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In Lake Manyara National Park,
the hauntingly beautiful soda lake sprawls on the Rift
Valley floor, below the sheer red cliffs of the escarpment.
Sometimes pink-tinged with the wings of migratory flamingos,
Lake Manyara is home to pelicans and many other bird species.
Elephant, hippo, monkey, leopard and bushbuck are found
in the unique groundwater forest. Closer to the vast lake,
flat-topped acacia trees and open grassland are host to
plains species and the famous tree-climbing Manyara lions.
Lake Manyara National Park, which
encompasses an area of 330 sq.km, of which 200 sq.km is
lake, was proclaimed a game reserve in 1957 and registered
three years later as a National Park. The park is situated
between the 600 m high escarpment of the Great Rift Valley
and Lake Manyara and is 130 km from Arusha.
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| Wildlife
in Lake Manyara National Park |
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| Nestling at the base of the
Great Rift Valley escarpment, the park is recognized
for its incredible beauty. Wildlife at Lake Manyara
is not restricted to birdlife only. Many game animals
such as Buffalo, Elephant, Giraffe, Impala, hippo
and a great variety of smaller animals also inhabit
the park. Elephant, giraffe, buffalo and wildebeest
can be found grazing in |
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unexpected clearings or heading
towards the water to drink or wash, and the rivers and
riverbeds provide scenic vistas for possible animal spottings.
Warthog seem to thrive here, growing notably fat and tuskered,
and it is a natural playground for baboons and monkeys.
Lake Manyara is also renown for its tree-climbing lions
which spend most of the day spread out along the branches
of acacia trees six to seven metres above the ground.
However, these legendary tree-climbing lion of Lake Manyara
inspire extensive theorising as to the wonders of evolution,
though are notoriously rarely seen.
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| Vegetation in Lake
Manyara National Park |
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The park contains
the most pachyderms per km sq. in Tanzania. As visitors
enter the gate, they pass into the lush forest, home
to troops of baboons and blue monkeys. Buffalo and
hippo lurch in the adjacent Hippo Pool. The vegetation
eventually merges into flat topped acacia woodland
where, in the heat of the day entire prides of lion
can be seen stretched |
on the branches of these trees - a
habit prevalent to Manyara lions. Along with these amazing
tree-climbing lions there are the usual browsers and grazers
as well as the curios-looking banded mongoose. Two thirds
of the park is dominated by the slightly alkaline lake which
is home to a huge variety of waterbirds. |
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| Birdlife
in Lake Manyara National Park |
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| More than 400 species
of bird including flamingo, pelican, red billed quelea,
storks, sacred ibis, cormorants and Egyptian geese can be
sighted in this area. Other species of birds include the
African spoonbill, lesser flamingo, white pelican and white
faced duck. |
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| Visiting
Lake Manyara National Park |
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Thus, it can be visited
on a day excursion from this centre. At the Southern end
of the park are hot Sulphur Springs known as Majimoto. Further
along the forest the area opens up into woodlands, grassland,
swamps and beyond, the soda lake itself. Lake Manyara National
Park is a small but scenic safari park, excellent for birdwatching
and a good area to find elephant. Lake Manyara is a good
soft introduction to the safari experience. It is a magical
and pretty park that winds its way around a mainly forested
driving route between the banks of soda water Lake Manyara
and the impressive rise of the Great Rift escarpment.
Lake Manyara National Park is 130 km west of Arusha and
the drive takes about two and half hours. The entrance to
the park is off to the left of the Great North Road at Makuyuni.
From here there is a track that goes past the lake and through
the village of Mto wa Mbu to the park entrance. Mto wa Mbu
( meaning Mosquito Creek) is a small busy market town selling
fruit and vegetables produced by the fruitful adjacent farms.
The little settlement has become a temporary stop over for
tourists and campers. The dry season of July to October
is the best time to visit to spot large mammals, whilst
the wet season of November to June is the best time for
birdwatching. |
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| Further
Information and Booking |
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| Memorable visits to
the Lake Manyara National Park are featured within various
Tanzania safari itineraries featured in this site. We have
a wide range of carefully designed tours and safaris Lake
Manyara National Park in Tanzania that will reveal to you
the true meaning of a Tanzania wildlife safari. Your safari
consultant will always be at your assistance should you
need a tailor-made holiday to this location. For more information
regarding this attraction, please DO NOT hesitate to contact
us. |
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