![]() The images of desert snow, hidden waterfalls in slot canyons, and neon red waters full of flamingos were enough to ignite our expedition to Lake Natron. ![]() ![]() The Gauntlet of Fees Guarding Lake Natron The waterfall veils the entrance to a slot canyon, and you can climb behind the falls and follow the canyon to a secret swimming hole with another waterfall cascading into it. The trail leads to a natural spring, which flows into a 20-meter waterfall. A tailwind blows the spray from your footsteps into perennial rainbows at your shins as you trudge upstream towards the falls. There is a fun hike on the escarpment, which follows the Engaresero river through a narrow canyon, fording the river a few times. Veins of jade run through the rocks, and the bright pink flowers of the desert rose add vibrancy to the otherwise stark and dusty landscape. The escarpment to the west of the lake is a sanctuary, providing some of the only shade and fresh water in the region. It is a display of the area’s biodiversity, showcasing grasshoppers, snakes, frogs, birds and fish, all encrusted in salt, and mummified for inspection. The water recedes leaving a ring of pink salt around the lake, and reveals a graveyard of small animals claimed by the toxic lake waters. In the dry season, cyanobacteria turn the lake neon red and hundreds of thousands of flamingos arrive and nest on its islands. Only the thorny branches of the acacia tree seem suited for these conditions. The surrounding land is barren, saturated with salt from the lake, and whipped into the air by dust storms. Its summit is dusted in a white ash which looks like desert snow. Hominid footprints from over a hundred thousand years ago are etched in solid rock, and Ol Lengai’s conical peak looms over the southern end of the lake. This has significantly decreased travelers to the region, and hurt the local Maasai community that depends on the revenue they bring. It is stark beauty at its best, but unfortunately, it is fiercely guarded by a gauntlet of fees and tolls from the Tanzanian Government. Lake Natron might be the most beautiful place you never want to visit.
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