Lake Manyara National Park

You enter Manyara through cool groundwater forest fed by springs at the base of the escarpment, where blue monkeys and enormous baboon troops live in the fig trees. The forest opens onto floodplain, then the lake itself, often edged pink with flamingo.

Manyara's lions are famous for resting in the branches of acacia trees, a behaviour seen in only a handful of places in Africa. Elephant move through the forest, and hippo pools sit at the northern end.

Because it is small and only 90 minutes from Arusha, Manyara works perfectly as the first stop of a longer northern circuit or as a full day trip on its own.

Highlights

• Rift Valley escarpment views
• Flamingo flocks on the soda lake
• Groundwater forest walk
• Optional treetop canopy walkway

Wildlife you can expect

• · Tree-climbing lions
• · Greater and lesser flamingo
• · Large baboon troops and blue monkeys
• · Elephant in the groundwater forest
• · Hippo pools
• · 400+ bird species

Best time to visit Lake Manyara

July to October for mammals; November to June for birdlife and flamingos when water levels are high.