Empakaai Crater: Tanzania’s Secret Highland Wonder

Most visitors to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area never make it to Empakaai. That, in many ways, is precisely what makes it so special.

Empakaai Crater sits in the northern highlands of the conservation area, a steep-walled volcanic caldera roughly six kilometres across and nearly three hundred metres deep. At its base, a soda lake shimmers in shades of pink and blue depending on the light and the season — its surface alive with thousands of flamingos that gather in the shallows, their reflected colour staining the water rose.

It is one of the most quietly dramatic landscapes in all of Tanzania.

Into the Crater

Unlike the Ngorongoro Crater, which is accessible by vehicle, Empakaai is explored primarily on foot — a hiking trail descends through dense, mist-shrouded forest to the crater floor, passing through vegetation so lush and green it feels like a different country from the dry plains just kilometres away. Colobus monkeys watch from the canopy. Buffalo tracks cross the path. The air is cool and heavy with moisture.

Reaching the lake is a reward in itself. Flamingos crowd the shallows in great pink masses, and on clear days — which are far from guaranteed in these highland mists — the summit of Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania’s active volcano, appears on the horizon like a ghost above the crater rim. On exceptional days, Kilimanjaro itself is visible in the far distance.

A Different Kind of Safari

Empakaai is not about the big five. It is about space, silence, and the particular satisfaction of arriving somewhere few others bother to reach. The crater sits within Maasai territory, and the surrounding highlands offer opportunities for genuine cultural encounters with communities whose way of life has remained largely unchanged for generations.

Experience Empakaai with Grand World Tours

Grand World Tours includes Empakaai in its highland and conservation area itineraries for travellers who want more than a standard safari. The guided hike into the crater is expertly led, ensuring both safety and a rich understanding of the ecology and geology underfoot. Combined with visits to Olduvai Gorge, the Ngorongoro Crater, and the Serengeti, Empakaai completes a northern circuit itinerary that is as varied and layered as Tanzania itself.

Come for the flamingos. Stay for the silence. Leave with something you will struggle to explain to anyone who was not there.