Lake Manyara National park
Lake Manyara National Park is a relatively small national park in Tanzania’s northern region, spanning 330 square kilometers and located 126 kilometers west of Arusha town. Lake Manyara covers 220 square kilometers of the park’s total area. Lake Manyara is an alkaline small lake that is home to flamingos and pelicans. The park is dominated by mixed acacia woodlands, pockets of evergreen forests, and short savannah grasslands and is located in the Great Rift Valley on a very narrow escarpment.
Elephants, wildebeests, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, hippopotamuses, grant’s gazelle, Thomson’s gazelle impalas, black rhinoceros, warthogs, waterbucks, shy kirk’s dik dik, klipspringer, baboons, lions, leopards, African wild cats, spotted hyenas, bat-eared fox,
Many bird species can be found in Lake Manyara National Park, including large flocks of lesser and greater flamingos, great white pelicans, pink-blacked pelicans, yellow-billed stock, Marabou storks, grey herons, palm nut vultures, Ayer’s hawk eagles, egrets, stilts erons, spoonbills, and Sacred ibis.
Spur-winged goose, von der Decken’s hornbill, yellow-billed stork stalks, and more
Lake Manyara national park is a fantastic tourist attraction in Tanzania that provides visitors with spectacular and unforgettable safari experiences.
Safari activities available in the park include:
Game drives: Because of the creatures seen in large crowds, Lake Manyara national park is a fantastic habitant for a wide range of animals that thrive in the Savannah dominated sections of the park. The park’s outstanding game drive experiences are supported by a few of game drive routes that run through the park’s marshlands, forests, and grassy vegetation. Game drives in the park are available in two sessions: day game drive and night game drive.
Day game drive: Lake game drive throughout the day. Many species including as giraffes, zebras, elephants, hippopotamuses, monkeys, wildebeest, waterbuck, warthog, gazelle, impala, buffalo, wildebeest, waterbuck, warthog, hyena, baboon, and others can be seen grazing in the park via the windows of your car. Early morning and afternoon game drives are also available in the park during certain seasons.
Night game drive: A night game drive in Lake Manyara national park allows you to see nocturnal wildlife, particularly predators waiting for their prey. Animals such as lions, leopards, Porcupines, genets, civet cats, hippopotamuses, and others can be seen using a spot light.
Bird watching: The area hosts Eurasian migrating birds, acacia related birds, raptors, and three endangered Tanzanian species. Lake Manyara national park is a birding heaven for bird enthusiasts, with over 400 bird species to be seen while on a bird watching expedition in the park. Abdim’s stork is one of the bird species seen in Lake Manyara national park.
African fish eagle, African grey hornbill, African hawk eagle, African jacana, African spoonbill, Baglafecht weaver, comb duck, crowned eagle, great white pelican, greater flamingo, grey crowned crane, hammerkop, hottentot teal, lesser flamingo, little stint, saddle-billed stork, silvery-cheeked hornbill, southern ground hornbill, These birds are most commonly seen around Lake Manyara, and they are best observed from November to April, when migrating bird species are present, and from June to October, when the weather appears to be dry.
Boat rides/Canoeing: Lake Manyara is a unique destination among the northern safari circuit’s national parks and Tanzania as a whole, as it is one of the few that offers canoeing safaris. The park is home to the magnificent Lake Manyara, where canoeing and boat rides are available. Boat rides on Lake Manyara provide an aquatic experience of the park, complete with beautiful scenic views of the park and its animals, such as giraffes and pink-hued flamingos that crowd the lake’s shores.
Lake Manyara tree walkway: The Tree Walk Way excursion is an exciting adventure that provides you with a tour and amazing bird’s eye views of the park from the top of a 370-meter-high walkway. A tour along the tree path begins with a short boardwalk that gradually increases in elevation as it leads to a succession of suspicious bridges. Tourists’ safety is ensured by tight netting on both sides of the suspicious bridges.
Visit Masai bombas: Lake Manyara national park provides cultural experiences through visits to nearby Masai villages. Local Masai people were the first inhabitants of the Lake Manyara national park area, and they still live on the park’s borders after it was designated as a national park. Masai people are extremely cordial and welcoming, and you will be treated to cultural dances and music as a gesture of greeting. You’ll also come across Maasai bombas, which are round homes made of mud and straw. These circular huts are known locally as Bombas.
