Its name was given to it by the Scottish explorer John Walter Gregory in 1894 after his long journey in British East Africa.
The landscapes of the valley form an exceptional environment where very rich flora and fauna are concentrated.
The Great Rift Valley is renowned in Africa because it offers unforgettable safaris in some of the most beautiful wildlife parks in the world. But that is not all: it is also an opportunity to go hiking around the lakes and observe biodiversity.
Ngorongoro Crater
Come and admire the superb panorama offered by the Ngorongoro Crater at an altitude of 2285 m. This earthly paradise is home to more than 30,000 animals, and not just any animals; you can observe:
- Lions
- Black rhino
- Hippopotamuses
- Elephants
- Zebras
- Wildebeest
- Grant’s gazelles
- Thomson’s gazelles
La Natron
Lake Natron is a magical place for hikers; it stands out from other lakes because of its blood-red colour. The reason for its colour is the large amount of natron, a mineral that causes the water to evaporate and is therefore very salty. This high mineral content makes its water difficult for animals to drink.
Only flamingos venture into the lake’s waters; for them, it is an ideal breeding ground as no predator dares to approach the lake’s shores.
Lake Eyasi
If you want to meet a tribe, there is no better place to experience this adventure than Lake Eyasi, home to the Hadzabe tribe. An extraordinary people who live off the land and do not even have housing. They live only on fruit, plants and the rewards of their hunting with bows and arrows. Their way of life is an experience you will probably never forget.
Arusha National Park
To discover the Great Rift Valley, we recommend spending a few days in Arusha. In this region, it is possible to catch sight of Mount Kilimanjaro in clear weather, as well as Mount Meru.
Arusha National Park is a fascinating place, with its unique variety of landscapes, ecosystems, and extremely rich wildlife and flora. In the northern part of the country, you can observe black-and-white colobus monkeys there, the only place in Tanzania where we can find them.
Manyara National Park
Manyara National Park is one of the most beautiful places in Tanzania. It lies at the foot of the Great Rift Valley escarpment.
The park is home to many species of antelope, primates and birds.
You will have the opportunity to take a track that crosses the dense jungle, where you will see many animals such as lions and wildebeest. You will then arrive on a plain where many zebras and buffalo live in peace.
Volcanic Activity
The Great Rift Valley has extremely intense and complex volcanic activity.
- Located in Tanzania, the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano is the only one still active in the country. It is at least 370,000 years old and rises to 2960 m above sea level. It is located north-east of the Ngorongoro crater and south of Lake Natron.
- In the Democratic Republic of the Congo there are 2 volcanoes still active, Nyamuragira (which is the most active in Africa) and Nyiragongo, which is a volcano with a liquid lava effect.
- In Ethiopia we find Erta Ale, which means “Smoking Mountain” in Afar (a language spoken in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti). It is a small volcano rising to 613 metres above sea level
The two most emblematic volcanoes in Africa, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Mount Kenya, are both extinct today.
