One of Tanzania’s most dramatically located wildlife areas is Lake Manyara, a shallow soda lake at the foot of the Great Rift Valleys western escarpment. The lakes northwestern section may be one of Tanzania’s smallest national parks, but its varied shoreline habitats shelter a wide variety of animals, including elephants, great flocks of pink flamingo, large hippo pods, and much-hyped “tree-climbing lions”. The park has been a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve since 1981.

Although the park is usually tacked onto the end of a safari, after Ngorongoro or Serengeti, the grandiose nature of those places means that Manyara is best visited at the start of a trip, before you become too jaded with wildlife-unless birds are your thing, in which case Manyara can be a grand finale .A day is sufficient to see most of the parks sights.

The park is accessed through the bustling town of Mto wa Mbu, which has a wide range of accommodation and a good cultural tourism program me-perfect for getting up close to the towns many tribes, including the Maasai.For spectacular views, take the road up from Mto wa Mbu to the top of the escarpment en route to Ngorongoro and Serengeti ,which gives increasingly breathtaking views of Lake Manyara and the green expanse of vegetation around its shore with every hairpin bend.Theres a viewpoint on top, as well as a number of lodges and a recommended campsite.

Mto wa Mbu

The verdant, Oasis-like area around MTO WA MBU, WHOSE NAME MEANS “River of Mosquitoes”, was a thinly populated patch of scrub land until the 1950s, when the Colonial government began an ambitious irrigation project aimed at controlling Lake Manyaras cyclical floods, and to turn “unproductive” swampland into farmland. The project was a big success, attracting farmers from all around. In the 1960s , Mto wa Mbu was declared a collective Ujamaa village as part of Tanzania\’s ultimately disastrous experiment in “African socialism “, into which thousands of people were sometimes forcibly resettled from outlying rural areas. In Mto wa Mbu ,the main effect of the Ujamaa period is the towns extraordinary ethnic diversity: the population represents almost fifty tribes, including Hehe from Iringa,Gogo ,Gorowa,Mbugwe, Nyamwezi and Rangi from central Tanzania; Barbaig,Hadzabe and Maasai from close by; Ha from Kigoma on the shore of Lake Tanganyika ( who introduced oil palms) : and the II Larusa,Chagga,Iraqw and Meru from the north and northeast. Some of these tribes can be visited as part of cultural tourism programme.

Accommodation

Mto wa Mbu has a wide range of accommodation, from cheap (and not-so-cheap) campsites and guesthouses in town, to mid-range places in the woodland and expensive safari lodges atop the escarpment overlooking the town and the lake. None of the escarpment places has much in the way of wildlife except for birds but the views can be great. Nonetheless, at the price, there are much better pampered retreats elsewhere.

Budget & Mid-Range Safari Lodges & Tented Camps Accommodation

Jambo Lodge On the main road towards the eastern end of town by the petrol station. Now rivaling Twiga as the largest and busiest tourist place in town, Jambo is a welcoming campsite bordered by half a dozen two-storey “houses” split into smart ,en-suite rooms: those on the upper floors are brighter .Camping is available ,and there’s a pool too.

Kiboko Tented Lodge 2.5km east of town along the highway, then 2km south. Dominated by a huge makuti-thatched dining room and bar, this place boasts six big walk-in tents raised on platforms, each with two beds ,big box nets, bathroom, and amusing decor ( an animal painted on the door, and sculpture of said animals head on the veranda railing) .Now looking a little tired and losing ground to its neighbor Migunga but okay nevertheless.BB

New Sunlight Guest House On the main road in the centre of town .Best of the cheapies, without any frills whatsoever save for a good internet cafe.

Panorama Safari Camp On the escarpment, 500m north of the highway beside the mobile-phone mast. Kudos to this gorgeously sited campsite ; some of the pitches have great views and they provide tents with bedding for those without-free of charge .There’s electricity ,piped water and hot showers ,and guided walks an be arranged through Mto wa Mbus cultural tourism programme.

Twiga Campsite & Lodge 1.5km east of town .The best of the moderately priced places,Twiga has 18 good en-suite twins and triples with hot water in the mornings and evenings ( and more rooms are nearing completion) .There’s a bar, restaurant and satellite TV camping BB.

Expensive Lodges & Tented Camps Accommodation

E Unolo Retreat 10km north of Mto wa Mbu, accessed off the road to Lake Natron starting 4km east of town. On a ridge overlooking small Lake Miwaleni- and its resident hippos- the 25 bungalows (some with disabled access) are styled after Maasai homesteads .There’s a swimming pool and activities including cycling to Maasai villages. However, there have been some complaints about how much the staff demand tips .FB

Kirurumu Tented Lodges On the escarpment, 6km northeast of the highway. Twenty -two large, mostly twin-bed, en-suite tents on the ridge, some with lake views from their shady verandas. The excellent restaurant serves produce from their organic garden, and ethnology-botanical walks accompanied by Maasai warriors are offered .Good value compared to the other luxury options.FB.

Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge On the escarpment, 2km northeast of the highway past airstrip.Poshest hotel of the lot -the overly formal service makes it hard to remember you’re on safari. Only a few of the 67 two-storey rondavels have lake views but the pool has god views.FB

Lake Manyara Hotel On the escarpment, 3km southeast of the highway. A 1970s concrete hulk with magnificent views over the lake from most of the one hundred bedrooms, but it’s all rather bland for the price.Theres also a swimming pool.FB.-l

Migunga Forest Camp 2.5km east of town along the highway, then 2km south, 200m before Kiboko Bush camp. Sitting in a forest of yellow-bark acacia trees, this Dutch-run place has 19 en-suite tents and three bungalows, all with balconies facing a central lawn. There’s a pleasant open-sided bar and dining room, and activities (at an extra cost) include cycling safaris and nature walks. The campsite has fixed tents, or you can bring your own and camp.FB

Njake Lake Manyara View Lodge On the escarpment, just off the highway. A massive ,thatched dining -cum-reception area sits in overgrown grounds surrounded by 33 rooms, while tucked away in a corner are a couple of concrete baobabs containing comfy en-suite rooms. Overpriced, but how often do you get to spend the night in a concrete tree?

The Town

Given Mto wa Mbus ethnic diversity, its no surprise that the towns markets are among the liveliest and most colourful in the country. The central market on the south side of the highway is a mishmash of shops and stalls where you’ll find pretty much anything that’s produced locally, including many of the towns estimated eighty varieties of bananas. One corner of the market, the so-called “Maasai Central Market”, is a tourist trap flogging the usual trinkets such as Maasai bead work jewellery and tartan shuks cloth, but an enjoyable one at that. Much more authentic is the Thursday animal auction held at the roadside 5km east of Mto wa Mbu (1km beyond the junction for Engaruka) , and a monthly market ( mnada) on the same site on the 22nd of each month, which attracts buyers and herders from as far away as the Zanaki tribe of the Mara Region. Some of these herders continue to Arusha and a handful even makes it to Dares Salaam-an epic journey of over 900km.

Mto wa Mbus ethnic diversity is best experienced through the towns Cultural tourism Program me, based at Red Banana Cafe on the highway. The guides are former pupils of Manyara Secondary School and speak good English (some speak Spanish and French too) .To avoid hustlers and con-men, do not hire guides on the street or elsewhere and ensure you get a receipt. Incidentally, the cultural tours offered by some up market tour operators and lodges are not necessarily the same thing, and cant guarantee that locals will profit from your visit.

While the various guided tours , each lasting a reasonably long day ,are not as immediately exciting as those of similar projects elsewhere, they are good for getting to know a wide variety of tribes, as all include visits for farms, local artisans and small-scale development projects .There are four main tours. Starting at the market, the farming tour covers a number of shambas north of town, where you’ll meet farmers and see banana beer being brewed by some of the local Chagga people who have settled here, and taste the result. A visit to the papyrus-fringed Lake Miwaleni, 5km north of town at the of escarpment, together with a waterfall, is accessed by trails along small streams .There are tips to Lake Manyara by bike ( without entering the National Park), to view the game as well as some enormous baobabs, and a visit to local school is a popular option. The final option includes a visit to a Maasai boma.

When Visiting Lake Manyara and Mto wa Mbu areas your accommodation bookings and reservations can be done for camping ,safari lodges and tented camps at budget,mid-range and luxury level. There are air safari flights From Arusha,Kilimanjaro,Dares Saaalam,Zanzibar,Mwanza to Lake Manyara national park. When your scheduled cant match the air safari flights ,there are private charter flights to Lake Manyara from any of the above mentioned airstrips. Tour operators in Tanzania have segmented the safaris into ,air safari tour packages, road safaris tour packages and private air charter tour packages to lodges and tented camps in Lake Manyara.Camping safaris, self-catering services and apartment accommodation is also available whereby you can carry your own food,tent,drinks,bedding\’s and been given a place at a campsite to pitch your tent and be provided with firewood but you will carry utensils, gas for your cooking and may be hire a cook to or in the park. http://wingsoverafrica-aviation.com/index.php/safaris-east-Africa/tanzania-tour-packages.html

Anthony Mmeri is the Editor and Tours Director at Wings Over Africa Safaris Limited. This is a Safari Holiday Company that specializes on Air Safaris | Camping Safaris | Safari Lodges & Tented Camps Accommodation Bookings Lake Manyara & Mto wa Mbu Tanzania. The website has guided thousands of travelers to achieve their dream holiday. For more information and guidance, visit the site at http:// http://wingsoverafrica-aviation.com/index.php/safaris-east-Africa/tanzania-tour-packages.html

Author Bio: When Visiting Lake Manyara and Mto wa Mbu areas your accommodation bookings and reservations can be done for camping ,safari lodges and tented camps at budget,mid-range and luxury level. There are air safari flights From Arusha,Kilimanjaro,Dares Saaalam,Zanzibar,Mwanza to Lake Manyara national park. When your scheduled cant match the air safari flights ,there are private charter flights to Lake Manyara from any of the above mentioned airstrips. Tour operators in Tanzania have segmented the safaris into ,air safari tour packages, road safaris tour packages and private air charter tour packages to lodges and tented camps in Lake Manyara.Camping safaris, self-catering services and apartment accommodation is also available whereby you can carry your own food,tent,drinks,bedding\’s and been given a place at a campsite to pitch your tent and be provided with firewood but you will carry utensils, gas for your cooking and may be hire a cook to or in the park. http://wingsoverafrica-aviation.com/index.php/safaris-east-Africa/tanzania-tour-packages.html

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