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Nestling
at the base of the Great Rift Valley
escarpment, Lake Manyara National Park
is one of the most beautiful places in
Africa. As you enter the gate, the park
is dramatically marked off by lush
 green
vegetation consisting of tall trees of
the ground water forest, which provide
home to troops of baboons and blue
monkeys. Further down, the forest opens
into woodlands, grassland, swamps and
beyond, the soda lake itself where over
350 species of birds including the
lively flamingo (lesser and greater),
pelican, sacred ibis, grebe and stork
can be viewed. It is a bird watcher
paradise. At the southern end of the
park are hot sulphur springs (60°C)
called Maji-Moto. The most famous
spectacle in the park are the
tree-climbing lions, which spend most of
the day spread out along braches of
Acacia trees 6 to 7 meters above the
ground. The park is also noted for its
numerous buffalo, elephant, giraffe,
impala, hippo and a great variety of
smaller animals which can be observed in
the course of a single day. The park is
only 130 km away from Arusha.
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Size
330 sq km of which up to 200 sq km of
lake when water levels are high
Location
In northern Tanzania. the entrance gate
lies 1.5 hours (126 km), west of Arusha
along a newly surfaced road, close to
the ethnically diverse market town of
Mto wa Mbu
Getting there
By road, or scheduled flights from Arusha,
en route to Serengeti and Ngorongor
Crater |
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What to do in the Park
Game drives, canoeing when the water
levels is sufficiently high. Cultural
tours, mountain bike tours, abseiling
and forest walks on the escarpment
outside the park.
Best Time to visit the park
Dry season from July to October) for
large mammals, wet season from November
to June for Bird watching, the water
falls and canoeing.
Accommodation at the park is reliable as
there is one luxury tree house style
camp, public bandas and campsites inside
the park. one luxury tented camp and two
lodges perched on the rift wall
overlooking the lake, several guest
houses and campsites in nearby Mto wa
Mbu Town
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