Located on the way to Ngorongoro
Crater and the Serengeti,
Lake Manyara National Park is worth a stop in its own right. Its ground water
forests, bush plains, baobab strewn cliffs, and algae-streaked hot springs
offer incredible ecological variety in a small area, rich in wildlife and
incredible numbers of birds.
The alkaline soda of Lake
Manyara is home to an incredible array of bird life that thrives on its
brackish waters. Pink Flamingo stoop and graze by the thousands colorful specks
against the grey minerals of the lake shore. Yellow-billed storks swoop and corkscrew
on thermal winds rising up from the escarpment, and herons flap their wings
against the sun-drenched sky. Even reluctant bird-watchers will find something
to watch and marvel at within the national park.
BIRDLIFE IN LAKE MANYARA
Lake 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. The birdlife here is exceptionally varied, in
the middle of the lake you’ll often see flocks of Pelicans and the pink-shading
of distant Flamingos, whilst the margins and floodplains feed innumerable
Herons, Egrets, Stilts, Stalks, Spoonbills and other waders. With so much water
around, the woodlands are equally productive, but it’s the evergreen forests
where you’ll spot some more entertaining species such as the noisy
silvery-cheeked Hornbills, Crowned Eagles and Crested Guinea Fowl.
WHY VISITING LAKE MANYARA
NATIONAL PARK
·
The unique and
conspicuous ground water forest
·
The rich flora
of the ground water forest
·
An amazing
profusion of birdlife, particularly on the lake shore
·
A good
cross-section of all the essential feature of nature in Tanzania
·
Fascinating
element of Landscape
·
Easy to reach
but a popular park
WHAT TO DO:
·
Game drives
·
Bird Watching
·
Canoeing when the water
levels is sufficiently high
·
Cultural tours
GETTING THERE:
·
Drive from Arusha enroute
to Ngorongoro and Serengeti National Park
·
Scheduled and Charter
flights
BEST TIME TO VISIT
·
Dry season
(July – October) for large mammals; Wet season (November – June) for bird
watching, the waterfalls and canoeing.
