Empakai Crater

The caldera is about 6km wide and nearly half of its floor is occupied by a lake. The water in the lake is alkaline and the depth of the lake is about 85m, unusually deep for soda lakes in east Africa. The steep walls of the caldera closed in forest, rise in some places to almost 300m above the floor. From the rim of the Empakai crater the active Volcano Mountain of Oldonyo Lengai can be seen if the day is clear you can look beyond Lengai to the Great Rift Valley and Lake Natron.

Sometimes you can even see the distant snow of Mount Kilimanjaro far on the eastern side of the eastern side of the valley. It takes about 20-30 minutes you to reach to shores of the lake. On the way down, go quietly and carefully you may have a chance to see a glimpse of Buffaloes. Look up in to trees to see Blue Monkeys and birds such as Sun birds and Turacos.

On the lakes itself are usually water birds, for example; cape wigeon, Black winged stilts and flamingos. It is a joy to walk around the lake shore, experiencing the serenity and quiet beauty of this wild spot.