An isolated lake subject to intense evaporation during the dry season, Lake Manyara is a slightly salty lake that is home to hippopotamus, flamingoes, and a large variety of aquatic life. Despite its salt content, it is safe for animals to drink and is a popular watering hole for the park’s animal population.
During the wet season, Lake Manyara swells to a sizable body of water perfect for guided canoe safaris. During the dry season, it can shrink to such a small size that it is almost possible to walk across it.
When water is present, it is possible to see klipspringer, rock hyrax, and porcupines by the lake’s edge, and a wide variety of birds including Ruppel’s Griffon, Verreaux’s Eagle, the Augur Buzzard, the Peregrine Falcon, and an abundance of flamingoes call the lake home during the year.
Kilimanjaro International Airport (Google Map)
In the early morning, you will be picked from your hotel in Arusha and drive you to Lake Manyara National Park. The park embraces the northwest bank and part of the alkaline Lake Manyara which itself rests in the Great Rift Valley. The park is best known for its flamingos, pelicans and cormorants but it is also the home for a hundred-other migratory and none-migratory bird species; it is therefore a paradise for ornithologists. Next to a great variety of birds, the “Big Game” can also be seen. With a bit of luck, you might see elephants in the wooded regions and with even more fortune the tree-climbing lions. Undeniably, it was thought for a long time that the Lake Manyara National Park is the only place where lions can be found with this peculiar behaviour of climbing trees.
Baboons and vervet monkeys are also found amongst the forested areas and in the more open spaces, giraffes snack at the fresh leaves while the various types of antelopes common to the region browse for tasty shoots. After a picnic lunch, there will be more time for further game and wildlife watching before it is time to return to Arusha.
