Lake Manyara National Park

Tucked between the swollen shoulder of the Great Rift Valley and the shimmering expanse of its own soda lake, Lake Manyara National Park is one of the most beautiful and surprising parks in Tanzania. Small enough to explore in a day, it packs in an extraordinary range of habitats — dense groundwater forest, open floodplain, acacia woodland and the pink-fringed waters of the lake itself.

Two things make Manyara famous. The first is its population of tree-climbing lions, one of only a handful in Africa, often seen draped sleepily along the branches of fig and acacia trees. The second is its birds: at times the shallow, alkaline lake hosts thousands of flamingos, painting the shoreline pink and making the park a magnet for birdwatchers.

The scenery is as memorable as the wildlife. Rearing up along the western boundary is the Rift Valley escarpment, its cliff face climbing some 600 m above the park and its lush southern slopes fed by a chain of underground springs. In the south you will find swirling rapids, hot springs and dramatic gorges.

Just over an hour from Arusha and close to Tarangire, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, Lake Manyara is the perfect inclusion on any northern circuit safari. Talk to our team in Moshi to add it to your itinerary.

Lake Manyara is a long, narrow park — only about 330 km² in total, of which roughly two-thirds is water — stretched along the base of the Rift Valley wall. Its compact shape means every habitat sits within a few minutes’ drive of the others, so you can move from rainforest to shoreline to open plains in a single morning.

The groundwater forest near the park entrance is the most striking feature. Fed by underground streams that seep from the escarpment, it stays green even in the driest months, with towering fig trees, mahogany and a dense understory alive with monkeys, birds and butterflies. It is one of the few places in Tanzania with a true tropical rainforest feel at such low altitude.

Beyond the forest the land opens onto floodplain and acacia woodland that reaches down to the soda lake, while the far south offers the Maji Moto hot springs and the deep ravine of the Endabash River. Because the park is unfenced on the escarpment side, wildlife moves freely between the park and the highland forests above.

Lake Manyara is one of only two places in Tanzania — and a tiny handful in all of Africa — where lions habitually climb trees. The behaviour is not fully understood; theories range from escaping the heat and biting insects on the ground, to scanning for prey, to simple comfort away from pests.

Whatever the reason, the sight of a lioness sprawled along a branch, tail hanging lazily in the dappled light of the forest, is unforgettable. The behaviour appears to be learned rather than instinctive, passed down through the resident prides from generation to generation.

Your best chance of seeing them is early morning or late afternoon in the woodland areas of the park’s centre and north. Tell your guide you are hoping to see them — the park’s guides know which trees the prides prefer at which times of year.

With more than 400 recorded species, Lake Manyara is one of Tanzania’s premier birding destinations. The alkaline soda lake is the centrepiece: shallow, mineral-rich water that blooms with blue-green algae, drawing vast flocks of lesser flamingos to filter-feed through its shallows.

When water levels and food are right, the flamingos gather in their thousands, turning the shoreline into a shifting sea of pink. Numbers vary with the season and rainfall, so the spectacle is never quite the same twice.

Beyond the flamingos, look for great white pelicans, marabou storks, saddle-billed storks, grey herons, Egyptian geese and the magnificent African fish eagle, whose ringing call is the sound of a Rift Valley morning. The forest adds turacos, hornbills and colourful sunbirds, while raptors soar along the escarpment.

Lake Manyara National Park was established in 1960, making it one of Tanzania’s older parks, and was later recognised as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve because of the way people and wildlife share the surrounding landscape. The lake itself has no outlet and no inlet river, kept full by rainfall and the groundwater that seeps from the escarpment.

The name “Manyara” is said to come from the Maasai word for the pencil-like euphorbia trees that grow on the nearby escarpment. The town at the park’s edge, Mto wa Mbu (“mosquito creek”), grew as a trading and farming settlement and is now a bustling gateway, with an unusually rich mix of Tanzanian cultures and languages.

The wider area supports a vital wildlife corridor, allowing elephants and other animals to move between Manyara, Tarangire and the highlands. Protecting that corridor is one of the park’s biggest long-term challenges.

Entry to Lake Manyara is subject to a conservation fee per person, per 24-hour period, plus vehicle fees. Rates are set by the government and reviewed periodically, so we always confirm current amounts when you book.

A few practical points to keep in mind when planning your visit:

• The park can be explored in a day, but stays overnight in nearby Mto wa Mbu or on the escarpment to slow the pace.
• A licensed guide and a 4x4 safari vehicle are required for all game drives.
• The groundwater forest is superb in the early morning, when the light is soft and wildlife is active.
• Water levels in the lake vary with the rains, so flamingo numbers differ from year to year.
• Drones need special authorisation and are not permitted for casual use.