Lake Manyara National Park Safaris
Lake Manyara is the smallest of the four parks that make up the Northern Circuit. With a huge proportion of the park consisting of the lake itself, its famous tree-climbing lions seem to have gained almost mythical status.
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Tanzania’s Most Scenic Park
Lake Manyara National Park is located at the bottom of the Great Rift Valley in northern Tanzania. Two thirds of the park is taken up by the Lake itself, making Manyara the smallest but also arguably the prettiest park in northern Tanzania. Lake Manyara is the first stop on the famous Northern Circuit. Located halfway between Tanzania’s safari capital, Arusha, and Ngorongoro Crater, Manyara is known for its natural beauty as well as its legendary tree-climbing lions.
Manyara is one of the busiest parks in the country as it is just off the main road to the Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, so many tourists stop off en route to the larger parks. What cannot be denied, however, is the park’s natural beauty, especially in the far south where few travellers take the time to explore. Here the Rift is at its most dramatic and the park’s famous tree-climbing lion pride takes up residence.
Lake Manyara Trips
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14 Days Young Adults Northern Tanzania Adventure Safari
12 Days Ultimate Northern Tanzania Discovery Safari
Activities & Wildlife
The first park west on your way out of Arusha makes for the perfect safari introduction. This is a stunningly beautiful park, with flamingos and occasional tree-climbing lion.
Wildlife
The volumes of game at Lake Manyara National Park are not as high as its neighbours, so this is often a short visit – a picnic lunch and an afternoon game drive – as you make your way towards the Ngorongoro Crater. It’s a perfect safari initiation, as you come face to face with the Rift Valley for the first time! The majority of the park is made up of the lake, so it can get quite busy, especially in the north.
For those who wish to stay in the south of the park, you increase your chances of seeing the famous tree-climbing lion. There are only a couple of lodges that are located within the actual park boundary. So when the day-trippers have passed on towards the end of the day, you get the place to yourself. This can be quite magical.
Game drives
This is Manyara‘s main safari activity, especially if you are doing an afternoon drive passing through. Over 400 resident pink flamingos live by the lake, with thousands more joining them in the wet season (Nov–May). It’s quite a spectacle to see the banks of the lake turn entirely pink. Other aquatic birdlife includes cormorants, pelicans, and storks.
Manyara has good numbers of elephant, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, and buffalo, as well as blue monkeys and baboons living in the forests. If you’re lucky, you may spot a tree-climbing lion, who mainly dwell in the park’s southern acacia forests.
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