| Ernest Hemingway once referred to Lake Manyara as | | | | the climatic border but the crater highlands which |
| the most beautiful place in Africa. This subjective | | | | seem to perch on the plateau that runs back from |
| comment may or may not be true but once you | | | | the edge of the escarpment and finally gives way to |
| have seen it you will agree that it is incredibly | | | | the masses of the inactive volcanoes Oldeani and |
| beautiful as too, are the many animals and birds that | | | | Ngorongoro. At 3070m and 2512m respectively they |
| can be seen there. | | | | form a wall to the east trade winds which bring long |
| Alone its situation determines its wonder. The | | | | rains for four months of the year on which the |
| enormous African Rift Valley stretches from the | | | | montane, ground water forests, that closely |
| Arabian peninsula to its southernmost point in Zambia | | | | resemble rain forests, thrive. Thus a green stripe |
| and its East African section in Tanzania imposes a | | | | crowns much of the area and only kilometres to the |
| majestic background to the lake which is nestled | | | | east in the lower flatlands at Lake Manyara, and on |
| three hundred meters below the chameleon like | | | | to the Maasai Steppe, savannah grasslands are home |
| escarpment that rises sharply up to twelve hundred | | | | to Africa's wildest game. |
| meters above sea level. Chameleon like because at | | | | What makes this area so wonderful is not just the |
| different heights and in different seasons the | | | | vast abundance of various creatures, including over |
| vegetation displays not only different hues, shades of | | | | four hundred bird species, but how you experience |
| deep green, brown and yellow but also the rock itself | | | | them. As you travel along the western side of the |
| acts as a kaleidoscope throughout the entire day at | | | | lake up to the escarpment wall, your eyes consume |
| the mercy of the migratory sun. | | | | that multitude of variety in vegetation, colour and |
| The escarpment at this point acts as a climatic | | | | landscape, and you see, interspersed in this |
| border promoting bands of vegetation that change | | | | impressive flora is the African fauna that everyone |
| dramatically over short east-west distances. Strips of | | | | dreams to see in its natural habitat. Leopards lurking |
| Mother Nature's earth which range from rich green | | | | in the bush, lions uncharacteristically lying in trees, |
| groundwater forests through grassy acacia woods | | | | impala cautiously browsing between the shade |
| onto scrubby bush land which opens up to yellow | | | | providing acacia and zebra accompanying gnus along |
| savannah grasslands that border the sometimes grey, | | | | the lakeside. Four of the big five reside in Lake |
| sometimes deep blue, natrium flavoured lake. | | | | Manyara National Park and every curve in the flat |
| It is not the escarpment itself that is accountable for | | | | sandy road hides the next surprise. |