Stretching for 50km along the
base of the rusty-gold 600-metre
high Rift Valley escarpment,
Lake Manyara is a scenic gem,
with a setting extolled by
Ernest Hemingway as “the
loveliest I had seen in Africa”.
The
compact game-viewing circuit
through Manyara offers a virtual
microcosm of the Tanzanian
safari experience.
12:51 PM 1/20/2007From the
entrance gate, the road winds
through an expanse of lush
jungle-like groundwater forest
where hundred-strong baboon
troops lounge nonchalantly along
the roadside, blue monkeys
scamper nimbly between the
ancient mahogany trees, dainty
bushbuck tread warily through
the shadows, and outsized forest
hornbills honk cacophonously in
the high canopy.
Contrasting with the intimacy of
the forest is the grassy
floodplain and its expansive
views eastward, across the
alkaline lake, to the jagged
blue volcanic peaks that rise
from the endless Maasai Steppes.
Large buffalo, wildebeest and
zebra herds congregate on these
grassy plains, as do giraffes –
some so dark in coloration that
they appear to be black from a
distance.
Inland of the floodplain, a
narrow belt of acacia woodland
is the favoured haunt of
Manyara’s legendary
tree-climbing lions and
impressively tusked elephants.
Squadrons of banded 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 adjacent
to 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 these in one day.
Highlights include thousands of
pink-hued flamingos on their
perpetual migration, as well as
other large waterbirds such as
pelicans, cormorants and storks.
About Lake Manyara National Park
Size: 330 sq km (127 sq miles),
of which up to 200 sq km (77 sq
miles) is lake when water levels
are high.
Location: In northern Tanzania.
The entrance gate lies 1.5 hours
(126km/80 miles) west of Arusha
along a newly surfaced road,
close to the ethnically diverse
market town of Mto wa Mbu.
How
To Get there
By
road, charter or scheduled
flight from Arusha, en route to
Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
Activities
Game drives, canoeing when the
water levels is sufficiently
high.
Cultural tours, mountain bike
tours, abseiling and forest
walks on the escarpment outside
the park.
When
to go
Dry
season (July-October) for large
mammals;
wet
season (November-June) for bird
watching, the waterfalls and
canoeing.
Accommodation
One
luxury treehouse-style camp,
public bandas and campsites
inside the park.
One
luxury tented camp and two
lodges perched on the Rift Wall
overlooking the lake.
Several guesthouses and
campsites in nearby Mto wa Mbu.