Lake Manyara Attractions ........

Lake Manyara is one of the most popular and attractive national parks. A small area in size, it contains a variety of habitats and diverse animals and birds.

Lake Manyara National Park lies 130 km from Arusha and 85 from Tarangire. The word Manyara is derived from ‘emanyara’ the name of a plant, which the Maasai used in the building of their Kraals. The most famous spectacle in the pack is the tree – climbing lions, which are occasionally seen on the branches of acacia trees. Although Manyara is only a small park, it is a masterpiece. Its 96 sq. km contain a wide diversity of habitats: the Rift valley wall with its rock out cropping, the ground water forest, the Acacia woodlands, the open grasslands, the swamps and the lake itself. All have their different species and Fauna. The park has Tanzania’s highest population of elephant per square kilometer. Mto-wa-Mbu (Mosquito creek) is a busy settlement crouching at the foot of the escarpment wall and bounded by the Manyara ground water forest, it is a Kaleidoscope of color and sounds. Its inhabitants are both agriculturists (the wa-Mbulu) and Pastorlists (the wa-Maasai). Just beyond Mto-wa-Mbu is the entrance to lake Manyara National park.

Despite the fact Lake Manyara National Park is only 330 square kilometers (127 square miles) in area – of which about 230 square kilometers (89 square miles) are lake – it contains a large variety of habitats: the rift wall, the ground water forest, acacia woodland, areas of open grassland, the lake shore, swamp and the lake itself. Due to the variety of habitats the Park is able to support a large number of species. Over 380 species of birds, some migratory, have been recorded in the park.

More then 350 species of birdlife have been identified in the lake Manyara.

The wall of the great rift valley forms the backdrop, before which lies the ground water forest teeming with animals, as well as areas grasslands.

Lake Manyara National Park is an ideal

This is one of the most diverse of Tanzania’s national parks, a tiny (325 km2) combination of Rift Valley Lake, dense woodlands and steep mountainside. Manyara was established specifically to protect the elephant herds that have made the area world-renowned.

But heavy poaching in the 1970s and 1980s decimated the herds, although they are now recovering and returning to their former strengths. Manyara is a birding paradise (more than 380 species), especially for waterfowl and migrants, and the forests are one of the best places to see leopards. Lions hunt on the grassy shores of the lake, and are known for their habit of climbing trees. Best games viewing months are December to February and May to July, tapering off in August and September.

The park derives its name from the Maasai word “Manyara” which is the name for the plant Euphorbia tirucalli. The Maasai use this plant to grow livestock stockades. Eventually Manyara will produce a stockproof hedge which is more durable than any made of cut thorn branches.

There is a specimen of Euphorbia tirucalli at the entrance gate.

The types of vegetation that occur in the park are related to the geology of the area. The northern part of the park, nearest the entrance, is composed mainly of volcanic rock which, being porous, allows many streams of clear water to flow out of the base of the rift wall. Further south, around Msasa River, the volcanic rock gives way to ancient crystalline rock, which is hard and non-porous allowing fewer springs and streams to emerge. Those size for a day trip. You can leave camp or lodge early, picnic at one of the sites and then return towards evening. The park roads are suitable for two wheel-drive vehicles, although some of the tracks are for dry season use only. (The long dry season is usually from June to September and the short one from January to February.

That do – the Ndala, Bagayo and Endabash – Cascade down the entire face of the wall when flowing.

In order to get the most from your visit t Manyara, drive slowly, take some of the loop roads and spend time looking at the different types of trees and watching animals. It is recommended that you take a guide with you, because they know the roads well and where the wildlife is at any particular time. They can therefore plan an exciting game drive. Suprisingly enough, it easy to drive past a tree full of sleeping lions unless you are trained through constant practice to spot them. There is only one entrance to the park, and so all trails start and end at the gate.