TO DO IN LAKE MANYARA PARK

Attractions and activities in Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara National Park is among Tanzania’s best tourism destinations.  The park is endowed with amazing wildlife and beautiful landscapes. For Tanzania’s safaris, Lake Manyara National Park would be among the best destinations to visit. The top activities done in Lake Manyara National Park give travelers a chance to dive into the real African experience. Not only are these activities magical but also wonderful in one way or the other.

Tanzania is the second biggest nation in the East African Community having been overtaken by the recently added Democratic Republic of Congo. 40% of Tanzania’s total land area is covered by conservation areas. The conservation areas include parks such as Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha National Park. Mahale Mountains National Park, Gombe National Park, Mkomazi National Park, Katavi National Park. Saadani National Park, Kitulo national park, Udzungwa national park, Ibanda Game reserve, and The Mikumi national park. All these have played a pivotal role in the conservation of nature and sustaining the earth’s endangered species.

Location

Lake Manyara National Park is located in the Manyara and Arusha regions, tucked between the Great Rift Valley and Lake Manyara. The park derived its name from a Lake called Manyara, Tanzania’s seventh-largest lake by surface area. It covers an area of 470 square kilometers. The strategic location of Lake Manyara National Park makes it an easy-to-reach safari destination. Visitors to Lake Manyara National Park can easily be combined with Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the famous Serengeti National Park.

The national park in general covers an area of 330 square kilometers. It is dominated by extensive swamps, woodlands, and grasslands. It is home to over plant species that add up to its diverse flora.

The beautiful fauna and breathtaking landscapes have been a great attraction to many tourists who come to visit the park. Even though Lake Manyara National Park is relatively small in size compared to many Tanzania national parks, navigating it is somewhat challenging. This is why you need to plan ahead and know which activities you are supposed not to miss come what may.

Attractions in Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara

This is a shallow alkaline lake holding the seventh position as the largest lake by surface area in Tanzania. Due to its alkalinity, the lake attracts pink flamingos that pay regular visits to the shallow waters. A visit to the lake gives high chances to spot other wildlife species including hippos, elephants, giraffes, and other ungulates. During the dry seasons, the water levels are lower compared to those in the wet seasons. The lake covers the bigger part of the park and plays a pivotal role in supporting the ecosystem therein. The reflection of the sun rays in the waters at twilight gives beautiful pictorial scenery and a nice background for videography. Multiple animal species converge at Lake Manyara to get water for drinking. This makes it a reliable destination for amazing wildlife game drive safari adventures.

Wildlife

Lake Manyara National Park is famous for its vast wildlife species. The park is home to a number of wildlife species that can be explored while on a game drive. The famously sighted wild game species include herds of elephants, tree-climbing lions, giraffes, wildebeests, zebras, buffaloes, impalas, and warthogs plus the famous klipspringer and kirks at the slopes of escarpments.  During the dry months of June to October and December to February, the grass in Lake Manyara National Park becomes shorter. And large numbers of animals gather on the lake to get water for drinking. This makes it easier for tourists to see clear views and get good angles for animal photography and videography while in Lake Manyara National Park. Lake Manyara National Park has a diverse landscape setting which makes it the best habitat for multiple animal, plant, and bird species.

Tree-climbing lions

The sight of the famous tree-climbing lions of Lake Manyara National Park is a major highlight of visiting the park. The tree-climbing lions are a rare cat species that can be found in a few places across the African continent. Tree-climbing lions can be found in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park of Uganda, Serengeti National Park and Tarangire National Park of Tanzania, The Okavango Delta in Botswana, and South Africa’s great Kruger National Park. It is amazing how the tree-climbing lions find comfort in hanging and resting on tree branches as plot attacks. It is also believed they keep away from ground heat and tsetse flies.

Unlike tree-climbing lions of Queen Elizabeth National Park that dwell in the short fig trees, lions of Lake Manyara National Park are fond of climbing even taller trees. This is a justification of how nature operates on its own rules. In other words, adaptability is not just a survival requirement but a life principle in the life of wild animals.

Embarking on a Tanzania safari with Lake Manyara on the list will give you a chance to explore the life of these queens and kings of the jungle up on the tree branches. Lion tracking is an activity done by a few people per pride. This is because lions are dangerous animals and many people can cause danger. The other reason for few people is that trackers can get clear views of the lions which might not be the case with large numbers. No tourist would wish to miss capturing the best lion picture while tracking.

Bird species

The park is home to a number of fascinating bird species worth exploring on a Tanzania birding safari. Depending on the season and location, different type of birds are spotted in Lake Manyara national park. Birding safaris in Lake Manyara National Park entail seeing the Rift Valley endemic species as well as some of the world’s most elusive species.

The park has also grassy hills and beautiful lake shores with forest galleries, rich acacia trees, valleys, and swamps, a combination of which supports a great attraction of different animal and bird species.

