Travel Photos Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania

Lake Manyara National Park lies in the East African Rift Valley, a 6500-kilometer long fault that runs from Jordan in the north to Mozambique in the south. Clearly seen from space, this fault looks like an immense gash in the earth. Here, two of the earth's tectonic plates meet and grind against each other, moving in separate directions. This movement built up stress in the earth's crust, until one day, eons ago, the earth shook and the eastern side of the fault dropped hundreds of feet, creating the Rift Valley. On the west side of the fault an escarpment looms over the valley, aside which sits Ngorogoro Crater National Park. The road between the two parks climbs the face of the escarpment and runs along the narrow crater rim, affording spectacular views, with the sheer drop into the East African Rift Valley and Lake Manyara on one side and the equally steep drop into the volcano crater on the other. At the entrance to Lake Manyara National Park is this sign: "Remove nothing from the park except nourishment for the soul, consolation for the heart, and inspiration for the mind."


LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA, AFRICA
Lake Manyara National Park lies in the East African Rift Valley, a 6500-kilometer long fault that runs from Jordan in the north to Mozambique in the south. Clearly seen from space, this fault looks like an immense gash in the earth. Here, two of the earth's tectonic plates meet and grind against each other, moving in separate directions. This movement built up stress in the earth's crust, until one day, eons ago, the earth shook and the eastern side of the fault dropped hundreds of feet, creating the Rift Valley. On the west side of the fault an escarpment looms over the valley, aside which sits Ngorogoro Crater National Park. The road between the two parks climbs the face of the escarpment and runs along the narrow crater rim, affording spectacular views, with the sheer drop into the East African Rift Valley and Lake Manyara on one side and the equally steep drop into the volcano crater on the other. At the entrance to Lake Manyara National Park is this sign: "Remove nothing from the park except nourishment for the soul, consolation for the heart, and inspiration for the mind."

Close up and personal with a BIG member of the herd, standing on the edge of the road	Mama crosses the road without hesitation	Mama crossed the road without hesitation, but baby held back in the bushes at the side of the road

After two aborted attempts to cross the road, the baby finally, nervously, catches up with mama and crosses, staying as close as possible until back in the safety of the bush	Bull elephant looks at us from the side of the road	In this herd, the bull elephant sniffs the urine of one of the females, just seconds before charging our jeep because it was too close to where they wanted to cross the road

This elephant was missing a tusk	The only elephants that lie down are the babies - they spend their adult years standing up, sleeping only five minutes at a time	Blue Wildebeest

Blue Monkey	Blue Monkey	Vervet Monkey

Vervet Monkey grooming himself	Vervet Monkey	Vervet Monkey

Vervet Monkey in heat	Vervet Monkey	Red Monkey

Herd of giraffe along the shores of Lake Manyara	Maasai Giraffes are darker in color than a regular giraffe	Hippo

Yellow Billed Stork	Yellow Billed Stork	Egyptian Geese

Grey Headed Kingfisher	Grey Headed Kingfisher	Cinnamon Chested Bee Eaters

Lesser Flamingoes	Southern Ground Hornbill	D'Aranaud's Barbet

Grey Hornbill and Hildebrandt's Starling	Lovely flowers, despite being the dry season	Giant Baobab tree, said to "grow upside-down

Dik-Dik, a very small member of the antelope family	Dik-Dik, a very small member of the antelope family	Male Impalas

My guide, Joseph, at the Lake Manyara Hot Springs	Lake Manyara Hot Springs	Lake Manyara Hot Springs

Baboons by the hundreds walk the road to a watering hole	Family grooming among the Baboons	Baboons quenching their thirst