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Lake Eyasi

Lake Eyasi: Everything You Need to Know

Lake Eyasi is a famous soda lake near Ngorongoro Conservation Area and offers a very different experience from national park safaris in the northern circuit. The location is famous for being home to the Hadzabe - the last hunter-gatherers of East Africa whose practices have remained the same for over 10,000 years. Besides the Hadzabe there is another tribe that lives nearby - the Datogas. The Datogas however are more like the Maasai.

They engage in agriculture and are excellent at working with metals. The shallow salty waters of the lake also attract a lot of birds. Flamingos, weavers, storks, and many others can be found enjoying the salty water or the shade of the trees nearby.

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Lake Eyasi is a seasonal place.

Most tourists visit Tanzania during the dry season, although during this time the lake will be dried up. There will be just a dry lake bed or very little water. You won’t be able to find birds either. However, the location will still be quite scenic, and you will still be able to meet the Hadzabes and the Datogas.

During the wet season, however, you are sure to find a lake full of water with a variety of birds in the area. The springs near the lake will have attracted smaller wildlife too. So you can go bird watching and engage with the Hadzabe and the Datogas during this time.

Visiting Lake Eyasi is more for those wanting to experience different cultures and watch birds rather than viewing the wildlife. There is not much game present in this region except for the smaller herbivores and carnivores mentioned above. But you may enjoy going bird watching here. Jewel-toned birds swooping down to the lake or chirping in the trees are a great sight for bird lovers.

Once you are done with bird watching, you can decide to go meet the Hadzabes early in the morning the next day. You are even welcome to go on a hunt or fruit collection with the tribesmen. They will also show you their weapons, jewellery, and the clothes that they make from elements found in their surroundings. Meeting the Hadzabes really gives one an insight into how our hunter-gatherer ancestors survived thousands of years ago.

Once you have met the Hadzabes, you may go and meet the Datogas. It will be similar to meeting the Maasai. They will show you their homes, farms, jewellery, and their metalwork. They are highly skilled metalworkers.

While the cultural visits are fascinating, you should understand Lake Eyasi is more of a detour and it takes you off the main track. The region will also be dusty and while meeting the tribes you might even have to sit on bare ground. So a Lake Eyasi trip might not suit everyone's taste.

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