Nyerere National Park Walking Safaris

 

Walking safaris are always a bit hit or miss and usually depend on the knowledge of the guide. My co-workers wanted to do a walking safari for something different than the typical driving safari and I thought that Nyerere National Park is actually a really cool spot to walk because of the access to the lakes. I was initially a bit concerned because we were assigned a ranger that only had experience doing patrols. However, he was very open to whatever we wanted to do and we agreed on waking up early and taking a short drive down to the shore of Lake Manze. 

It was a cloudy morning and the soft light provided a calming vibe. The lakes in the area all have sprawling and intricate shapes, constantly changing due to the changing water levels. In many places there are shallow floodplains at various stages of drying or hosting shallow swamps. We walked along an area full of hippos, birds, and waterbuck. When we rounded a corner we startled (and ourselves were startled by) a group of impala that swiftly darted in front of us. It was a magical moment, having been startled by the noise we were then at ease as we stood motionless hearing the sounds of their hooves hitting the mud as they sprinted past us. 

We were out walking from around 7am until 9am and we felt the heat starting to build on our way back. It was a beautiful morning and we had the entire place to ourselves. Traditional safari drives from a vehicle are nice because you can cover a lot of ground and feel safe within a vehicle but nothing beats the experience of the stillness of the early morning. Taking in all the sounds paints a beautiful aural picture, with the snorts of hippos mixed in with the distant croaks of a Hadada Ibis, and the soft displacement of water as an African Spoonbill pokes around for food. 

Most of my visits to Nyerere National Park have been in the context of work and my leisure trips had been pretty underwhelming. This walking safari was the perfect way to highlight the strengths of Nyerere National Park and I think the boat and walking safari are the best ways to experience this park.  

The animal highway to the lake, complete with a lion track