Best Time to Visit Lake Manyara National Park
Best Time to Visit Lake Manyara National Park: Lake Manyara national park is the smallest national park that offers great wildlife viewing all year round. The national park is located at the base of the Great Rift Valley escapement on the road to Serengeti national park and the Ngorongoro conservation area in the northern part of Tanzania. Lake Manyara national park covers a total land area of 330 square kilometers which is composed of breathtaking attractions including, Lake Manyara which is a shallow alkaline lake which covers two thirds of the total surface area of the park and attracts big concentrations of wildlife, savannah grassland plains, acacia woodland, groundwater forests animals such as large herds of elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, warthogs, waterbucks, leopards, hyenas, hippos, different bird species like flamingos among others. Lake Manyara national park is famous for the tree-climbing lions which can be viewed lying up in the acacia tree branches and it’s believed that they climb tree to run away from biting insects from the ground.
Best time to visit Lake Manyara national park
Dry season (June to October)
The dry season is also known as the peak season and during this time there is a lot of sunshine and less rainfall therefore vegetation in the park will be thin hence giving you an opportunity to have clear views of wildlife. During the dry season afternoon temperatures in the park are about 26 degrees Celsius and in the evening they drop to about 14 degrees Celsius hence becoming cold therefore in order not to experiencing coldness visitors are advised to carry warm clothes to keep them warm during morning and evening hours. The dry season is the best time for wildlife viewing in Lake Manyara national park because different animals will gather around the water bodies to drink water hence making wildlife viewing easy and walking trails will be try and passable for visitors who want to explore the park on foot during the guided nature walk.
Wet season (November to May)
Wet season is the period when vegetation is green due to long rains which start from March to May and short rains which start from October to November which make most roads to the park be muddy and slippery. The wet season is also known as the low season and during this period there are less crowds in the park therefore you will have the whole park to yourself, having great wildlife views without interactions and the rates will be lower compared to the rates in the dry season. Afternoon temperatures in the wet season are approximately 29 degrees Celsius and drop to 17 degrees Celsius at night. The wet season is however the best time to visit for bird watching where you will be able to view migratory bird species from Europe and North Africa. During the wet season
Lake Manyara national park can be visited all year round because regardless of the season all park activities can still be carried out. Amazing activities that you can engage in during your safari in the park include
Game drives where you will explore the park in a 4WD pop up safari vehicle with a professional driver guide. The game drive is best done in the morning where you will be able to view animals when they are most active for example views of elephants, giraffes, wildebeest, zebras, warthogs, waterbucks among others grazing in open savannah grasslands with due, views of tree climbing lions lying up in acacia tree branches, leopards and hyenas hunting and different bird species.
Night game drive, Lake Manyara national park is one of the few destinations in Tanzania which offer night game drive safaris where you will get an opportunity to drive around the park at night with spotlight torches for clear viewing of nocturnal animals. You will therefore be able to spot animals like leopards, spotted hyenas, genets, civet cats, porcupines, hippos among others.
Canoeing, canoeing is an amazing activity that is done on Lake Manyara an alkaline salt lake where you will paddle along the lake shores with incredible views of hippos in water, elephants, giraffes, warthogs along the water banks and water birds such as flamingos, kingfishers, cormorants, pelicans, herons among others.
Bird watching, Lake Manyara national park is a home of more than 400 bird species ranging from water birds, migratory birds, endemic birds and near endemic birds which makes it one of the birders paradise in Tanzania. Bird lover will therefore be able to spot bird species like silvery cheeked hornbill, sacred ibis, little stint, grey crowned eagle, yellow billed stork, pink backed pelican, emerald cuckoo among others.
Nature walks, this is an interesting activity where visitors will get an opportunity to explore the park on foot with an experienced park guide and an armed park ranger to protect you from dangerous animals. During the guided nature walk you will be able to view animals like elephants, zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, warthogs among others at a close range, listen to birds singing in trees, view colorful butterflies, view different plant and tree species, relax and enjoy the cool breeze among others.
Lake Manyara national park can be visited anytime throughout the year, for more information or safari bookings you can contact Focus East Africa Tours.
