Lake Manyara national park covers 330 sq km of the northern rift valley southwest of Arusha. At the center of the park there is an alkaline Lake known as Lake Manyara.
The climate at Lake Manayara brings out a lot of animals for instance the tree climbing lions, the elephants. The groundwater forest is superb for observing primate interaction: hundred-strong baboon troops lounge nonchalantly along the roadside, while shyer blue monkey s hides in the foliage. The grassy floodplain hosts large herds of buffalo, wildebeest, zebra and giraffe, the latter often so dark as to appear to black from a distance.
The celebrated hippo pool is not only inhabited by hippos, but also attracts water birds such as herons, storks, kingfishers and the iconic fish eagle. Antelope abound, but do look out for klipspringer pairs silhouetted on the cliffs, and the tiny Kirk’s dik-dik with its trademark twitchy nose. It’s a perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife, with 400-plus species recorded, including 50 birds of prey, raucous forest hornbills, pink-hued flamingos and flotillas of pelicans.
The ways to get there is by road, charter or scheduled flight from Arusha, en route to Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crate. There are various fun activities that can be carried out for full enjoyment of the tourists this includes day and night game drives, canoeing when the water levels is sufficiently high.
Cultural tours, picnicking, bush lunch/dinner, mountain bike tours, abseiling and forest walks on the escarpment outside the park.
The accommodation is recommendable since there are varieties to choose for instance there are one luxury tree house-style camp, public bandas and campsites inside the park. One luxury tented camp and three lodges perched on the Rift Wall outside the park overlooking the lake. There are several guesthouses and campsites in nearby Mto WA Mbu.
