Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) is self-organized and self-configured networks that doesn’t need any cellular infrastructure such as access point (AP) , base station (BS) or fixed transmission links. Routing is point of research focus since the invention of commercialized mobile ad - hoc networks. In the literature the classical taxonomy of MANETs routing protocols based on the route computation process subdivided into: Proactive (Table - Driven), Reactive (On - Demand) and Hybrid ( inherit both features of the proactive and reactive).However this classification hide other types of MANETs routing protocols play a significant roles nowadays such as(Multicast , Energy and Power - aware, Geographical routi ng and Hierarchical Routing). This paper provides a comprehensive study of MANETs basic taxonomy of routing protocols. In addition intense comparison between some examples of each routing protocols category has been made to further facilitate research in t his area.