Lake Manyara National Park – Tanzania

Ernest Hemmingway called Manyara the loveliest lake he had seen in Africa. Stretched out at the base of the mighty Rift Valley Escarpment, with shorelines colored pink by the thousands of Flamingoes and great game in a relatively small park in Tanzania, The Lake Manyara is a true gem.
Tucked on the base of the Great Rift Valley, Lake Manyara. Mto wa Mbu and several farms which comprise of the expansive Maasai ecosystem and a corridor for the great migration of huge herds of mammals towards the north and the south. Lake Manyara is highly alkaline and shallow without any outflowing rivers. The depth of the lake gets to a maximum of 2.5 meters during the wet seasons of April. From the escarpment of the rift valley, the natural Marang forest towers over the Manyara park. Here you encounter the might big tusks elephants on their quest for food and water.

The Lake Manyara is also home to another forest; an evergreen, jungle like area full of monkeys enjoying the many remarkable tall trees. The most dominant of them is the sycamore Fig tree. Other equally stunning species at lake Manyara are the Baobabs that you will find all over the rift valley wall.  The lushness of the forest derives from groundwater seeping down from the extinct Ngorongoro Crater volcano. This underground life artery can be experienced directly in the hot springs in the south of the park where sulphurous water bubbles out, steaming hot to touch.
Despite the rather small strip of Land, Lake Manyara National park won’t let you down when it comes to wildlife spotting. There are over 500 bird species . Flamingoes dot the lake surface, joined by a myriad of other water birds that are best spotted at the end of the dry season. The most astonishing encounter at Lake Manyara in the forest is the silvery cheeked Hornbill and the palm nut vulture. All the large animals that roam the grassy flood plains are resident or migratory in or transiting the lake Manyara region.
Although Lion, spotted Hyena serval, caracal, Leopard and Cheetah are more prolific in other parks, keeping an eye up will reap great sightings here.  The narrow belt of acacia woodland is the favorite den for the Lake Manyara Tree Climbing Lions. The reason behind this peculiar behavior still remains a mystery to date.
Lake Manyara happens to showcase unusually dark Giraffe males. An encounter with the hard to spot Klipspringers at the edge of the ground water forest tops up the visit to lake Manyara.

• lake Manyara is Tanzania’s second oldest national Park, together with the Arusha National Park and was established in 1960
• At 648 Kms sq with the dry land comprising only 30%, it’s the smallest national park in Tanzania. It stretches 32 Kilometers from south to north at its broadest point
• Altitude: 960 Meters Lake Manyara to 1600 Meters highest point of the rift valley wall.
• The park is easily accessible both by air and good tarmac road
• By road: From Arusha to Mto wa Mbu village is 115 kilometers and 2 hours’ drive
• By air: You can fly to lake Manyara airstrip at the rift valley escarpment
• Lake Manyara is good to visit all year round.

• There is only one safari accommodation located inside Lake Manyara National Park. – AndBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge
• Other accommodations are on the Rift valley escarpment, Mto wa Mbu area and Karatu Town.