Your Lake Manyara National Park day safari begins in the morning when a professional Martial Eagle Adventures safari driver guide collects you from your hotel, lodge or agreed meeting point in Arusha. After a short safari briefing, you will travel southwest towards Lake Manyara and Mto wa Mbu. An early departure provides more time inside the park and allows you to enjoy the cooler morning wildlife viewing hours.

Scenic Drive from Arusha to Lake Manyara

The journey covers approximately 120 kilometres and normally takes around 2 to 2.5 hours. You will travel through the Northern Tanzania countryside, passing farms, small settlements and open landscapes before approaching the Great Rift Valley. As you near Mto wa Mbu, the impressive escarpment begins to dominate the scenery.

Arrival and Park Entry

After arriving at Lake Manyara National Park, your guide will complete the required entrance procedures before beginning the game drive. One of the first habitats encountered is the beautiful groundwater forest, where tall trees and dense vegetation create a cooler environment inhabited by monkeys, baboons, birds and other wildlife.

Groundwater Forest Game Drive

Your morning safari begins beneath towering trees nourished by underground springs flowing from the Rift Valley highlands. Large troops of olive baboons are commonly seen near the road, while blue monkeys may move through the forest canopy. Elephants can also appear between the trees, sometimes providing impressive close range photography opportunities. The forest is particularly rewarding for travellers interested in primates, birds and vegetation.

Search for Tree Climbing Lions

Lake Manyara is widely associated with its unusual tree climbing lions. Your guide will carefully search suitable acacia woodland and open habitats where lions may be resting. Although lions are present within the ecosystem, seeing them in trees depends completely on natural behaviour and luck.

Even without a lion sighting, the woodland provides excellent opportunities for viewing giraffes, elephants, buffaloes and antelopes.

Lake Manyara Floodplains

The safari continues towards the more open floodplain and lakeshore areas. Here you may encounter zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, buffaloes and impalas feeding against the dramatic backdrop of the Rift Valley escarpment. The open terrain also provides excellent conditions for landscape and wildlife photography.

Lake Manyara and Flamingos

The alkaline Lake Manyara forms the central feature of the national park. Depending on water levels and season, flamingos may gather along sections of the shoreline. Pelicans, storks, herons and other water birds can also be observed around the lake and surrounding wetlands. Flamingo numbers naturally fluctuate throughout the year, so large gatherings cannot be guaranteed.

Hippo Pools and Wetlands

Your guide may visit areas where hippos can often be observed resting in shallow water.

Wetland environments surrounding these pools also attract numerous birds and other animals. Hippos normally remain partly submerged during the warmer hours, occasionally emerging or displaying their impressive size.

Picnic Lunch

Around midday, you will stop at a designated picnic area for lunch. You will enjoy a packed picnic meal surrounded by Lake Manyara’s natural scenery. Bottled drinking water will be provided, while vegetarian and other dietary requirements can normally be arranged when communicated in advance.

Afternoon Game Drive

After lunch, the safari continues through different habitats within the park. Your guide will adjust the route according to wildlife movement and current conditions. The afternoon may include exploration of acacia woodland, floodplains, lakeshore habitats and selected viewpoints.

Possible wildlife sightings include:

• African elephants
• Lions
• Cape buffaloes
• Giraffes
• Zebras
• Wildebeest
• Impalas
• Warthogs
• Hippos
• Olive baboons
• Blue monkeys
• Bushbucks

Wildlife sightings depend on natural animal movement and cannot be guaranteed.

Maji Moto Hot Springs

When road and time conditions allow, your safari may continue towards the Maji Moto hot springs area.

These natural thermal features are located within a striking lakeshore landscape and provide an interesting geological stop during the game drive.

Your guide will explain the natural processes associated with the hot springs and surrounding Rift Valley environment.

Return to Arusha

During the late afternoon, you will leave Lake Manyara National Park and begin your journey back to Arusha.

The drive normally takes around 2 to 2.5 hours, with arrival expected during the evening. Your Martial Eagle Adventures guide will drop you off at your hotel or agreed location, marking the end of your 1 Day Lake Manyara National Park Safari.

Additional Activities

Depending on availability, park regulations and prior arrangements, additional experiences may include:

• Canopy walkway experience
• Specialist birdwatching
• Extended photographic safari
• Scenic boardwalk visits
• Night game drive where officially permitted
• Mto wa Mbu cultural tour
• Local village walk
• Traditional Tanzanian food experience
• Banana plantation visit
• Local art and craft shopping
• Cycling around Mto wa Mbu
• Maasai cultural experience
• Photography beneath the Rift Valley escarpment

What to Bring

• Comfortable safari clothing
• Neutral coloured clothes
• Closed shoes
• Sun hat
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Light jacket
• Camera or smartphone
• Binoculars
• Small backpack
• Insect repellent
• Personal medication
• Passport or identification when required
• Cash for tips and personal purchases