The Lake Manyara National Park offers diverse habitats, amazing bird life, and stunning views. It is located below the Manyara Escarpment’s cliffs on the edge of the Rift Valley. You may think of this park as the starting point of your grand tour of the wildebeest migration.
The small-scale game viewing in Manyara provides a virtually miniature representation of the Tanzanian safari experience. From the gate, the road meanders through a vast area of lush groundwater forest that resembles a jungle, where baboon troops numbering in the hundreds lounge carelessly by the side of the road, blue monkeys scamper nimbly between ancient mahogany trees, dainty bushbuck tread warily through the shadows, and enormous forest hornbills honk loudly in the high canopy.
The grassy floodplain and its broad vistas eastward, across the alkaline lake, to the jagged blue volcanic hills that rise from the limitless Maasai Steppes contrast with the forest’s intimacy. On these grassy plains, there are large herds of buffalo, wildebeest, and zebras, as well as giraffes, some of whom have such dark coloring that they appear to be black from a distance.
The famed tree-climbing lions of Manyara and the massively tusked elephants of the park prefer to hang out in a narrow band of acacia woodland that is located inside the floodplain. Banded mongoose flocks fly between the acacias as the tiny Kirk’s dik-dik forages in their cover.
With approximately to 400 bird species, including migratory birds from Eurasian locales and 3 species that are unique and endangered to Tanzania, Lake Manyara National Park may be one of the best sites in Tanzania for birdwatching.
The bulk of birds that are visible frequently move from Lake Natron, where they breed, to Lake Manyara, where they forage. As a result, unique species like the Grey Crowned Crane, Fischer’s Sparrow Lark, Pink Lesser Flamingos, and the Crowned Plover can be found in Lake Manyara’s floodplains.
One of the very few national parks in Tanzania that permits canoeing is Lake Manyara National Park. The pink flamingos and other bird species that congregate near the water to unwind and quench their thirst may be seen up close and personal while you are paddling at Lake Manyara.
Elephants and giraffes can also be seen in Lake Manyara, and you can get a closer look at them all when you canoe past them and into the calm waters.
Tanzania’s Lake Manyara is surrounded by Maasai settlements, where residents reside in charming circular mud and straw houses known as Bomas. The Maasai are very welcoming people who frequently greet visitors to their hamlet with song and dance.
To further comprehend Tanzania’s rich culture, you could visit some of the nearby villages where you may sample the cuisine and interact with the inhabitants. This will give you a sense of the indigenous cultural legacy.
