Lake Manyara

Lake Manyara National Park nestled in Tanzania’s rainforest offers a truly thrilling sight. Find out why Lake Manyara amazes even seasoned travelers.

Lake Manyara National Park is one of the finest and most interesting parks of Tanzania with a large number of wild animals. The park covers only 330 km2 – small compared to other Tanzanian parks – of which two-third is water. Like most other lakes of the Rift Valley, Lake Manyara is a shallow soda lake that is fed by groundwater and depending on the season varies in size. The rest is a thin strip of land located between the lake and the rocks and which can only be reached by a few roads.

The park and the lake owe their name to the manyara-scrub, which is used by the Maasai to protect their fields. Near the entrance to the park you will find the manyara-scrub. The first part of the park consists of dense forest with high trees, including mahogany trees, crotonic, fig trees and various types of palms. Around the dense undergrowth of wild flowers are countless butterflies. This part of the park is not as suitable for spotting game, because it is very difficult to look through the dense forest.

Wildlife In Lake Manyara National Park

The game in Lake Manyara includes plenty of elephants, wildebeests along with so many giraffes, and buffaloes. In addition, the park is also very famous for its large number of zebras, impalas, warthogs and waterbucks. On the slopes of the escarpment, you may need to search a little hard for the tinny and renowned shy kirk’s dik dik and klipspringer.

The road circuit for game drives is limited and can be covered in about 3 to 4 hours where you can see the animals that are always on the move. It is therefore worth to revisit. Most safari companies organize for afternoon visits but taking a morning one is far much better as there are fewer other vehicles yet with more wildlife activity.

Tree Climbing Lions In Lake Manyara

Among the lions living in Lake Manyara is a healthy population of the unique tree climbing lions whose unique tree climbing character can only be found in just two populations across the world the other being in Ishasha Area in Queen Elizabeth National Park – Uganda. A very large number of tourists and photographers visit the park to see these exceptional animals.

Birds In Lake Manyara

The large number of birds found in Lake Manyara National Parks differs basing on one habitat to another. Often; you will be able to see huge flocks of pelicans and pink flamingoes on the lake, while close to the park borders and floodplains you will enjoys views of many egrets, stilts erons, spoonbills, stalks and other waders. The woodlands equally will reward you with great bird views thanks to the so much water around. But the more interesting species will be viewed in the evergreen forests; for example, crowned eagles, crested guinea fowl and the silvery cheeked hornbills.

The Vegetation In Lake Manyara

Set under the magnificent of the Great Rift Valley’s steep western escarpment is a long narrow park that conserves the area between the escarpment and Lake Manyara safe. Within the vicinity of the lake are wide grassy flood plains and further as you move away, are bands of mixed acacia woodlands. Leaving that aside, patches of captivating evergreen forests, that are kept going by perennial ground water springs from the base of the escarpment are next to the escarpment.

The Large Numbers Of Elephants

This national park is home to a very large number of elephants which can easily be seen within the evergreen forests as well as the acacia woodlands. the high amount of ground water as well as the verdant vegetation provide adequate ground to feed these forest giants.

The Tree-Top Canopy Walk

Besides the traditional way of viewing wildlife in Lake Manyara National Park, the tree-top canopy walk offers you an opportunity to see other wildlife in yet a unique way. Walking at tree-top height you will be able to see some primates and various birds within the forest.

The heart of Masaai Country houses Manyara National Park. Here is where you can visit the unforgettable appealing red-robbed pastoralists who are populous in a boma. Outside the park, undertaken can be mountain bike tours, and escarpment forest walks. When water levels are suitable, canoe safaris are also offered.

Interesting Facts about Lake Manyara

Colonies of pink flamingos migrate from one lake to another throughout the year coming to Lake Manyara National Park in the period from June to September. As their abode they choose the mud flats where crustaceans, which are their main diet, live. Without it their feathers have grey-white color. While newly hatched flamingos are always grey, they become pink as they get older – in a year, thanks to the pigment carotene which is contained in their food.