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North of the Ngorongoro Crater, and far from the beaten track, you will find the Maasai's Mountain of God — Ol Doinyo L'Engai.

An active carbonate volcano, it is a focal point for the Maasai, whose land stretches out for hundreds of miles from it.

Wildlife of Lake Natron

There are rugged mountains where vultures soar and baboon bark, dusty gorges where the Maasai bring their cattle to drink and endless grassy plains. Further north still is the spectacular soda lake of Natron. Lying in a beautifully scenic area below the Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Natron has such a high concentration of sodium, that the water is often viscous to the touch. There is good game viewing and birding in this harsh landscape with dry country species such as gerenuk, lesser kudu and oryx a speciality. Natron is also the only known breeding ground for East Africa's millions of lesser flamingos which cover the lake between August and October.

Maasai manyattas (villages)

The wildlife lives side by side with the Maasai and scattered throughout the surrounding plains are numerous Maasai manyattas (villages), crooked sticks and cracked clay houses arranged around cattle kraals under the hot sun. Young children herd goats, elders in bright red togas sit under acacias and the morani (warriors) watch guard, spears in their hands, intricate beading around their necks and ocher in their hair.

This is a harsh, wild and fascinating region.