Lake Manyara National Park takes its name from a plant called Euphorbia tirucalli, known as emanyara in the Maasai language — the Maasai use this plant to fence their bomas (homesteads). The park was gazetted as a national park in 1960 and declared a Man and Biosphere Reserve in 1981. It covers an area of 330 square kilometres (205 square miles), of which 220 square kilometres (125 square miles) is covered by the lake and 110 square kilometres is dry land.
As you enter the gate, the park is dramatically marked off by lush green vegetation — tall trees of the groundwater forest, which provide a home to troops of baboons and blue monkeys.
Inland from the floodplains, a narrow belt of acacia woodland is the favoured haunt of Manyara’s legendary tree-climbing lions and impressively tusked elephants. Squadrons of mongoose dart between the acacias, while the diminutive Kirk’s dik-dik forages in their shade. Pairs of klipspringer are often seen silhouetted on the rocks above a field of searing hot springs that steams and bubbles beside the lakeshore in the far south of the park.
Manyara provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded, and even a first-time visitor to Africa might reasonably expect to observe 100 of them in a single day. Highlights include thousands of pink-hued flamingos on their perpetual migration, as well as other large water birds such as pelicans, cormorants and storks.
Attractions
Lake Manyara (the soda lake), game drives, and canoeing when the water level is sufficiently high. Cultural tours, mountain bike tours, abseiling, and forest walks on the escarpment outside the park.
Best Time to Visit
The dry season (July to October) for large mammals, and the wet season (November to June) for bird watching, the waterfalls and canoeing.
Getting there takes about 2 hours by our Land Cruiser — 126km (80 miles) from our office to the park, en route to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
Accommodation
One luxury tree-house-style camp, public bandas and campsites inside the park. One luxury tented camp and two lodges perched on the Rift Valley wall overlooking the lake, plus guest houses and a public campsite near Mto wa Mbu. WE MAKE ALL OF THESE RESERVATIONS!!
Often, OBADIA TOURS & EXPLORER SAFARIS combines camping gear for a camping safari!!