Manyara
Travel Advice for Seniors: Manyara
The second day of our three-week trip through Tanzania and Kenya to follow the wildebeest migration was a drive headed west to Ngorongoro Crater. The wildebeest migration primarily occurs in the Serengeti and the Masa Mara, but there are plenty of parks to see on the way over to the main event.
It was a three-four hour drive over to Ngorongoro crater, so we made a day of it by detouring though Lake Manyara National Park. This park is known for its unusual tree-climbing lions and the large elephant herds it was established to protect.
While we didn’t see any lions in trees, we did see several on the ground. And as advertised, there were a lot of elephants. This park has one of the highest concentrations of elephants anywhere in Africa and it is fascinating to stop for an afternoon to watch them go about their daily routines. We also saw several large herds of Cape Buffalo, zebra and wildebeest among others.
Apparently, tree-climbing is a learned behavior of the lions here. It allows them a good hunting vantage point while escaping the insects and the heat of the day. Perhaps next time…
Lake Manyara is an alkaline, shallow lake that promotes plenty of incredible bird life. The shores of the lake attract more than 400 species of birds, but the showstopper is the hordes of pink flamingos, which did not disappoint.
The terrain of the park itself is also noteworthy and scene-stealing. From the Rift Valley soda lake to dense woodlands and steep mountainsides it is definitely worth a stop.
Where we stayed: Daytrip on the way to Ngorongoro.
How we got there: 3-4 Hour drive from Arusha to Ngorongoro. This was part of a three-week private tour through Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa.
General Accessibility Information: Tanzania is generally not considered very handicapped accessible, with limited wheelchair accessibility in most places. Some tour operators offer accessible tours, and some high-end hotels are accessible.Call in advance to verify and make specialty arrangements.See our sections on specialty apps and accessible travel for more on accessibility assistance.
