Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park was gazette in 1957 as a game reserve and 1960 as a national park. In the 1920s, it was a controlled hunting ground for the colonialists. The park is in the Arusha region of Tanzania covering over 330 square kilometers of land and in 1974 more land was added to the park towards the southern part of the park. The park is also in the Manyara region and the Rift Valley escarpment. Lake Manyara covers 3 quarters of the park.
In 1981, the park was established as a UNESCO site. Lake Manyara is alkaline and that’s where the park originates its name. The name Manyara is derived from a tree species Euphorbia tirucalli. This name is named by the Masai who call it Emanyara and this tree is used as a security measure for their cattle. The park is famous for the tree-climbing lions that are similar to those of the Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Serengeti National Park. The park is one of the oldest parks and also the smallest in Tanzania.
What to do in the lake Manyara national park?
Travelers on their Tanzania safaris have a quite number of activities that they can engage in to explore the park.
Game drive
This is the main activity that the travelers engage in usually on their safaris to Tanzania. The game drive is done using a 4×4 safari van with a popup to ease the view of the wildlife. The game drives can be done in the morning, full day, afternoon, and night game drives. The park also has gazette routes which the travelers use to view the wildlife. The park wildlife that can be viewed during the game drive includes; lions, leopards, hippos, wildebeests, zebras, elephants, giraffes, and many other wildlife.
Birding
The park is home to several bird species whereas in the park there are approximately 400 bird species. Some of these species are migratory species which usually migrate in November and April. The migratory birds usually come to this park for breeding only. This makes the park a perfect place for bird lovers. The bird species in the park include; the lesser flamingos, crowed eagles, African spoonbill, comb duck, pied kingfisher, African jacana, ground hornbill, and many other species.
Canoeing
The park is also an ideal destination for canoeing on the lake Manyara. The activity is done usually in the wet season of the year. During this wet season, the volume of the water in the lake is usually high and usually supports the boat safari. During the canoeing, travelers will have an interaction with the local fishermen on the lake. You will also see wildlife like hippos, lesser flamingoes, and many others.
What to see in the Lake Manyara National Park?
The Lake Manyara National Park has a quite number of attractions that the travelers on the Tanzania safari can fully engage in and some of the attractions include;
Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara is an alkaline or soda lake which covers 3 quarters of the park and this is among the main attractions in the park. Canoeing in the park is a seasonal activity in the park. The volume of water is usually high in the lake in the wet season for the canoeing to take place. Also at the lake, there are usually large numbers of the lesser flamingoes.
Wildlife
The Lake Manyara National Park is home to quite some wildlife which makes it a perfect destination for travelers to the Tanzania safari. The wildlife in the park can be viewed through the game drive or nature walks. some of the wildlife include; lions, leopards, hippos, rhinos, cheetahs, and many others. The wildlife can be seen around the lake and the open vegetation of the park.
Bird species
The park is home to over 400 bird species and the species in the park are resident, aquatic, and migratory bird species that are within the park. The park is a perfect place for bird lovers who are usually on a birding safari to Tanzania.
Where to stay on the safari while in the Lake Manyara National Park?
While in Lake Manyara National Park, there are many accommodation facilities that travelers can select to stay in while on the safari to Lake Manyara National Park. The accommodation facilities are located within the park and outside the park upon the choice of the travelers on the Tanzania safari. The facilities are suited to fit the standards and budget of the travelers. The accommodation facilities in the park range in form of the luxury, mid-range, and budget facilities.
The luxury accommodation facilities are facilities include Lemala Manyara, Escarpment Luxury Lodge Manyara, Lake Manyara Kilimanjaro Lodge, and many other facilities. The midrange accommodation facilities comprise the Ango Tree Hotel, Kirurumu Tented Lodge, Manyara Safari Camp, and many others.
The budget accommodation facilities in the park consist of the Fig Tree Lodge and Camp, lake Manyara Bush Camp, Fanaka Safari Campsite, and Twiga Lodge and Campsite. and many other facilities.
How to get to the Lake Manyara National Park?
Lake Manyara National Park is located in the northern part of Tanzania and the park can be accessed by both road and air transport. This is the nearest park to the Arusha town.
By road, the Journey takes about 2 hours of travel from the Arusha town over a distance of 160 kilometers. While from Dar el Salam, there is no shortest route to the park.
When using air transport, travelers are required to book a domestic chartered flight from the Kilimanjaro International Airport or the Julius Nyerere International Airport to the Manyara Airstrip. As you arrive at the Manyara airstrip, you will have 10 10-minute drive into the park. The park has two main gates that travelers on their Tanzania safari can choose to access the park.
The Northern Gate is in the northern part of Lake Manyara National Park. This gate is the most used gate by travelers since it is near towns and with well-developed infrastructure. The gate is considered to be the main gate of the park since it is near the Manyara airstrip on the Mto Wa Mbu -Ngorongoro highway. The other gate is found in the southern part of the park and this gate has poor infrastructure like roads also the gate is in a remote area and far away from the towns.
What is the best time to visit Lake Manyara National Park?
Lake Manyara National Park is always open for travelers throughout the year and it is the nearest park to Arusha. As you plan a safari to this park, it is recommended to explore the park on your Tanzania safari.
