The name Manyara, drives from the plant Euphorbia tirucalli form which the Maasai
build a hedge to protect their livestock from
predators and poachers. In the maasai language
Maa, "emanyara" means to kraal.
Situated within a long and narrow passageway formed by the looming cliffs of
the Great Rift Valley and the shores of a dazzling
lake, Lake Manyara National Park is an incredible
place to visit. For its moderately manageable
range of 330 square kilometers, the Park offers
vast variety and abundant wildlife, making it
best for a day trip. One can see bushbuck, giraffe,
zebra, ostrich, elephant, wildebeest, aardvarks
and sometimes leopard. The park also attracts
over 380 species of birds such as flamingoes,
Egyptian geese, pelicans, cormorants, storks,
and spur-winged geese.
The tall trees
of the ground water forest are full of monkeys
while elephants can often be seen on the slope
of the escarpment amongst the baobab trees. In
the acacia woodland, lions can be seen sprawled
out in the heat of the day on the stout branches
of the umbrella trees, while enormous hippos
cool themselves in the pools along the lake shore.
There are a number of hotels and lodges built
on the rift walls at high altitude, which offer
a superb view of the lake.
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