Oldoinyo Lengai” means “The Mountain of God” in the Maasai language, it is located in northern Tanzania lying just south of hot barren salt flats of Lake Natron stretch into the distance Rift Valley, in the heart of Maasai country, and locally regarded as a sacred mountain. Since the past ancestors, Maasai have used the Holly Lengai for their prayer to their GOD known as NGAI. Ol’doinyo Lengai is the only active volcano in the world that erupt natrocarbonatite lava which is cooler than other lavas about (510 degrees C) comparing to the temperatures of basaltic lavas (1,100 degrees C) with less silicon. The summit of this strato-volcano is 2962 meters above sea level, and affords direct views into the caldera of Tanzania’s only officially-certified active volcano, and the world’s only carbonatite volcano; records of eruptions have been maintained since 1883, the largest of which deposited ash 100 kilometers away in Loliondo on the Kenyan border to the north west.
It is possible to walk across the crater floor. The ascent of Oldoinyo Lengai is demanding because of the daytime heat, lack of water, steep and unsuitable slopes of ash and crumbly rocks and considerable height gain. While on the summit of Mountain Ol ’doinyo Lengai one can sight clearly the Soda Lake Natron which accommodates and consist of good nesting sites for different bird species especially the Flamingos, pelicans and geese more than 350 different types are recorded to date. Additionally you can sight wild animals like olive baboon, velvet, monitor lizard, hyenas, lion, leopard, jackal, Grant’s gazelle, impala and zebra.
Unlike others two highest Mountains, Lengai takes about six to seven hours to the summit crater not only that but also the nearby Maasai BOMAS that gives you a chance to interact with the indigenous learn their cultures, taboos and traditional.