Lake Manyara

The movement of tectonic plates, which began many millions of years ago and continues to this day, is gradually stretching Africa apart, greatly thinning the earth’s crust in the meridional direction. These changes led to intense seismic activity, which caused the formation of an extended mountain range, the niches of which were filled with water and formed alkaline lakes, one of which is Lake Manyara. In order to protect and preserve this natural heritage, in 1960 it was decided to establish a national park with an area of ​​330 square kilometers on the territory of the lake. See Countryvv for labor market in Tanzania.

The Manyara National Park has been saved and now boasts a huge variety of birds, about 400 species. Many of the birds of Tanzania fell in love with this place, but most of all it attracted the world-famous pink flamingos. The number of these amazing birds amazes even experienced travelers. A dense pink spot along the coast, reflected from the water surface, multiplies the already huge colony of pink flamingos on an incredible scale.

Speaking of birds, it is also worth noting that it is on the territory of Lake Manyara that many species of the ancient family of hornbills live. Flocks of pelicans and many other birds. The park is not limited to birds only. As in other famous parks, you will definitely meet zebras, buffaloes, elephants, giraffes, lions and many other representatives of the African fauna.
The entire area around Lake Manyara is riddled with streams, thanks to which this evergreen place appeared. Some of the springs, passing through the zones of thinning of the earth’s crust, become hot and acquire temperatures up to 80 degrees Celsius. One of these hot springs is called Maji Moto, which literally translates from Swahili as “hot water”. Located in the southern part of the park, they are a local landmark with amazing scenery all around that is a must see.

Speaking in general about Lake Manyara, people often use the phrase “paradise”, and this is true – it has one of the most favorable ecosystems for living. Many of the animals often try to move from Tarangire Park to Lake Manyara, but to maintain balance, the rangers do not let large groups of animals pass and drive them back. It may seem unfair, but only in this way can this amazing place have a future and remain in its former form for many generations to come.

Tarangire

The territory of giants and centenarians, preserved almost unchanged to our times. We are talking about the Tarangire National Park, where one of the largest colonies of baobabs grows. The name was borrowed from the Tarangire River, which cuts through the park, which supplies the surrounding flora and fauna with fresh water necessary for life. In the dry season, from June to October, many herbivores, hoping to find salvation in the form of life-giving moisture, begin to migrate to the river and travel hundreds of kilometers, followed by predators. Such a race for survival is like a gold rush: herds of wildebeest, zebras and buffalo trample around the dry lagoon, warming up the lion’s instincts, elephants dig holes to get to the underground streams of the river. Everyone wants to grab their piece.

After the onset of rainy days, the animals disperse throughout the area to the green plains replenished with food. The process is restarted, with the onset of the dry season, grass stocks are depleted and the animals again begin their difficult journey to the Tarangire River. Animals come and go, but this does not mean that they cannot be found here during the rainy season, many live all year round in this park. Large herds of elephants try not to go far from the watering hole, so they need to drink from 100 to 300 liters of water a day to survive. Other animals such as giraffes, cheetahs, rhinos, Thomson’s gazelles, mongooses and baboons have no need to migrate or follow at all.

It is worth mentioning that at the moment hunting for animals is allowed in Tarangire Park and this is a serious problem not only for the reserve, but also for many species of animals that sooner or later may be protected already being on the verge of extinction. For just $7,000, you can get a license to shoot a lion. We do not provide such services and treat them extremely negatively, believing that killing animals for entertainment cannot be justified. The destruction is not worth it, just travel, see and explore this wild Tanzanian land.

Arusha National Park

Most parks strictly forbid getting out of the car in open areas, but a feature of the Arusha National Park is just the same small walking tours accompanied by a ranger. A walk along the explored path, which starts among small thickets of bushes, passes through a cozy valley and ends with a waterfall cutting through the mountain range with the funny name Ulyulyusya. It is worth noting that it is absolutely safe – there has not been a single attack on people in the park, all animals behave very peacefully. Imagine how a fiery red baby antelope, known as Bushbuck, hiding in the grass, looks at you with its shiny, like beads, black eyes, such a picture can only touch. And even watching a herd of buffalo located twenty meters from the path will not cause fear or discomfort.

Encompassing a truly beautiful corner of nature, the park accommodates many amazing natural monuments in a modest area. Among these is the Ngurdoto volcano crater, about three kilometers in diameter, which is very similar to a miniature copy of Ngorongoro. The locals even call him the younger brother. Not far from the crater stretches a network of alkaline lakes Momela, where you can take a canoe and get close to pink flamingos or just enjoy the serenity of the mirror-like water surface. And also one of the main attractions is the fifth highest mountain in Africa, the majestic volcano Meru, 4566 meters high. Many climbing enthusiasts simultaneously conquer this no less difficult peak, which offers a picturesque panorama of the Kilimanjaro Valley.

The diversity of nature is amazing. I think every traveler will find something close to his nature in Arusha Park. Even if the park cannot be compared with such giants as Ngorongoro and Serengeti even in terms of size and number of animals, but the truth is that each reserve has something special and memorable, there is absolutely no point in comparing them, come and see everything with your own eyes.