If you are looking for one of the most scenic parks in East Africa, Lake Manyara is worth a special place on your list. Its grassy lake shore is dotted with beautiful patches of yellow fever trees. Manyara is named after an ancient lake system in a rift valley whose wall is a prominent feature throughout the park. Prepare to be enchanted by views of this alkaline dominated lake as seen from the top of a 600m-high golden-brown escarpment. In its background lies a scattering of extinct volcanic mountains that rise in superb isolation from the open plains of the Maasai Steppes.
As you drive into the park’s entrance, you will be greeted by a breathtaking sight of a ground water forest with old-world charm.
Manyara’s variety of environments serves as a habitat for a remarkably high biomass density of large mammals including elephants, wildebeest, hippos, giraffes, zebras, giraffes, bushbuck and buffalos. For many visitors, the most exciting moment of the game drive is the sighting of tree-climbing lions for which Manyara is famed. You could chance on a lioness and its cubs perched quite precariously in an acacia tree. A rare but beautiful sight! One school of thought is that they climb the trees to get unobstructed views of prey and thus know how to strike into the scene.
For better views of the silvery cheeked hornbills, don’t forget to look up higher in the trees. You can’t leave Lake Manyara National Park without taking a canoe ride on its lake. It becomes a blanket of pink when thousands of flamingoes descend upon it on their migration, providing a spectacular setup.
This park offers a perfect introduction to Tanzania’s stunning birdlife. It is possible for you to tick 100 species in one day, including flotillas of pelicans, massive forest hornbills and several birds of prey including crowned eagle. More than 400 species have been recorded here. Migratory birds are present from November to April.
Due to the parks proximity to Arusha, most of our guests limit their visit to it in the afternoon while travelling Ngorongoro. So if you prefer to visit a time when it is almost devoid of tourists, we can arrange for you a morning visit or better still, a 2-night stop depending on your preference.