Lake Eyasi, a hidden gem nestled along the southern edge of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, unveils a captivating landscape where the Eyasi escarpment and Kidero Mountains create an otherworldly tableau.

This enigmatic region is home to a rich tapestry of cultures, including the Hadzabe, guardians of an ancient click language with a lineage dating back 10,000 years, and the Iraqw and Datoga, of Cushitic origin, coexisting harmoniously. Lake Eyasi also plays a vital role as Tanzania’s onion hub, nurtured by a complex irrigation system sourced from the Chemchem River’s springs.

The lake’s shores are inhabited by the Hadzabe, skilled hunters and gatherers, and the Datoga, pastoral stewards of the land. Travelers can embark on half or full-day journeys to immerse themselves in these ancient cultures. The Hadzabe share skills in crafting arrows, making poison, gathering fruits and honey, constructing shallow wells, dancing, fire-making, arrow shooting, and more. The Datoga reveal their history through the construction of mud huts, bomas, attire, jewelry, blacksmithing, cow milking, polygamy, flour making, “gissuda” preparation, and the significance of the lake’s underground springs that sustain the basin’s irrigation.