Is Lake Manyara Worth Visiting? Lake Manyara National park is located in Northern region of Tanzania and it is situated in a distance of about 100 kilometers and 60 miles from the Southwest if Arusha. In addition, it was officially established as a national park in 1960 and it is considered to be among the smallest national parks in the country covering a total surface area of about 330 square kilometers. More so, Lake manyara national park is being managed by the Tanzania National park Authority, which has a major role of protecting all the national parks in the country and it, is considered the second oldest national park after Serengeti national park. More so, it will only take tourists about 2 to 3 hours’ drive to be able to access the park because it situated in a distance of about 126 kilometers away from Arusha town.
Lake Manyara National park is a good recommended destination to travel to and have the best adventure experience such as; Lake Manyara which is considered as the main water source within the park and being on this lake gives you chances to sight see animals like; birds, crocodiles, and it best spot for boat cruise activities. This game park has a high diversity if many wildlife species and it hosts many types of bird such as; migratory birds which only come in the park for breeding and permanent residents, terrestrial birds and aquatic birds that can be spotted at anytime throughout the year. More so, one of the great volcanic activity that is found in the park are the hot springs which have waters that boil at 60 degrees Celsius and they are found along the narrow strip beneath the rift valley escarpments within the western part of the park and many others.
Activities done in Lake Manyara National park.
Visiting in Lake Manyara National park is worth it because it gives you chances to sight see and explore through beautiful physical features in the country. More so, touring around blesses tourist’s individuals with opportunities to participate in so many interesting activities where they gain new experiences and some of these include the following below;
Game Drives.
Game drives is one of the top and commonly done activities done within the park however, it is done in different sessions such as; in the morning, afternoon and in the night game drives which always begin at 7pm and these drives are always arranged by the park ranger. The game drive safaris are best done in 4 by 4 wheel vehicles and they are most preferred because they are open land cruisers which helps tourists to capture closer views of the wildlife species such as; giraffes, zebras, buffalos, hyenas, tree-climbing lions, baboons, elephants, leopards and many others.
Bird watching.
Lake Manyara national park is a good spot for bird lovers to visit because it harbours around 400 bird species and while on the birding safaris they are always accompanied with a park guide due to the fact they have knowledge about all the birds found in the park. more so, tourists are encouraged to come along with their rainy jackets, birding equipment’s, detailed bird books and binoculars which help them to capture classic views of the birds even they are at a distance. In addition, some of these birds include; grey crowned hornbill, lovebirds, Rufous tailed weaver, flamingos, geese, ducks, swans, Narina trogon, crowned hornbill, schalow’s turaco, crested guinea fowl, Emerald cuckoo, two-banded course, Fischer’s sparrow lark and many others.
More so, there are so many other activities that tourists can embark to and have a great time. and some of these include; going for tree top walks which are commonly referred to as the Manyara tree top walk way, they can also opt to visit the hot springs and go for boat cruises which are best done during the dry season when the lake waters are always so calm, guided nature walks where they are always accompanied with park guides whose role is to lead them through different trails and ensure the safety, community visits where they get chances to interact with the local people and many others.
Contact our trusted tour operators for more information about whether visiting Lake Manyara National park is worth it and Book with our tours and travel companies such as; Focus East Africa tours who offer the best tour packages while on your safari in Tanzania.