Discover Lake Manyara National Park

The spectacular alkaline Lake Manyara forms the centre point of this small and very beautiful park with surprisingly diverse fauna and flora. A circuit drive through the park passes through forest, wetlands, grassy plains and acacia forests, offering views of different animals and multitudes of birds. Elephant, hippo, giraffe, tree-climbing lion and baboon are just a few of the game that call Manyara home.

A small park, with the alkaline (pH over 9) Lake Manyara covering over 230 km² of its 330 km² surface during the wet season, Lake Manyara National Park offers visitors beautiful scenery and a compact, round-trip game-viewing circuit.

Towering above the park, the volcanic peaks of the Rift Valley Escarpment provide a spectacular backdrop to the park, with its floodplains, forested and lake areas. Ernest Hemingway declared it the loveliest park he’d been to in Africa and it’s not hard to see why!

Inside the Park

Expect to see a multitude of baboons, plenty of elephants, blue monkeys, buffalo, giraffes, zebra, tiny dik-dik and the well-known tree-climbing lions. Be sure to look up to spot them lazing in the acacia trees.

With a surprisingly diverse number of habitats in a small area, from forest and grassy floodplains to the lake itself and acacia woodland, the park provides a home to a wide range of animals and incredible birdlife. It’s a birdwatcher’s paradise, with a huge range of bird species, including pink-plumed flamingos and many raptors.

Staying in the Park

Within the park, there is one luxury camp. With suites designed around the trees in a secluded, forested area of the park, this exclusive spot is the height of a luxurious safari. Just outside the park, there are a number of lodges and camps that range from basic to high-end luxury.

Getting there

By road – Lake Manyara National Park is about 150 km from Arusha (about a two- to three-hour drive).

By air – Arusha is served by two airports. Arusha Airport has daily flights from numerous local destinations and Kilimanjaro International Airport has daily flights from local, African and international airlines. 30-minute flights can be booked from Arusha to Manyara Airstrip.

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