At the lowest point of the Great Rift Valley in East Africa at an altitude of 600m above sea level, sits the shallow Lake Natron. Here, between the only active volcano in Tanzania, Oldonyo Lengai to the south, pinnacles of Mt Gelai to the east, the gorge etched escarpment of the Rift Valley to the west, and the mirror-surfaced lake, a sanctuary to thousands of flamingos to the north, is the cool oasis adjacent to the soda flats where Lake Natron eco-camp lies.

Lake Natron Camp has been build and managed by an eco-enthusiast Tim Leach, who is investing a great deal of effort into protecting this unique sensitive wetland environment. It is operated as a very low impact eco-camp.

There are no permanent structures, no cement bricks or wooden platforms. Our Bedu Tents are camouflaged for low view-shed and equipped with compost toilets. Water is manually pumped directly from the spring for bathing and run through a desalination filter for drinking. A carbon-neutral vegetable oil powered generator is hidden underground to eliminate noise.

Our sister camp has 8 sleeping tents, one common tent with the bar, dining and lounge area, and one guide’s tent. The camouflaged Bedu tents were especially designed for the Natron area and patented by us. The Bedu tents help keep guests cool during the day and protect them from the occasional strong winds. Each tent is furnished with full size beds, quality linen and blankets, bedside tables, reading lamps, tables and chairs and has its own running water, shower and compost toilet tent. A private path leads from each tent to a natural swimming pool in the spring-fed stream.

We have a 315 hectare concession area for conservation with the Engare Sero village and we physically protect it from poaching and livestock over-grazing. The income generated by the community from tourism is used primarily for secondary school education. Thus, we are helping to increase the value of the environment and its wildlife for the local masai village and provide the community with the incentive to further protect and cherish this wild area.

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ngare sero natron camp tanzania lake natron