Scenic Helicopter Transfer
- Entamanu Ngorongoro to Lamai Serengeti -
This excursion starts with an early morning collection from the Ngorongoro Crater Airstrip, we head up through the famed Ngorongoro Crater and fly around the rim of this ancient caldera. We will continue through the cool Crater Highlands and over the Rift Escarpment to Empakai Crater. Next we fly around the coolest active volcano in the world, Ol Doinyo Lengai. We land here for our picnic and walk along the edge of the crater to peer into the rim of the volcano. We then drop down to Lake Natron in the hot valley floor. As we fly up the lake you will see its ever changing colours - red, purples and oranges, a consequence of its algae rich water which attracts numerous flocks of flamingos. The last leg of the journey is over the plains of the Serengeti. You might be lucky enough to spot the wildebeest migration or other wildlife from above before landing at the Kogatende Airstrip where your Nomad car and guide will be waiting for you.
NGORONGORO CRATER HIGHLANDS
The Ngorongoro Crater is estimated to be 2.5 million years old, it is the largest unflooded and unbroken caldera in the world. It stretches an astounding 20km across, with a forested rim that rises 600 meters from the floor. The caldera has a rich biodiversity, with abundant wildlife coexisting with semi-nomadic Maasai pastoralists.
Plate tectonics, volcanism, landslides, erosion and deposition are all very evident in this view of the volcanic Crater Highlands along the East African Rift in Tanzania. The Crater Highlands rise far above the adjacent savannas, capture moisture from passing air masses, and hosts extensive montane forests. Over time, streams erode downwards deeply dissecting the volcanic slopes.
EMPAKAAI CRATER
The Empakai Crater is a collapsed volcanic caldera, sitting on the edge of the Rift escarpment, its walls rise 300 meters above the caldera floor and has a width of 6km . The Crater is filled with a deep alkaline lake which occupies about 75% of the Crater's floor and is about 85 meters deep. The Crater is rich in vegetation with dense forests covering its sides, from the rim of the crater you will find extensive views of Lake Natron and Ol Donyo Lengai. It is home to the Bearded Vulture, the Augur Buzzard, Blue Monkey, Bushbuck, Waterbuck and Buffalo.
OL DOINYO LENGAI
On the southern end of Lake Natron stands the conical mountain of Ol Doinyo Lengai - the “Mountain of God” in Maasai. The only active volcano on the Eastern Rift.
It is the coolest volcano in the world, being the only known volcano to erupt natrocarbonatite (sodium-rich) lava, which is half the temperature of typical glowing basaltic lava. Its lava fountains harden midair, then shatter like glass. Ol Doinyo Lengai rise about 2,000 meters from the Eastern Rift floor to a summit elevation of 2,890 meters.
We land on the dormant side and walk across to Lengai to peer into the active volcano. Watch as the crater bubbles and spits before returning back to the helicopter for a picnic with incredible vistas all around.
