Empakaai Crater
A Hidden Water-Filled Crater with Flamingos and Forest Wildlife

One of Tanzania's Best-Kept Safari Secrets

Empakaai Crater is one of the least-visited and most beautiful destinations in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Unlike the famous Ngorongoro Crater, Empakaai is a water-filled caldera with a deep alkaline lake covering most of its 6-kilometer-wide floor. Access requires a 4WD vehicle on rough tracks and a 3 to 4 hour round-trip hike to the crater floor.

Flamingos and Lake Wildlife

Thousands of lesser flamingos feed on the algae in the alkaline shallows of the lake, creating a spectacular pink display that reflects in the calm water. Buffalo, hippos, and waterbuck are resident on the crater floor. The lake surface itself is a brilliant blue-green from the volcanic minerals dissolved in the water.

Forest Hiking and Colobus Monkeys

The crater rim is covered in montane forest thick with black-and-white colobus monkeys that can be observed at close range during the descent hike. The forest is also excellent for bird-watching with several highland forest species not found in the lower parks.

Views of Ol Doinyo Lengai and the Rift

On clear days, the active volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai and Lake Natron in the Rift Valley floor are visible from the crater rim, providing one of the most dramatic viewpoints in northern Tanzania. Empakaai combines very well with a Lake Natron excursion for a 2-day off-the-beaten-path extension.