Safari to Lake Eyasi

fascinating cultural interaction

Lake Eyasi is an area of spectacular Rift Valley scenery which lies just to the west of the main safari route through the Ngorongoro Karatu area in northern Tanzania.

This pleasantly quiet and remote area is centred on the scenic Lake Eyasi itself, but is most commonly visited for cultural reasons, this being the home of the Hadzabe people, the last hunter-gatherers in East Africa, as well as the renowned Datoga silversmiths.

We tend to recommend the Lake Eyasi area to guests who have a particular interest in tribal cultures and who really enjoy getting off the beaten track.

The main potential downsides are that this is not a strong wildlife area, there is a good deal of human habitation and farming around the lake, the Hadzabe interaction is not always well delivered and the drive down here is pretty arduous.

Since this is not a wildlife area, there is little seasonality here other than the varying weather conditions. Most pressing is the effect of rain on road conditions.

Jun-Oct is the main dry season and the tracks should be easily navigable.

Mar-May is the main rainy season and the tracks can become difficult to negotiate and the whole drive in and out of Lake Eyasi can become much more of a chore than a pleasure.

Nov-Mar is an unpredictable period when conditions depend on the strength of the short rains. We generally continue to include Lake Eyasi in safaris during this period, but with the caveat that last minute route changes may be necessary in the unlikely event of heavy rain.

Getting there

The vast majority of visitors to Lake Eyasi include it in a guided overland safari of the greater region.

Despite being located immediately adjacent to Serengeti and Ngorongoro, Lake Eyasi experiences less than 1% of the visitor numbers into those areas and therefore has a pleasantly remote feel.

The lake is usually accessed via a dirt road which forks from the main safari route in the Ngorongoro Karatu area, around 10 km short of the Lodoare Gate, where the sealed road ends. From the junction the track bumps downhill for about 40 km to the shores of Lake Eyasi, dramatically and remotely situated at the base of a huge rift wall.

There is now also a small track which leads up the escarpment from the lake to connect with the Endulen to Crater road in the Ngorongoro Highlands. So long as you are okay with the long bumpy ride, this route enables you to arrive into the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti areas from a very different angle, with virtually no traffic.

There is also a direct connection with Tarangire to the south, which is a route little used by safari vehicles, through pleasant rural areas, worth considering if you really like to avoid the main routes.

Once in the Lake Eyasi area you can continue to explore with your guide and vehicle, as well as getting out on foot in the company of the Hadzabe.

Where to stay

The most common way to visit Lake Eyasi is as a day trip from one of the excellent lodges up in the Ngorongoro Karatu area, including Gibbs Farm, Plantation Lodge, The Manor at Ngorongoro or Bashay Rift Lodge. But be warned, it can be a very long day, and necessitates a very early start.

A potentially better option is to stay down in the Lake Eyasi area itself for one more night. However, given the niche appeal of the area, Lake Eyasi has never had a great range of accommodation options.

There are presently two small properties that are worth considering, namely the simple but authentic Kisima Ngeda Camp and the more substantial and conventionally comfortable Ziwani Lodge.

usually accessed on a day trip from Ngorongoro Karatu