LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK TANZANIA

Lake Manyara National Park is located about 2 hours drive east from Tanzania’s safari town of Arusha. It is regarded as Tanzania’s smallest national park covering 318sq km. about 60% of the entire park is covered by Lake Manyara, a salty water lake that is 200km, surrounded by the Gregory rift from the Great Rift Valley western escarpment.

Right from the park gate, the park route goes through an expanse of abundant forest jungles, vast plains as well as floodplain with vast scenery over the alkaline Soda lake of Manyara and then blue volcanic highs that rise out of undulating Masaai steppes. Manyara is somewhere that the scenery and the dramatic setting are as much part of the experience as the game viewing.

Much of the park is covered by quite thick acacia woodland and so you need to drive slowly. In the northern section there are a number of clear streams, which flow from the porous rock at the base of the rift wall, whilst further south where the rock is impervious, waterfalls cascade down the escarpment face during the rainy season.

Lake Manyara Safari

The Park is best known for its tree-climbing lions and the elephant population that was studied by Iain Douglas Hamilton in the 60’s. Your chances of seeing elephant here are very good and as they are quite used to vehicles in this Park you will usually get very close. When it comes to lion, well – there are lions here and they are often seen, but not usually sitting in trees! There are quite a few places around East Africa where lions do climb trees (Selous, Katavi, Lake Nakuru, Queen Elizabeth and more) so the reason that Manyara is famed for them is just one of those odd things.

In addition to lion and elephant, Lake Manyara’s terrain is so varied that it is home to a diverse range of animal species and with a bit of luck you will see herds of buffalo, giraffe, zebra, hippos and perhaps leopard. The other up side to this park is the setting in which you see the game – it is spectacular. Back dropped by the rugged 2000ft escarpment, fringed by the green grass of the lakeshore and mirrored in the magnificent soda lake.

The corridor of acacia trees and shrubs is home to your renowned tree climbing lions, enormous tusked elephants, bushbucks, giraffes, zebras, buffalos, leopards, hornbills and more. Some klipspringer antelopes are often viewed by the rocky outcrops above an area of searing hot springs that gust next to the lakeshore from the southern end by the park.

Bird life in Lake Manyara Tanzania‘s varied habitats is also impressive and over 300 species have been recorded here. Like the other Rift Valley lakes, Lake Manyara’s water is alkaline and greater and lesser flamingo thrive on the algae. Bee eaters, crown eagles, heron, spines, Pink backed pelicans and yellow billed storks nest in one of the largest colonies of its type in East Africa at the northern end of the lake, which explains the foul smell as you approach from the village of Mto Wa Umbu.

Best time to visit

The park is just 120km from Arusha town driving 2 hours on a tarmac road west through the town of Mto Wa Mbu. The dry season starting from July until October draws in several herds of animals to the lake for some water, affording far better sights on game making it the best time to visit. The rains are in November until June bringing in great bird watching moments on canoe rides across the lake.

Lake Manyara Accommodation

Lake Manyara Camps and lodges are available around the park entrance near the town of Mto wa Mbu. There is a luxury tented camp from Kirumu Tented camp and other Lake Manyara camps Eunto retreat safari camp, Lake Manyara Serena safari Lodge, Lake Manyara view Lodge and Lake Manyara tree lodge set high on escarpment edge enjoying marvelous views of the Lake Manyara National Park, luxury rooms, en-suite bathrooms, restaurants, swimming pool and so much more luxurious facilities.

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