LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK

This national park is found in northern side of Tanzania 70 kilometers away from Tarangire national park. This national park has an area of 130square miles(325km²)

It’s called lake Manyara national park because of the lake Manyara that’s is found within the park. This is a shallow alkaline lake that was formed by the depression of the rift valley on a height of 3150 feet above the sea level, this lake is not deep at all because even the in the rainy season, the lake still seats by 3.5meters deep animals can still move around the water. This national park has a forest of the fig and mahogany trees are at the entrance of the park.

Its administered by the Tanzania National Authority and it recorded over 350 bird species around the national park and many have been observed around the park

Genesis of the park

Before becoming a protected national park, Lake Manyara national park was used a sport hunting by 1960 and in later1957 a game reserve was created and by 1974 it gained the national park status with 550 ha (1400 acres) were added to the southern end. The majority of the land area of the park is narrow strip running between the Gregory Rift wall to the west and lake Manyara to the east. The national park only includes the northwest quadrant of the lake, about 200km² and the part of the larger Lake Manyara Biosphere Reserve. It was then established by UNESCO as one of their biosphere programme

 WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT AT MANYARA NATIONAL PARK

Wildlife.

This national park has a variety of wildlife species and some of the mammals in the park are concentrating primarily in Tarangire national park and then proceed to Lake Manyara national park including, Wildebeest, zebras, Thomson’s gazelles,

The dry season during the month of June and October are favorable for wildlife viewing in Lake Manyara National Park and this happen because all wild animals gather near the water points that still have water to quench thirsty making it easier to see a variety of wild animals

Bird species

The national park is home for a large number of bird species and here exist both migratory and native birds. The most common native birds are the flamingo birds, ostriches, storks. Hornbills, pelicans, herons, grey crowned cranes, secretary birds among others

The park also has different bird watching sites of which include, Lake Manyara and the forests, there also bird species around the floodplains.

Hot springs in Manyara national park.

At the western shores of lake Manyara, there exist a hot spring called, Majimoto. The name is a local name from the Kiswahili language that is translated as hot water

Lake Manyara

This lake is the major lake at Manyara national park because even the name of this national park was derived from this spot. Intact if someone doesn’t come to this lake may be he/she hasn’t seen anything of which it inhabits variety of water birds that tend to embed on the banks and some with long legs move inside the blue waters yet others tend to be floating on the lake. The Manyara water levels tend to fluctuate depending on the season and even some conditions like evaporation, and long dry season. The saline nature of the lake also increases the chances of decreasing and increasing of the water level

ACTIVITIES AT LAKE MAYARA NATIONL PARK

Game drives.

This is one of the major activity taking place at Manyara National Park. The game drives where categorized into two drives that’s to say morning drive and the evening drive.

The most recommended game drive is the morning drive because all the animals tend to be at their most active session looking for food in early morning.  Some of the wild animals expected to be seen include, tree climbing lions, elephants, gazelles, antelopes, Klipspringers, buffalos, giraffes, warthogs and many others.

The evening or the afternoon drive is carried out after lunch and the tourists can drive along the plains and the common animals to be seen at that time include, tree climbing lions, elephants, buffalos, gazelles, impalas, zebras, among others, some animals tend to take a shelter and may not be seen that’s why a morning drive is recommended.

In this national park, the night is also carried out in case a visitor wants it. This not common to all national parks around the whole of Tanzania looking for those nocturnal. this activity is carried out in the guidance of the armed guides in fear of the predators which may tend to hide during the hunt for their prey.

Birding

Birders can use the Manyara National Park opportunity for bird viewing on their Tanzania Safari. The bird watching points in Manyara national Park include Manyara lake which inhabit the flamingo bids, parrots, ducks, and most of the birds in this national park include, grey Crowne cranes, pelicans, babblers, ostriches, rufous tailed weaver, ashy starlings, black collared lovebirds, hornbills, turacos and many others of such kind.

Community visits

There is a town near this national park called Mto wa mbu. During this activity, visitors have a ward sharing with the nearby community mostly the cultural Masai people in the place and see their culture, eating, preparing of their local meals, tell them stories of their origin and all they want to know about their culture. The common place these people visit is the cultural place of the Maasai that is known as Manyattas. They also engage in the cultural dancing as the native people sing and dance for these visitors. Maasai people have a unique culture that can’t be seen anywhere in Tanzania including dressing code, putting on the beaded necklaces bangles, and other jewelry, these people also put on the clothes that they most of the time call Shukas as their dressing code and sandals this can’t leave you the same.

This national park has other activities like the canoeing as they engage in canoe drives around the parks Manyara lake while watching the games at the lake shore of Manyara.

Accommodation at Manyara national park

Manyara national park has both accommodation facilities outside and within the park and the accommodation facilities are categorized into three, that’s luxury, midrange, and budget accommodation. some of the luxury accommodation include, lake Manyara Serena Lodge, Lake Manyara Sopa, Lake Manyara Kilimanjaro Lodge, and Manyara Tree Lodge, Manyara Wildlife Safari, Camp and many

Mid-Range accommodation facilities

Accommodation here include, Lake Manyara Tortillas camp, Twiga lodge, Kirurmu tented lodge, migunga tented lodge and may others.

The budget accommodation.

Some of the accommodation facilities here include, Eco boma Camp, Jambo Rooms, Nysa lodge