Day 1: Arusha - Lake Manyara National Park

In the early morning, we will collect you from your hotel in Arusha and drive you to Lake Manyara National Park. The park encompasses the northwest bank and part of the alkaline Lake Manyara which itself rests in the Great Rift Valley. The park is perhaps best known for its flamingos, pelicans and cormorants but it is also the home for a few hundred other species of birds; it is therefore a paradise for ornithologists. Next to a great variety of birds, the “Big Game” can also be seen. With a bit of luck you might see elephants in the wooded regions and with even more fortune the tree-climbing lions. Indeed, it was thought for a long time that the Lake Manyara National Park is the only place where lions can be found with this atypical behaviour of climbing trees. Baboons and vervet monkeys are also found amongst the forested areas and in the more open spaces, giraffes nibble at the fresh leaves while the various types of antelopes common to the region browse for tasty shoots. After a picnic lunch, there will be more time for further game and wildlife watching before it is time to return to Arusha.