Lake Manyara National Park
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Lake Manyara National Park is strategically positioned just off the road from Arusha to Ngorongoro and Serengeti and represents a good break in your journey and an interesting day’s safari. The Park is a long thin stretch of land between the lake and the Great Rift Valley’s western escarpment. It is not just the dramatic setting of the Park which makes it interesting but the wealth of birdlife and the large expanse of water. Usually fairly green the park has quite thick forest particularly around the Endabash River to the South of the Park. Depending on the state of the rains, you can get very close to the herds of hippos and tree-climbing lions can be occasionally seen.
There is only one lodge in the park, the Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. The lodge is in the South of the Park quite far from the gate. The principle advantage is that it is in the park. The camp offers CCA's usual high levels of service and quality, but it is expensive and whilst the location in the forest is attractive the views are obscured.
10 Kilometres from the Park at the foot of the escarpment is the E Unoto Retreat. Alternatively you can take the road towards Ngorongoro which winds steeply up the side of the escarpment giving spectacular views over the rift valley and the lake below.
At the top of the escarpment, you leave the road to the right to the Lake Manyara Serena Lodge and the Manyara Wildlife Lodge is on the left and has perhaps the best view of them all.
Carrying on further along the road are two excellent coffee plantations each with their own particular style Gibbs Farm and Plantation Lodge. From here it is only one hours drive to Ngorongoro.
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Northern Tanzania Safari