Lake Manyara
“This is the most beautiful park I have seen in Africa” Ernest HEMINGWAY
Escape
Lake Manyara Park is located in the Rift Valley at the bottom of the escarpment (600m above sea level), and is 50km long.
As soon as you enter Lake Manyara Park, the trail passes through rainforest, where the river flows and springs are fed by groundwater from the Rift. A hundred or so baboons bask nonchalantly at the edge of the trail, while blue monkeys and vervet monkeys, whose males can be recognized by the blue color of their testicles, occupy the old mahogany trees and other rare species of wood, while in the shadows, harnessed guibs and silver-cheeked hornbills can be seen in the canopy.
The contrast between the intimacy of the forest and the rich plains, with the salt lake and the Rift as a backdrop, makes for a striking panorama. The fertile, swampy plains are home to buffalo, wildebeest, warthog, giraffe and gazelle. Fawns are present but discreet, as are elephants.
Lake Manyara Park is the perfect introduction to bird diversity, with over 400 species listed. Migratory periods complete the picture, with pink flamingos, pelicans, cranes, cormorants and storks…
If you have time, discover the sulphurous hot springs of the Rift Valley.