Best time to visit Lake Manyara NP
Excellent time is: June, July, August, September and October
For good views you may visit in: November, December, January and February
For fair views you may visit in: March, April and May
Game viewing within Lake Manyara National Park is excellent all year round, but the best views can be enjoyed from late June to the finish of September, since it is the dry season.
In Brief
The best time to visit: June – September since it is easier to see the various animals.
Peak Season: most months in the year; from July and March (the northern part of this park becomes crowded in the morning with tourists)
Low Season: April and May
Best Weather Conditions: June to October there is less rainfall
Worst Weather conditions: March and April since it is the peak of the wet season
Dry Season (June to October)
It is easier to see the wild animals during this period since they normally gather around the common water holes and more so the vegetation is not that very dense. There is a lot of sunshine with less rainfall. The danger of getting infected with malaria is pretty minimal since there are very few mosquitoes. Carry warm clothes for the morning game drives especially from the month of June all through August. The early mornings are normally cold.
Wet Season (November to May)
The Scenery is green and very beautiful, there are less Crowds during the months of the low season (April as well as May) and the rates are generally lower. Although wild animals are easier to see during the dry season, this national Park offers amazing views of wild animals during the dry months.
This is the best time for watching birds since there are numerous migrant species within the park. Most of the Roads are muddy and very challenging to drive through. The peak of the rain season is from March to May
Lake Manyara national park offers breathtaking scenery that enables tourists to sit and loosen up as they get enjoyment from the clear views of the various large animals living here. Some of the additional safari adventure activities you can enjoy within Lake Manyara National Park include: swimming, photographing, canoeing, cultural activities, horse riding, safari walks and cycling. Best of all, this park can be visited which ever time of the year and you will be rewarded with wonderful views of wildlife. ‘Mto Wa Mbu’ found close to the park boundaries and it’s here that most of the tourists make stops to buy some souvenirs such as African carvings in the local crafts market. Important to note is that this is the ideal place to try your bargaining skills since you can get some of the items at a lower price than their asking price hence enabling you to save some money.
Nearly 231 sq km of this park is covered by the stunning Lake Manyara which has alkaline water. This alkaline lake attracts numerous bird species; however the lake is internationally renowned for being habitat to thousands of pink flamingoes which are part of the over 400 bird species that have been recorded here.
Lake Manyara NP’s weather in general
The climate of Lake Manyara National Park is moderate and temperate. Its height above sea level ranges from 953 meters to 1445 meters (or 312 feet to 4741 feet) and it becomes cooler as the altitude rises. For each 100 meters you climb, the temps drop by approximately 6.5°C 3.5°F or each 1000 feet by 1000ft). On Average, the overall temperatures are consistent all year round. It is really uncommon for it to be uncomfortably hot here, however, the early morning and evening are mostly very cold. We recommend that you carry along warm clothes particularly for the early morning game drives.
The dry season in Lake Manyara National Park begins in June and end in the month of September. The wet season is characterized by long rains that are experienced from the start of March to the end of May, as well as short rains which are experienced from the month of October to November. In the wet season expect Thunder and frequent showers although it is not common for it to rain for the entire day
Dry season (June to October)
June, July, August, September and October – the temperatures in the Afternoon are normally approximately 26°C or 79°F. The skies are clear with plenty of sunshine. In the month of October, normally the short rains begin if they are to start early. On Average the temperatures in the evenings drop very low to about 14°C or 57°F and actually you may experience freezing temperatures some days. These cold temperatures remain so even in the morning; therefore remember to take with you enough warm clothes for your game drives in the morning.
Wet season (November to May)
The temperatures remain moderate during the wet season; the afternoons are the host with temperatures rise to approximately 29°C or 84°F. The Night temperatures are about 17°C/63°F.
November and December (‘Short rains’) these are experienced for about a month and may fall any time from November to December. Although there may be some afternoon showers it is rare for it to rain the entire day therefore this will has very little effect on your trip. The highest temperatures during the day may rise up to 29°C or 84°F although the nights and early mornings drop to about 17°C/63°F.
January and February – this is a dry season and it comes between the 2 rainy seasons, however it isn’t easy to tell when exactly this will start.
March, April and May (Long rains) since these are the wettest months of the year; it is uncommon for it to rain the entire day. The skies are covered with thick Clouds. The average highest temperature is 28°C or 82°F, and then the average least temperature is 18°C or 64°F. Because of the cold fronts, it is possible to get to freezing temperatures.
In the dry spell which starts in July to October, this is the finest time for watching the larger mammals, and then during the wet months of November up to June you will enjoy the best bird watching experience, viewing the waterfalls as well as canoeing.
Other activities to Enjoy here include: game drives, Cultural tours, night-time game drives, mountain-bike tours, abseiling, forest walks, bush lunches / dinners as well as picnicking.
Lake Manyara Safari
Getting To Lake Manyara
When To Visit Manyara
Birding in Manyara
