NORTHERN TANZANIA SCENIC
A spectacular scenic flight over the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the volcanoes that make up the Northern Rift of Tanzania, a totally unique and dramatic area. The volcanic region of northern Tanzania has an incredible diversity of landscapes.
The excursion will start with an early morning collection from your lodge, we head up to the famed Ngorongoro crater, where we will fly around the rim of this ancient caldera. We will continue through the cool Crater Highlands and over the Rift Escarpment to Lake Natron in the hot valley floor. As we fly up the lake you will see its ever changing colours - reds, purples and oranges, a consequence of its algae rich water which attracts numerous flocks of flamingos. On the return back to the southern shores of the lake we will land at Ngare Sero, the largest preserved human fossil footprint site that has ever been discovered in Africa. We will continue on to fly around the coolest active volcano in the world, Ol Doinyo Lengai, we land here and peer into its bubbling crater. Climbing back up the Rift Valley we will fly over the Empakai Crater, often full of flamingos.
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.
LAKE NATRON
This primeval-soup like shallow alkaline lake is high in cynobacteria, an algae that releases a chemical which damages the cells, nervous system and liver of most of the organisms that consume it. These salt loving microorganisms thrive in this alkaline water, creating the rich red colour. The lake is a flamingo paradise as they do not have to contend with any predators and can feed on the algae, as a result 75% of the worlds population of lesser flamingo are born on the shores of Lake Natron.
OL DOINYO SAMBU & THE PININYI RIVER GORGE
A range of mountains lying on the edge of the rift valley escarpment that drops away steeply to the northern end of Lake Natron. Within these mountains you will find the spectacular Pininyi river gorge, which we will drop down in to and follow it course.
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.
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.
LAKE EYASI & THE HADZABE
Lake Eyasi is a shallow soda lake situated in the floor of the Rift Valley, to the south of the Ngorongoro Highlands.
On the shores of Lake Eyasi, lives one of the world’s last hunter-gatherer tribe - the Hadzabe. They live a life unchanged for more than ten thousand years, hunting
baboons, birds, antelope and buffalo with hand-made bows and arrows, in a hot desolate landscape. Their language, Hadzane, is rhythmic and punctuated by clicks, and believed to be the oldest language still spoken. You will have the opportunity to land and walk with the Hadza, accompanying them whilst they hunt.
AIRBUS H130
Capacity: 6 passenger seats and 1 pilot
Passenger Configuration: 2 passengers - center and front right, 4 in the rear all forward facing seats.
Cruise Speed: 120 knots
Endurance: 3 hours
The H130 is the best performing single engine helicopter in its class, it is perfectly suited for operations at high altitudes and hot temperatures, typical of east Africa. It is designed to afford the passengers maximum visibility and comfort, with the lowest noise signature of similar helicopters due to its enclosed tail rotor.
They are the most amazing way to travel, reaching places that are inaccessible by any other form of transport, allowing a panoramic sight seeing of all that Tanzania has to offer.
Tropic Air is based in Kenya, and offers a broad range of professional air services using helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
Areas of operation: 16 African countries, covering more than 10 million square kilometers: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Congo, Chad, South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Madagascar, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia.