Hadzabe & Datoga tribe
Important to Know
Respect their culture
The Hadzabe live a traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Always be respectful avoid intrusive questions, don’t assume they want gifts, and listen to your guide’s instructions.
Prepare Proper Clothing & Supplies
Wear comfortable walking shoes, carry water, sunscreen, and a hat. Mornings can be cold, and daytime can be hot.
- Start Time: Early morning
- Duration: FULL DAY
- Full Day
- Age 5+
When to Go
– Extra Day after Tarangire
– Extra Day after Lake Manyara
– Before/after driving to the serengeti national park
– Before the airport with early start
Hadzabe TRIBE
While on safari in Tanzania, a visit to Lake Eyasi offers tourists a rare and fascinating cultural experience with the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes. Nestled in the Great Rift Valley, Lake Eyasi is home to the Hadzabe, one of the last remaining hunter-gatherer tribes in Africa. Visitors can join them on early morning hunts using traditional bows and arrows, witnessing their survival skills and ancient way of life. The Hadzabe live in harmony with nature, relying on wild fruits, honey, and game for food. Nearby, the Datoga tribe skilled blacksmiths and cattle herders welcome tourists into their homesteads. Guests can observe metalwork demonstrations, traditional dances, and learn about Datoga customs and family structures. These cultural encounters offer a deep and respectful insight into Tanzania’s indigenous communities. Visiting Lake Eyasi and its tribes adds a rich, human dimension to any safari, connecting travelers with Tanzania’s living history and cultural diversity.
The Datoga tribe: Cultural Adventure
The Datoga tribe, also known as Datooga or Taturu, is one of Tanzania’s oldest pastoralist communities, traditionally living near the Lake Eyasi region and the highlands surrounding the Rift Valley. They are known for their strong warrior heritage, skilled blacksmithing, and deep connection to cattle, which holds great cultural and economic value. Datoga people wear distinctive reddish-brown clothing dyed with ochre, blending beautifully with the earth-toned landscapes they inhabit. Their beadwork and metal ornaments reflect both artistry and identity. Blacksmiths craft tools, spears, and jewelry, often traded with neighboring tribes such as the Hadzabe. The Datoga speak Datog, a Nilotic language, and maintain rich spiritual traditions focused on ancestors and nature. Despite modernization, they continue to preserve their customs, craftsmanship, and pastoral lifestyle, making them an important and resilient part of Tanzania’s cultural mosaic.
Lake Eyasi
Lake Eyasi is a shallow, seasonal soda lake lying along the southern edge of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in northern Tanzania. Its size shifts dramatically with the seasons, expanding after the rains and shrinking to reveal wide salt flats during the dry months. The lake’s alkaline waters attract flamingos and many migratory birds, creating excellent opportunities for birdwatching and nature photography. Around the lake, local people engage in small-scale fishing, especially when water levels are high, using traditional dugout canoes and simple nets. As the water recedes, families often collect salt and minerals from the exposed shorelines, an important source of income during the dry season. Others practice subsistence farming, growing crops such as onions, millet, or maize in the fertile soils near seasonal streams. Daily life around Lake Eyasi blends natural beauty with traditional livelihoods, making it both a scenic and culturally rich destination.