Empakaai Crater

Empakaai is a crater about six kilometres across in the highlands north of Ngorongoro, and the floor of it is largely filled by a soda lake with flamingos on it. The rim stands at around three thousand metres with forest running down the inner slopes, and a steep path descends to the shore in under an hour, taking rather longer coming back. From the northern rim on a clear morning Ol Doinyo Lengai stands out below and Kilimanjaro is sometimes visible far to the east.

What you actually see

• The soda lake - a flamingo lake filling most of the crater floor.
• The rim view - Ol Doinyo Lengai below and sometimes Kilimanjaro in the distance.
• The descent path - a steep walk through forest from the rim to the shore.
• The highland forest - closed forest on the inner slopes with buffalo and bushbuck.

When to go

June to October is the dry season and the best for the road and the walk. Mornings are clearest for the long views. It is cold on the rim at this altitude, especially early.

Honest expectations

An armed ranger is compulsory and charged, and the road in requires four-wheel drive and takes hours. The climb back up from the lake is hard at three thousand metres. Buffalo on the path are a real hazard.

Nearby

Ol Doinyo Lengai is north, and Ngorongoro is south.