Lake Manyara or Tarangire National Parks which one is better?

Both parks lie within the eastern arm of the Great Rift Valley and offer excellent game viewing for visitors throughout the year, and are opposite each other only separated by few villages, and Lake Manyara itself.

Tarangire National Park

Tarangire has more open space, to see exciting wildlife, and dotted with baobab trees and acacia savannas
Vast seasonal swamps attract hundreds of elephants and gather large numbers of wildebeest, zebra, and eland, followed by a host of predators like lion, cheetah, leopard, and the rare wild dogs.
It is estimated that at the height of the dry season, June-October the density of larger animals elephant, buffalo, zebra, eland, wildebeest is only second to Ngorongoro crater world-wide
Huge baobab trees are a characteristic of Tarangire and have been described by a naturalist as a complete ecosystem unto themselves
Tarangire is one of the finest places in Tanzania to watch elephants and spending unhurried time in the presence of these intelligent giants.
Tarangire is also a birding paradise with more resident breeding species than anywhere else in Tanzania
Tarangire is the only place on the northern circuit where one can luckily see both greater and lesser kudu, and also find Oryx

Best time to visit

Dry season June –October {excellent and overwhelming game viewing }
Short rains November-February {Good game viewing}

Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara has at least 5 very different habitats existing side by side, and to see exciting wildlife within them.
In the south end of the park their extensive hot water springs as a testament to the tectonic nature of the Rift Valley.
There is a long walkway out across the steaming rivulets and reed beds of the lake edge giving some magnificent views up and down the full length of this part of the Rift Valley.
There are copious groundwater springs on the northern end, spilling water from the base of the Rift Valley wall
Most of the characteristic East Africa mammals are found in Manyara including elephant, buffalo, hippos, lion, leopard, giraffe, and other big game
Lake Manyara is an excellent birding paradise with more than 425 species of birds recorded here, and the highest raptor number than any reserve.
The largest troops of olive baboons have been recorded here

Best time to visit

Dry season June-October (Good game viewing)
Short rains October-March (Excellent game viewing)

From our opinion both parks fits well into northern circuit safari itineraries, but to really experience Tarangire we recommend at least give two days here especially during the months of {June-October}

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