Lake Manyara National Park

Overview

Flamingos, forests and climbing lions

Why Lake is unmissable

Small enough to cross in an afternoon yet dense with surprises, Manyara compresses five distinct habitats into 330 square kilometres. The forest at the gate booms with birdcalls; the acacia woodlands shelter the park's famous arboreal lions; the lake itself hosts hippos, pelicans and the greatest flamingo shows in the north. Hemingway called it 'the loveliest I had seen in Africa' — and he was not easily impressed.

Pressed against the sheer Rift Valley wall, Lake Manyara is a sliver of the extraordinary: groundwater forest dripping with vines, tree-climbing lions, bellowing troops of a thousand baboons, and a soda lake that blushes pink with up to a million flamingos.

History & heritage

Protected since 1960, Manyara lent its name to a landmark 1966 study of baboon behaviour that remains a foundation of primatology. The lake's Maasai name — emanyara — refers to a type of homestead spear. Beneath the Rift wall, hot springs bubble out of the escarpment at Maji Moto, proof of the tectonic forces that built this landscape.

Wildlife

The cast of characters.

Who lives here

Tree-climbing lion

Yellow baboon (huge troops)

African elephant

Flamingo

Great white pelican

Blue monkey

Cape buffalo

Giraffe

Hippo

Nile monitor

Where to stay

Beds with a view.

Sleep in style

Escarpment lodges with lake panoramas
Forest-edge tented camps
Karatu-based highland lodges nearby
Luxury camps at Mto wa Mbu

Gallery

Postcards, kept wild.

Through our lens

Things to do

Days well spent.

Signature activities

01

Forest birding

400+ species including silvery-cheeked hornbills and narina trogons.

02

Tree-lion search

Scan the acacia branches for Manyara's most famous oddity.

03

Lakeshore game drives

Hippos, pelicans and endless pink lines of flamingo.

04

Treetop walkway

A canopy-level suspension bridge walk in the forest (outside park).

05

Escarpment sundowners

Drinks above the lake on the Rift wall as the valley glows.

Travel tips

Insider knowledge.

From our guides

01Enter with the morning light — the forest gate zone is the best birding in the north.
02Tree-climbing lions favour the acacia woodlands mid-park; look up.
03The flamingo numbers peak with the water levels — ask us for the current outlook.
04Combines perfectly with Ngorongoro (1 hour) on any circuit.
05The Rift Valley escarpment viewpoint outside the gate deserves a photo stop.

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