Lake Manyara National Park is a must-visit destination, situated on the edge of the Rift Valley and beneath the cliffs of the Manyara Escarpment. With its varied ecosystems, incredible bird life, and breathtaking views, the park offers an incredible ecological variety in a small area, rich in wildlife and incredible numbers of birds.

Located on the way to Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, Lake Manyara National Park is worth a stop in its own right. Its ground water forests, bush plains, baobab-strewn cliffs, and algae-streaked hot springs offer incredible ecological variety in a small area, rich in wildlife and incredible numbers of birds.

Lake Manyara’s alkaline soda is home to an incredible array of bird life that thrives on its brackish waters. Pink flamingos stoop and graze by the thousands, colourful specks against the grey minerals of the lake shore. Yellow-billed storks swoop and corkscrew on thermal winds rising up from the escarpment, and herons flap their wings against the sun-drenched sky. Even reluctant bird-watchers will find something to watch and marvel at within the national park.

Lake Manyara’s famous tree-climbing lions are another reason to pay a visit to this park. They make the ancient mahogany and elegant acacias their home during the rainy season and are a well-known but rather rare feature of the northern park. In addition to the lions, the national park is also home to the largest concentration of baboons anywhere in the world, accounting for interesting game viewing of large families of primates.

Stretching for 50km along the base of the rusty-gold 600-metre high Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara is a scenic gem, with a setting extolled by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa”.

The compact game-viewing circuit through Manyara offers a virtual microcosm of the Tanzanian safari experience. From the entrance gate, the road winds through an expanse of lush jungle-like groundwater forest, where hundred-strong baboon troops lounge nonchalantly along the roadside, blue monkeys scamper nimbly between the ancient mahogany trees, dainty bushbuck tread warily through the shadows, and the outsized forest hornbills honk cacophonously in the high canopy.

In contrast with the intimacy of the forest, the grassy floodplain and its expansive views eastward, across the alkaline lake, to the jagged blue volcanic peaks that rise from the endless Maasai Steppes, offer a different perspective. Large buffalo, wildebeest and zebra herds congregate on these grassy plains, and so do the giraffes – some so dark in coloration that they appear to be black from a distance.

Inland of the floodplain, a narrow belt of acacia woodland is the favoured haunt of Manyara’s legendary tree-climbing lions and impressively tusked elephants. Squadrons of banded mongoose dart between the acacias, whereas the diminutive Kirk’s dik-dik forages in their shade. Pairs of klipspringer are often seen silhouetted on the rocks above a field of searing hot springs that steams and bubbles adjacent to the lakeshore in the far south of the park.

Manyara provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife, with over 400 species recorded, and even a first-time visitor to Africa might reasonably expect to observe 100 of these in one day. Highlights include thousands of pink-hued flamingos on their perpetual migration, as well as other large water birds such as pelicans, cormorants and storks.

Accommodation in Lake Manyara National Park includes one luxury treehouse-style camp, public bandas, and campsites inside the park. Additionally, there is one luxury tented camp and three lodges perched on the Rift Wall outside the park, offering stunning views of the lake. For those who prefer to stay in nearby Mto wa Mbu, there are several guesthouses and campsites available.

Visitors to Lake Manyara National Park can enjoy a range of activities, including game drives, night game drives, and canoeing when water levels are high. Cultural tours, picnics, bush lunch/dinner, mountain bike tours, abseiling, and forest walks on the escarpment outside the park are also available.

Located in northern Tanzania, Lake Manyara National Park is easily accessible by road, charter, or scheduled flight from Arusha en route to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. The entrance gate lies 1.5 hours (126km/80 miles) west of Arusha along a newly surfaced road, close to the ethnically diverse market town of Mto wa Mbu.

In summary, Lake Manyara National Park is a scenic gem that offers visitors incredible ecological diversity, rich wildlife, and birdlife. From the alkaline soda of the lake to the grassy floodplains and the acacia woodlands, the park is a microcosm of the Tanzanian safari experience. With a range of accommodation options and activities available, Lake Manyara National Park is definitely worth a visit for any traveler to Tanzania.