Lake Eyasi is a huge soda lake that surpasses Lake Manyara in size, and the saline border extends and shrinks depending on the amount of rain that has fallen over the year. Doum palms are a very distinctive feature, and in this fairly harsh environment,, the shade of the trees is both welcome and cooling. The sunsets here are superb, and the impressive western flank of the Rift Valley looms imperiously in the distance.