Ol Doniyo Lengai trip:

4 days 430km
310km off road 120 km Tarmac

Your safari starts from our HQ in Arusha, a bustling town located on the green slope of Mt. Meru. The trip will take you East along winding dirt trails away from the lush area surrounding the mountain and out into the savannah scenery of the Masai plains. You will ride towards the wall of the Great Rift Valley at the base of which stands the mighty volcano Ol Donyo Lengai. After exploring this area of awesome, desolate beauty you will ride back to ‘civilisation’ at the Masai trading post of Mto Wa Mbu. There you can choose to join a car to explore the National Parks of Lake Manyara, and the world famous Ngorongoro crater, or head back to Arusha.

Ol Donyo Lengai is an active volcano which last erupted in the 1960’s. It is revered by the Masai as the home of ‘Ngai’, their god. It’s almost perfect cone looms over an area of astonishing barren beauty. At the foot of the mountain there is an area of rocky desert. Here we find the cones of small extinct volcano, and Lake Natron, a huge soda lake, which stretches up to the Kenyan border. Flamingos come here to breed and in the late afternoon sun the colourful flamingo colonies make a spectacular sight, adding a dash of colour against the shimmering water.

DAY 1: 220km good dirt trail, some sand and dust (first 80km on tarmac)

The safari starts in Arusha and your introduction African trail riding begins in the Masai village of Longido. Here in the shade of a large thorn tree we have a briefing, check the bikes, set up our gear and set off. The trail begins on well maintained dirt road, so you have a chance to get familiar with the machine and the terrain. Loose gravel and a little sand will ensure you have some fun, and build your skills and speed. We ride through rolling country with scrub and scattered thorn trees and we will see colourful Masai herding their cows and goats. We may also see antelope and zebra, and if we are lucky perhaps a predator.

We stop for a tasty lunch in the shade of a huge acacia tree, and swap tips and tales. After setting off again we soon catch our first glimpse of the impressive cone of Lengai between hills in the distance. As your riding confidence builds, we will start to encounter more challenging terrain. The road here is less used, and we will ride through more sand, deep dust, and over ruts and rocks. Eventually the rolling land drops away before us revealing the plain that stretches across to the base of Lengai and up to Lake Natron in the distance. We cross the plain, skirting Lengai, and wind our way up to a hidden valley in the imposing cliff of the rift wall. Here we find a shady Masai campsite beside a mountain stream where our camp is set up for us and food is prepared. Here you can climb into the pools of tumbling water with a cold drink in your hand and let the torrent massage away the aches and dust…..paradise.

DAY 2: Rest and exploration

After a night under the incomparable star-filled African sky you will wake up refreshed. First enjoy a hearty breakfast, then we set off to explore the gorge that houses our campsite. A trail leads over boulders, and through narrow chasms. In some places we cross the torrent, and scramble up rocky walls. In some spots we find strange cactuses clinging to the hot rock, in others we see lush ferns and palms in the damp shady gorge bottom. We duck under waterfalls and pass bubbling Jacuzzi-like pools and chutes where the brave can ride the natural water slide. Eventually we arrive at the head of the valley, a huge natural amphitheatre cut into the imposing cliff. Here we find the source of the waters where many springs gush from the cliff walls and form pools and streams. We can play in the pools, shower in the waterfalls and enjoy our packed lunch. We return to camp for an early BBQ and then off to bed early, as at midnight we begin to climb Mt. Lengai.

DAY 3: Mountain climb plus afternoon riding for the keen (optional 60km challenging trails)

At 12am (midnight) you will be woken up and the journey up the mountain will begin. Lengai is the coolest active volcano in the world, but still it’s best to make the tough ascent at night to escape the burning sun. We arrive at the peak just before dawn to enjoy the spectacle of a sunrise over the awesome scenery that surrounds the mountain.

We explore the strange lava ‘moonscape’ of the peak then make quick descent to camp for lunch. After lunch you can rest or swim, and those who are still up for some more adventure can take the motorbikes out again. We ride down to the mudflats that surround the lake and explore the area along the shore. This is enduro heaven: gravel, dust, sand, fast rocky trails over small hills and through gullies. We return to camp and clean up ready for a dinner in the moonlight with a cold drink by the camp fire.

DAY 4: 65km gravel trails, some corrugation, loose gravel and sand (plus 120km of fast easy tarmac for those returning to Arusha)

We pack up camp and follow trails which wind along the base of the rift valley to the Masai trading post of Mtu Wa Mbu. Along the way we will see Masai in traditional dress tending their herds. There is a good chance of seeing game animals close to the track. Zebra and antelope are often in this area, perhaps we will even see giraffe or if we are very lucky elephant. We stop for a break at a huge crater, and then push on to Enkaruka for lunch.

After lunch we will head back to Arusha, where a cold drink will be waiting for us, and we can tell stories from our safari.

The price for 4 persons for 4 days is 900$ a person