During the wet season, huge flocks of flamingos are spotted along the shores of Lake Manyara. In the like manner, the following are seen too; great pelicans, yellow-billed storks, grey herons, marabou storks, pink-backed pelicans, and Ayres hawk eagle. Just like the lake, the existing ever-green forests are home to a number of bird species that can be sighted. These include; the crested guinea fowl crowned eagles, silvery-cheeked hornbills, and many more.

Hot springs

Two hot springs are residents of Lake Manyara National Park. The “Maji-motto” hot spring is a major one, located on the western shores of Lake Manyara.

Game drives both day and night.

The fascinating wildlife and beautiful landscape of Lake Manyara Park are best explored by game drives. The park offers night and day game drives, which are all great opportunities to view the wonders that Lake Manyara has to offer. Wildlife to be seen include; hippos, zebras, elephants, impalas, waterbucks, bushbucks, spotted hyenas, tree-climbing lions, leopards, African golden cats, cheetahs, and many others. The reason why any night game drive becomes unique on an African safari is the fact that it introduces travelers to the nightlife in the jungle. Wild animals are governed by their instincts as well as their basic needs of life, especially water, and food.

The magical moments in an African national park such as Lake Manyara National Park happen during the night. This is when the predators come out of hiding and embark on hunting. There are chances of witnessing a leopard hunt down a gazelle and take it up the tree branches. Leopards are some of the loner animal species whose solitary nature does not allow them to stand tight competition. This is why they employ much effort in hiding their kill. During calving seasons, you may land on a zebra or elephant calving. All those moments are spectacular and you deserve not to miss one during your African safari.

On the other hand, morning and afternoon game drives in Lake Manyara National Park give a mesmerizing adventure as well. This is when herbivores are out of their comfort zones and get busy grazing and running from side to side. If there is something one should not miss during their Tanzania safari is a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park as it is an opportunity to turn moments into memories.

Bird watching

The park as mentioned earlier is a birders’ haven hosting over 390 unique bird species. This birding paradise is a must-visit for bird lovers. The major birding highlight is the flamingos that occasionally feed near the lake edges.

Other bird species in the area include; silvery-checked hornbill, African spoon-bill, Narina trogon, southern-ground hornbill, Black heron, Baglafecht weaver; crowned lapwing, Fischer’s sparrow lark, little bee-eater, chestnut banded plover, blue naped Mousebird, white browned coucal any more.

Different seasons attract different birds. During the dry season, there are folks like pelican birds and flamingos. However, it is important to note the presence of these birds at Lake Manyara is limited during the dry season. The migratory nature of these birds requires tourists to get the most appropriate information about whether it is the right season or not. Otherwise, they might miss some species in the event of wrong timing.

Are you a bird lover or just passionate about trying it in the African wilderness? It is high time you added Lake Manyara National Park your to do list. One of the easy activities that can be combined during a safari to Lake Manyara is safari game drives and birding. Travelers who embark on early morning game drives get an opportunity to spot multiple bird species all over the region. There is no sweet melody better than that of an early bird heard during an African safari. Come experience the best birding tours in Africa – Tanzania to be exact.

Treetop canopy walk

The long-suspended walkway through the forest of L. Manyara is an ideal activity for nature walk lovers. The tree-top canopy walk stands 18 kilometers above the ground and stretches up to 370 kilometers.  This is the first canopy tail in Tanzania. The tree-top walk is a great chance to view the fauna and flora of the park. A number of bird species can be spotted while on this walk. If you are a canopy walk lover, I recommend that you spare some time and visit Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park. It has one of the best treetop bridges in Africa and the world at large. It comes with views of chimpanzees, Colobus monkeys, and other primate species.

Love Uganda Safaris and Tours specializes in making the best-combined safari packages that give travelers an opportunity to explore more than one country in a single safari. Get in touch now for combined safari packages that involve Lake Manyara National Park.

Canoeing

One of the best canoeing destinations in Africa is Lake Manyara National Park. The locally made canoes sail the waters like the marine does in an ocean. Embarking on a canoeing activity in Lake Manyara National Park gives you an opportunity to explore the wonders of the lake and the park as well. You get to see elephants grazing from the lake shores while the numerous flamingo birds paint the lake pink. While canoeing, you will get an opportunity to dive into African cultures.

Hiking and walking

The slopes of the national park are worth every hike. This activity takes you to the Rift Valley escarpment slopes.  The hikes offer great views of the beautiful landscapes of Lake Manyara National Park. These include plant and tree species that have aged gracefully in the forests of Lake Manyara National Park.

What is the best time to visit Lake Manyara National Park?

Lake Manyara can be visited all year round, but the best time is during the dry months of June to October and December to February. This is the time when the grass is shorter and hence spotting birds and animals becomes an easy venture. During the dry seasons, animals tend not to go far away from the water sources and thus their movements can be easily predicted.

In a nutshell, therefore, there is beauty in having knowledge about a given safari activity or destination when you have some knowledge about it. This is why I have taken the time to introduce you to this amazing Lake Manyara National Park. I believe that at this point you are ready to make your booking and explore the park. We wish you a safe journey to Tanzania.