A seasonal soda lake below the Eyasi escarpment, south-west of the Ngorongoro highlands, home to Hadzabe and Datoga communities. A cultural detour from Karatu rather than a game park.
Lake Eyasi lies south-west of the Ngorongoro highlands, at the foot of the long Eyasi escarpment. It's a shallow soda lake that changes size through the year: a wide, pale sheet of water after the rains, shrinking to cracked, salty flats by the end of the dry season. Around the village of Mang'ola, springs feed green onion fields that look out of place in the dry bush.
People come to Eyasi for its people rather than its wildlife. The basin is home to the Hadzabe, one of the last hunter-gatherer communities in East Africa, and to the Datoga, cattle herders known for their metalwork.
The Hadzabe live in small, mobile groups and speak a language with click consonants, unrelated to the languages of their neighbours. Where a visit is arranged, it usually starts at first light. You may walk with the men as they hunt birds and small animals with bows, or with the women as they dig for tubers and gather berries. Making fire by hand, with nothing but two sticks, is often part of the morning.
The Datoga herd cattle and are skilled blacksmiths. At a Datoga homestead you may watch scrap metal being melted and hammered into arrowheads, bracelets and knives. Many of those arrowheads end up with the Hadzabe in trade.
Tourism brings the Hadzabe income, but it also adds pressure to a way of life that already faces shrinking land. A respectful visit is small, unhurried and arranged with the community.
Ask before taking photographs. Don't hand out sweets or gifts directly. And accept that parts of the morning may feel arranged for visitors, because sometimes they are. We'd rather you hear that from us now than feel misled on the day.
Cultural visits run through the year where arranged.
One night lets you arrive in the afternoon and join a dawn visit the next morning. Two nights give you a slower pace and time to meet both a Hadzabe group and a Datoga family without rushing.
Eyasi is a detour from Karatu, about 1.5 to 2 hours away on a road that's partly rough. Most travellers slot it in before or after the Ngorongoro Crater, and it makes a welcome change from long days in the vehicle.
It suits a private tailor-made safari best, because the early starts need a flexible schedule. Read more about cultural experiences and the walking safaris that can be arranged in the area.
Best months to visit: January, February, June, July, August, September, October
Dry season
Easier tracks and cool dawns for walking with the Hadzabe. The lake shrinks to salt flats that glare white by midday, so morning is the time to be out.
Dry season: June, July, August, September, October
Rains
The lake fills and the bush turns green, sometimes with flamingo on the water. Tracks get muddy and some days are hot and humid. Cultural visits continue where arranged.
Rains: January, February, March, April, May, November, December
Two nights in Tarangire, one at Lake Eyasi, two on the Ngorongoro crater rim, three in the central Serengeti and three in the Serengeti area that suits your month, usually the north or the southern plains. The smallest camps, a private vehicle throughout and a flight back to Arusha.
It can be, if the visit is handled well. Tourism is one of the few sources of income for Hadzabe groups near Lake Eyasi, but it also brings pressure. A good visit is small, arranged with the community, unhurried and honest about what you're seeing. Ask before taking photographs and don't hand out gifts directly. If anything feels uncomfortable, say so and leave.
Visits usually start at first light. You may sit by the fire as the group wakes, watch fire being made by hand, then walk with the men as they hunt with bows or with the women as they gather tubers and berries. The pace is quick and the ground is rough. Most visits last a few hours and end before the midday heat.
Not in the way the parks have it. You may see birds along the lakeshore, including flamingo in some seasons, plus small antelope and baboons in the bush, but there are no big game drives here. Eyasi is a cultural stop. Pair it with the Ngorongoro Crater, which is close enough to visit the day before or after.
Often, yes, and many children find it the most memorable part of the trip. The early start, the heat and a fast walk through thorny bush are the main challenges, so it suits children who walk well. Bring long trousers, closed shoes and a hat. A visit to a Datoga homestead is gentler and easy for younger children.
Tell us when you would like to travel and what matters to you. We will suggest how long to give Lake Eyasi and what to pair it with.
