Lake Manyara National Park
The Lake Manyara national park is one of the most striking national parks in Tanzania boasting with tree climbing lions not recorded anywhere in East Africa apart from the ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. The Lake Manyara national park offers breathtaking scenic views of the steep rift valley escarpment and the mighty splendid soda ash lake which has been called the most beautiful lake in Africa by many who make it to this park. It is one of the top Tanzania safari destinations.
Lake Manyara national park derived its name from a plant known as “Emanyara” a local word of the Masai-speaking people, the plant in English is Euphorbia tirucalli, theMasai mainly use this plant to protect their boundaries. The park was established in 1960.
The Lake Manyara national park covers an area of 386 square kilometres while the lake covers 262 kilometres squared, it was declared a man and biosphere reserve in 1981. The park is about 100 kilometers from Arusha town in northern Tanzania.
The Lake Manyara national park contains two viewing points, here you can view the entire ravishing park at these points visitors can get out of their vehicles and stand on the raised platforms and experience the wilderness. At the Hippo pool viewpoint, you can view the rift valley wall, animals like buffalos and zebras, waterfalls and vast land.
The other viewpoint is the Lake Manyara viewpoint where you can see spectacular landscapes, the indigenous lake filled with flamingos, the rift valley escarpment and the ground forest.
