice down, and you do not treat a hunt like a film set. Some days they get a hyrax. Some days they get nothing and you still sit under a baobab and hear the language. We pay the community directly through people we have used for years.
Datoga metalwork is the other stop, and it is a working yard, not a craft market. The lake itself comes and goes with rain. Do not come here instead of the Serengeti. Come after Ngorongoro when you want a day that is not spent counting vehicles on the crater floor.
The 7-Day lodge safari already includes Eyasi for that reason. If your trip is only four days, skip it and keep the wildlife nights.
Things to See & Do
Getting There
Road
From Karatu it is a few hours on rough road. We combine it with Ngorongoro rather than driving out and back from Arusha...
Wildlife you can see here
All 2 speciesBest Time to Visit
FAQs
Is this ethical tourism?
It can be, if the group is small, the visit is paid fairly, and you follow the guide when they say cameras down. It is not ethical if you demand a staged kill for Instagram.
Do we sleep at the lake?
Usually one night in a simple lodge or tented camp. It is hotter and dustier than the crater rim.
Safaris Visiting Lake Eyasi
Add Lake Natron to Your Safari
The route is ours to design — you just pick the places that call you.
Prefer to talk? Call +255 754 123 456