Lake Natron is perhaps the most striking and mysterious body of water in the East African Rift Valley. This shallow, alkaline soda lake is famous for its deep red and pinkish hues, a result of salt-loving microorganisms and cyanobacteria that thrive in its caustic, high-temperature waters. Sitting in the shadow of Ol Donyo Lengai (the "Mountain of God"), Lake Natron is a landscape of stark, haunting beauty that feels like another planet entirely.