Lake Manyara national park straddles the floor of the Great Rift Valley region in Tanzania, it is one of the best parks in Tanzania that Should feature on your Tanzania Wildlife Safari, the park is famous for its resident species the tree climbing lions, and is among the country’s small conservation areas, taking third in position co0vering approximately 320 square kilometers. The park is dominated by the soda ash Lake Manyara, a catchment area for both resident and Migratory bird species. The park is one of those places to view wildlife in Tanzania, the untold beauty of the conservation area for years attracts many travelers, the wallowing hippos and oozing hot springs bubbling to the top of the surface uniquely identify the ecosystem.
Tucked under the magnificent rift valley consists a thick green forest accompanied by the great cliffs of beautiful escarpments, the white shores of the ancient soda lake are an attraction your eyes can’t miss when at Lake Manyara national park, the park has an incredible bird list with Pink flamingos flocking most of the Lake, water pelicans, and cormorants. The national protected area is a hot spot of wildlife despite its small size, it was created as a result of protecting the animal species that call this home, starting with the large herds of African elephants, Buffaloes, troops of baboons, vervet monkeys, kudus, tree climbing lions, giraffes, hippos, wildebeests, grants and Thompson gazelles, cheetahs, lions, dikdik, warthogs, hyrax, waterbucks.
Lake Manyara is a major attraction of the national park, the alkaline lake forms, green algae which attracts thousands of Pink flamingos which feed on it, the shallow lake swells and reduces in size depending on the seasons of the year, it is known to overflow sometimes and the salty nature of it contributes to water levels as well. Majimoto hot springs bubble the surface a great lead to earth’s geological findings. The presence of several attractions in the park presents an opportunity to participate in Tourism activities like the tree-top canopy walk which will give you a great experience of viewing wildlife from a different angle.
Lake Manyara national park Game drives in Lake Manyara national park take place in the morning, afternoon, and night times as you enjoy the wildlife of the park, travelers can enjoy all-day drives in the park in search of wildlife species, popular sites include lions, zebras, gazelles, Night game drives can be organized guided by an experienced ranger in search of Nocturnal species, especially the cat family. Guided nature walks will give you an experience of the park, different trails have been developed including the tree top trail walk and the majimoto trail.
Lake Manyara national park Canoeing is an adventurous way of adventuring Lake Manyara, canoe rides are done only when water levels favor travel experiences, and you will enjoy the views of the open savannah plains, escarpments, and hills. Animals like hippos can be seen in the lake as they swim, other park activities involve visiting the community for cultural encounters, and birding safari tours. There is an incredible bird Count.
Lake Manyara national park can be visited all year round but is best during the dry season( July-October)this is the most appropriate time for viewing large mammals, while the wet season is for bird watching( November -June), this is a fruiting time of the park, and there are many migratory species in search for food and mating time. One might be wondering whether there could be places to stay at the park, well the answer is yes, there is available accommodation inside and outside the park, it ranges from Luxury to the best budget facilities these offer amenities needed by the travelers like food. Examples include Lake Manyara Serena Lodge, Lake Manyara Sopa lodge, and Lake Manyara Kilimanjaro lodge.
The park is close distance to Arusha taking approximately 2 hours to arrive at the destination. Charter flights can be arranged by the tour operator to the park for clients who want to be time or like to have a Luxury treat of the Tanzanian safari.