Best time to visit Lake Manyara national park
The best time to visit Lake Manyara national park is during the dry season from June to October. The national park can also be visited during any month of the year for wildlife viewing experiences at the destination.
Lake Manyara national park is found in the northern part of Tanzania and is home to numerous wildlife species such as the tree climbing lions. Other wildlife species which can be seen during Lake Manyara safaris include zebras, giraffes, buffalos, antelopes, waterbucks, impalas, gazelles, leopards, hippos among others.
When planning for a safari, tourists ask themselves the best time to visit Lake Manyara national park so as to engage in the various safari activities and also enjoy exploring the diverse habitat at the destination.
In the dry season from June to October the road conditions are favorable for Lake Manyara safaris and this is why these months are recommended for visiting the national park. For certain activities carried out in Lake Manyara national park such as canoeing and bird watching there are also specific months when these activities can be done at their best.
Park entry fees are among the requirements for Lake Manyara safaris and for non-East African residents, they are charged park entry fee of 59 USD during the peak season and 53 USD during the low season.
Children aged between 5 and 15 years are charged park entry fee of 17.7 USD during Lake Manyara safaris during both the peak season and the low season. Children below the age of 5 years are not charged park entry fee when visiting Lake Manyara national park.
East African citizens are charged park entry fee of 10,000 TSH exclusive of 18% tax during the low season and in the peak season for adults. Children aged between 5 and 15 years are charged park entry fees of 2,000 TSH without tax to visit Lake Manyara national park.
A number of activities are carried out during Lake Manyara safaris and they include the following;
Night game drives
Night game drives in Lake Manyara national park are among the safari activities carried out in Lake Manyara national park.
Predators such as lions, leopards and also civets and genets among others are among the wildlife species which are encountered during night game drives in Lake Manyara national park. Hippos can also be seen during a safari around Lake Manyara shores.
The activity is done in the company of a ranger guide as the tourists enjoy exploring Lake Manyara national park in the night.
Day game drives
Apart from night game drives during Lake Manyara safaris, tourists can also engage in game drives during the day such as morning game drives and afternoon game drives.
Some of the wildlife species which can be seen during day game drives around Lake Manyara national park include elephants, lions, buffalos, leopards, antelopes, gazelles, waterbucks, monkeys, baboons, impalas, zebras, giraffes and also many other bird species.
Guided nature walks
Guided nature walks are also carried out during safaris around Lake Manyara national park and involve exploring the destination on foot.
Canopy walks
Lake Manyara safaris involve engaging in canopy walks along the treetop walkway. The treetop walkway is about 18 meters above the ground and passes through the forest.
The canopy walk takes place close to the entrance of Lake Manyara national park where baboons can be seen along the way as well as different bird species in the forest. The suspended bridge has nets along the side and there are platforms where tourists can enjoy viewing the canopy at the end of the bridge.
This canopy walk is among the longest ones in Africa and the activity takes about 45 minutes and can be done in the morning or any time of day.
Canoeing
On Lake Manyara which is a lake found in the national park, tourists also engage in canoeing during their safaris in Lake Manyara national park.
Canoeing is carried out at certain times of the year when the water levels are high enough and during the activity wildlife species such as hippos can be seen along the lake shores as well as different bird species.
The activity is carried out in traditional boats on Lake Manyara which covers a big part of the national park.
Bird watching
Lake Manyara national park is also home to over 450 bird species that can be seen while exploring the diverse scenery at the destination.
This activity is best done during the wet season from November to March when migrant birds are present in Lake Manyara national park. Flocks of flamingos are among the bird species which can be seen on the shores of Lake Manyara.
Other bird species that are spotted during Lake Manyara safaris include black herons, bee eaters, barbets, kingfishers, hornbills, grey crowned cranes, eagles among others.
Community tours
Lake Manyara safaris also involve engaging in community tours to the neighboring villages around the national park where the tourists get to interact with the locals and get to know more about their culture and way of life, food preparation, and traditional dances among other activities.
The Maasai people are among the locals who can be encountered during safaris around the northern part of Tanzania in towns such as Mto wa mbu which is located on the way to Lake Manyara national park. There are also craft shops which display local art and crafts made by the locals such as beaded jewelry, shukas among others.
Tanzania has many other tribes with unique cultures that can be encountered during safaris apart from the Maasai.
How to get to Lake Manyara national park
Lake Manyara national park can be accessed by both flights and driving to the national park. Lake Manyara airstrip is used for flights during safaris and these flights can be got from Arusha which is a starting point for safaris that take place in the northern part of Tanzania.
Book a wildlife viewing safari with Focus East Africa tours and enjoy looking out for different wildlife species as you visit Lake Manyara national park.
