tanzania

Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania

Quick Facts

Best Time to Visit: June–October (wildlife); November–June (best for birds and flamingos)
Country: tanzania

Highlights

Famous tree-climbing lions
Large flocks of flamingos on the soda lake
Groundwater forest, savanna, and lakeshore in one compact park
Big elephant and baboon populations
An easy first or last stop on the northern circuit

Wildlife

Tree-climbing lionsFlamingos and over 400 bird speciesAfrican elephantHippo and buffaloBlue monkey and baboonGiraffe and zebra

Lake Manyara National Park is a compact but remarkably diverse park at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, built around a shallow alkaline lake that floods with flamingos in the wet season.

Tree-climbing lions and birds

Manyara is one of the few places in Africa where lions habitually rest in trees, a behaviour that draws visitors hoping for the unusual sight. The lake and its shoreline support more than 400 bird species, including huge flocks of flamingos and pelicans.

A patchwork of habitats

In a single short drive the park moves from lush groundwater forest to open grassland to the lakeshore, supporting elephants, buffalo, hippos, giraffes, and large troops of baboons.

Getting there

Lake Manyara is about a 90-minute drive from Arusha and is commonly the first stop on a northern-circuit safari before continuing to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti.