Great Migration 16-Day Northern Tanzania Safari with Lake Natron & Lake Eyasi
Arusha (2) · Moshi (Kilimanjaro) (2) · Tarangire National Park (2) · Lake Manyara National Park (2) · Lake Natron (2) · +3 more
Explore Destination · Tanzania
Lake Eyasi
Lake Eyasi Hadzabe: Lake Eyasi is a seasonal soda lake on the floor of the Rift Valley, south-west of the Ngorongoro highlands.
- CountryTanzania
- Best timeJune to October is the easiest time: the road is dry and the bush is t...
- Trips2 sample trips
- Destinations nearbyNdutu Area, Karatu
Lake Eyasi Hadzabe: what to know
Lake Eyasi is a seasonal soda lake on the floor of the Rift Valley, south-west of the Ngorongoro highlands. People come here less for wildlife than for the two communities who live around it: the Hadzabe, one of the last hunter-gatherer peoples in Africa, and the Datoga, pastoralists and metalworkers.
What to know before you go
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A morning with the Hadzabe
The Hadzabe number little more than a thousand people and speak a click language unrelated to those of their neighbours. Visits begin before sunrise, when the men leave camp to hunt with bows they have made themselves. You walk with them through the bush, watch them track, make fire by friction and collect honey, and return to camp where the women gather tubers and berries. It is a walk of one to three hours over rough ground.
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The Datoga blacksmiths
The Datoga keep cattle and are known for smelting scrap metal over charcoal to make arrowheads, which they trade with the Hadzabe, as well as bracelets and tools. A visit to a homestead usually includes the forge and a look at how a household is organised.
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Visiting well
Visits are arranged through local guides from the Eyasi community, who translate and make sure fees reach the families. Ask before taking photographs, and go with the expectation of joining a normal day, not watching a performance. The lake is about two hours from Karatu on a rough road.
When to visit Lake Eyasi
June to October is the easiest time: the road is dry and the bush is thin enough to follow a hunt. Visits run all year, but the track from Karatu can be slow after heavy rain in April and May.
Where It Is
Lake Eyasi and the other places we travel to nearby.
Lake Eyasi
Trips that include Lake Eyasi
Sample itineraries. Every trip is private, so we change the days, lodges and pace to suit you.
Great Migration 
Photography Safari 13-Day Photography Safari in Tanzania
Arusha · Tarangire National Park (2) · Lake Manyara National Park · Lake Eyasi · Ngorongoro Crater (2) · +3 more
Plan Your Safari to Lake Eyasi
Our team in Arusha answers in English, French, German and Spanish.
Questions about Lake Eyasi
Who are the Hadzabe?
The Hadzabe (or Hadza) are a small hunter-gatherer community living around Lake Eyasi. They hunt with bows, gather wild food, and speak a language with click consonants that is unrelated to any other in the region.
How do I visit Lake Eyasi?
Most travellers go from Karatu, about two hours away, either as an early-morning day trip or with one night at the lake so they can join the Hadzabe at dawn.
Is visiting the Hadzabe ethical?
It can be, when the visit is arranged through community guides, fees are paid locally, group sizes are small and visitors ask before photographing. Those are the things to check before you book.
Shall we plan your trip?
Tell us your dates and what you would like to see. A specialist in Arusha sends a route and a clear proposal within 24 hours.
Plan this trip
