Treetop Walkway in Lake Manyara National Park

Treetop Walkway in Lake Manyara National Park: The treetop walkway in Lake Manyara national park is one of the trails which tourists follow during their nature walk experiences in the national park which is located in the northern part of Tanzania.

Tourists engaging in nature walks along the treetop walkway in the northern part of Lake Manyara national park enjoy moving high among the trees. This walkway is a unique experience and is the first suspended walkway in Tanzania and is considered one of the longest in Africa.

A variety of bird species can be seen among the trees during the nature walk as well as wildlife species such as vervet monkeys and baboons. While exploring the forest, tourists can also enjoy seeing elephants, buffalos, dik dik, antelopes among other species wandering in the forest.

As tourists move along the treetop walkway in Lake Manyara national park, they are accompanied by a guide. There are also different viewing platforms where tourists can stop and enjoy their natural surroundings before continuing to move along the swaying bridge.

This activity is carried out close to the entrance gates of lake Manyara national park which makes it convenient to carry out when entering the national park or exiting the destination. This however doesn’t restrict the time for the nature walk along the treetop walkway since it can be carried out at any time of day when the park is open.

To be allowed to enter into Lake Manyara national park, tourists are required to pay entrance fees of about 53 USD for nonresidents and east Africans pay entry fees in Tanzania shillings (TSH).

Entrance fees in Lake Manyara national park are valid for 24 hours. These fees also vary for children and adults visiting the national park to enjoy seeing its different attractions such as tree-climbing lions and other wildlife species.

Apart from the treetop walkway, Lake Manyara national park is also known for having many herds of elephants which can be seen in the savannah plains and woodlands at the destination as tourists explore the wilderness of the national park.

Other attractions in Lake Manyara national park include Lake Manyara, Wildlife and bird species, the diverse scenery, rift valley escarpment.

Lake Manyara is a major attraction in the national park and it is described as a shallow alkaline lake which covers a big part of the national park. Different wildlife and bird species can be seen along its shores such as flamingos as well as hippos.

How to get to Lake Manyara national park

Lake Manyara national park can be accessed by different means of transport such as road and air or flight means as seen below;

By air, tourists can use charter or scheduled flights to the airstrip in Lake Manyara national park using airline operators such as Regional air and Coastal aviation which offer flights on a daily to the national park.
By road, safaris to lake Manyara national park can begin from Arusha and continue to Mto wa mbu town and then to the park entrance.

Other activities which tourists engage in during their safaris to Lake Manyara national park other than nature walks along the treetop walkway include the following;

Game drives

Lake Manyara national park also offers game drives to explore the wilderness of the national park and to look out for wildlife species as they graze in the savannah plains at the destination. These game drives take place in the morning, the afternoon, the evening, in the night and also for the whole day.

During morning game drives, tourists get to see various wildlife species which are very active at this time of day such as elephants, buffalos, klipspringers, antelopes, gazelles, impalas, zebras, giraffes, warthogs, hippos among others.

Afternoon or evening game drives also take place in Lake Manyara national park and they involve driving around in the afternoon sun and exploring the different habitat for wildlife species such as elephants, buffalos, rhinos, antelopes, impalas, gazelles, warthogs among others.

Tourists can also enjoy night game drives during their safaris to Lake Manyara national park and this form of game drive involves driving around the darkness in search of nocturnal wildlife species. Ranger guides accompany tourists during the night game viewing activities as they drive around the national park.

Full day game drives also take place in Lake Manyara national park and during this game drive, tourists explore the savannah plains and other habitats for wildlife species the whole day as you drive in the savannah plains and woodlands in search of the wildlife species.

Bird watching

Lake Manyara national park is also known for having a variety of bird species which can be seen during the different wildlife viewing activities at the destination. Both native and migrant bird species can be seen during the bird watching activities which take place in the forests as well as along the lake shores.

While bird watching in the forest found in the national park, tourists can also enjoy exploring the treetop walkway as they move among the trees in search of different bird species. Monkeys can also be seen during bird watching in the forest.

Along the shores of Lake Manyara, bird species which can be seen include flamingos, hornbills, pelicans, cormorants, storks, rufous tailed weavers, starlings, turaco among others.

Canoeing

Canoeing is another activity that takes place in Lake Manyara national park and it involves seeing the attractions around the national park from the comfort of your canoe. This activity takes place when the water levels are favorable since sometimes the lake water reduces.

Community visits

Community visits that take place in Mto wa mbu town can also be carried out by tourists on their way to lake Manyara national park. This activity involves interaction between the locals and the tourists as thy get to know more about their way of life.

During the community visits, tourists see local arts and crafts of the Maasai people and also visit the traditional homesteads of the Maasai which are known as “manyattas” which are built in an enclosure for protection of both the livestock and the people.

Tourists can also participate in the traditional dance performances with the Maasai warriors as they jump around in rhythm to the local songs being chanted. Another activity which the tourist can engage in during their community visits is visiting the local market and also see the local arts and crafts such as beaded necklaces, earrings, bangles, anklets as well as sandals and belts made by the Maasai.

Experience the relaxed atmosphere among the trees as you engage in a nature walk along the treetop walkway in Lake Manyara national park.