DAY TRIP TO LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK

 Driving Time: 2 hours 30 Minutes

Enjoy an early breakfast at your hotel, and then your guide will pick you up for an exciting day trip. During the drive to Lake Manyara, watch for Maasai herding cattle and goats, villages and markets you pass by, and daily life in rural Tanzania. Depending on the time of year, you may see peanut butter flowers, papyrus, lily pads, and other vegetation. You are also likely to see a variety of birdlife as you travel towards Lake Manyara.

Just before the entrance to Lake Manyara, you pass by Mto wa Mbu, a vibrant village with a population of up to 120 different tribes. If you had more time, you might stop for a tour with the fascinating cultural guides, but on this day trip, simply soak up the sights and sounds as you drive through.

Arriving at Lake Manyara, enjoy a game drive and see what you can spot. You’ll enter through the forest (baboons, for sure) and drive through until you hit grassland and then get to the edge of the Lake. Watch for the rare tree climbing lions of Lake Manyara as you go, amongst other game. When you get to the grasslands, watch for impala, Cape buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and bushbuck. And possibly Hyrex or Dik-dik in the smaller mammals.

Enjoy your packed lunch at Lake Manyara itself at the picnic site. Then enjoy the Lake Manyara Boardwalk at the Majimoto Kubwa hot springs, and see what birds you can spot (storks, egret, pelican, flamingos, kingfishers, herons, bee eaters, spoonbills, ibises, hornbills and many more are all possibilities), as well as watching for hippopotamus in the water. Have your second game drive of the day, and stop at the Hippo Pool viewpoint, where you can again stretch your legs and walk out on the raised boardwalk. Learn from your experienced guide about the wildlife and birds you see. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll get to see black herons fishing, which is an amazing sight as they furl their wings and cover the waters to better spot fish below, then dart down and back; unfurl their wings and take a step, and then back out and over and down – they look like they’re doing some type of strange (and very hypnotic) dance.

After a very full day, return to your accommodation and take time to write down all your memories so you never forget! We look forward to seeing you on your next trip.