Tanzania's Scenic Wildlife Haven

Stretching for 50km along the base of the rusty-gold 600-metre-high Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara National Park is true scenic gem, praised by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa.” This compact park offers a true representation of the Tanzanian safari experience, making it a perfect stop on the northern safari circuit.

Forest, Plains, and Lake Views

From the entrance gate, the road winds through a lush underground water forest, where  large baboons relax by the roadside, blue monkeys leap between towering mahogany trees, and shy bushbuck move quietly through the shadows. Overhead, the deep calls of forest hornbills echo through the canopy.

Beyond the forest, the scenery opens to a grassy floodplain with sweeping views over the shimmering alkaline lake toward jagged volcanic peaks on the Maasai Steppes. Here, large heards of buffalo, wildebeest, and zebras graze, alongside towering giraffes.

Legendary Tree-Climbing Lions

Inland, a strip of acacia woodland is home to Manyara’s most famous residents, our tree-climbing lions. These unique predators rest high in the branches, offering one of the most sought-after safari sightings in Tanzania. This area is also known for its impressively tusked elephants, banded mongoose, tiny dik-dik’s, and pairs of klipspringer that watch over the hot springs steaming on the lakeshore in the far south.

A Birdwatcher’s Paradise

Lake Manyara is a top destination for birdwatching in Tanzania, with more than 400 bird species recorded. Even first-time visitors to African can expect to spot over 100 in a single day. Highlights include spectacular flamingo flocks that feed in the lake’s shallows, alongside pelicans, cormorants and storks.