Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara is a scenic gem that stretches for 50 kilometers along the base of the rusty-gold 600-meter-high Rift Valley escarpment, with a setting described by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa.” Manyara’s small game-viewing circuit is a virtual microcosm of the Tanzanian safari experience. The road winds through a lush jungle-like groundwater forest from the entrance gate, where baboon troops of hundreds of individuals lounge casually along the roadside, blue monkeys scamper nimbly between the ancient mahogany trees, dainty bushbuck tread warily through the shadows, and outsized forest hornbills honk cacophonously in the high canopy.
More About Lake Manyara National Park
The grassy floodplain, with its expansive views eastward across the alkaline lake to the jagged blue volcanic peaks that rise from the endless Maasai Steppes, contrasts with the intimacy of the forest. Large herds of buffalo, wildebeest, and zebra, as well as giraffes – some of which are so dark in color that they appear black from a distance – congregate on these grassy plains.
Manyara’s legendary tree-climbing lions and impressively tusked elephants frequent a narrow belt of acacia woodland inland of the floodplain. The diminutive Kirk’s dik-dik forages in the shade of the acacias, while squadrons of banded mongoose dart between them. In the far south of the park, klipspringer pairs are frequently seen silhouetted on the rocks above a field of scorching hot springs that steams and bubbles adjacent to the lakeshore.
Manyara is an excellent place to start learning about Tanzania’s avifauna. There are over 400 species recorded, and even a first-time visitor to Africa could reasonably expect to see 100 of them in a single day. Thousands of pink-hued flamingos on their annual migration, as well as other large waterbirds like pelicans, cormorants, and storks, are among the highlights.
Wildlife safaris in Tanzania
This trip was made for you if you think "safari" and "wildlife." This all-camping safari, designed to maximize wildlife viewing opportunities, will bring you up close and personal with creatures large and small, from big cats to birds.
