Cradled in glory of its surroundings below the sheer majesty of the Rift valley wall, Lake Manyara lies serene, spreading in a heat haze backed by thin green band of forest and the sheer 600 mts red and brown cliffs of escarpment.
A wedge of surprisingly varied vegetation sustains a wealth of wildlife nourished by chartering streams bubbling out of the escarpment base and waterfalls spilling over the cliff. Acacia Woodland shelters the park’s famous but elusive tree-climbing lions along with squadrons of mongoose feasting on the trail of buffalo and elephant – the most pachyderms per sq. km in Tanzania .
Deep in the south of the park, hot springs bubble to the surface in the shadow of the escarpment. Hippos wallow near the lake’s borders of sedge. The park hosts 400 varieties of birds, including thousands of red billed quelea floating above the water like swarms of giant insects.
Lake Manyara National Park has a stature that far exceeds its modest 125 square mile (325sq. km) area, having been a Mecca for seekers of Wildlife, and for hunters, since safari travel began. Along its western border lies the cliffs of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, and its eastern border runs along he shores of Lake Manyara .
Within this long and narrow corridor are dense concentrations of wildlife, inhabiting a lovely and diverse landscape, which ranges from forest of tamarind, mahogany, and fig in the north to the wide open grasslands of the park center. Elephants, giraffes, lions, buffalos, and zebras are all to be found here, in addition to many other game and bird species.
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