Destinations

Lake Manyara National Park

Location: Manyara Region, Northern Tanzania
Area: 325 km² (lake covers 200 km²)
Best Known For: Tree-climbing lions, flamingos
Bird Species: 400+
Terrain: Forest, bushland, alkaline lake
Rift Escarpment: 600m cliffs forming the western wall
Best Season: June–October and Jan–Feb
Closest City: Arusha (1.5–2 hours drive)

Tree-Climbing Lions · Flamingos · Rift Valley Escarpment

A Hidden Gem of the Northern Circuit

Lake Manyara National Park is one of Tanzania's most underrated gems. Despite covering only 325 km², the park packs in an extraordinary variety of habitats — from dense groundwater forest to open bush and the alkaline lake itself. The park is sandwiched between the Rift Valley escarpment and Lake Manyara.

The park is famous for its tree-climbing lions — a unique behaviour found in only two places in the world (Lake Manyara and Queen Elizabeth NP in Uganda). Nobody is quite sure why the lions climb, but it is thought to be related to insects, temperature, or simply curiosity.

Wildlife Highlights

Tree-climbing lions are the star attraction. Elephants are common — very relaxed and habituated to vehicles. Flamingos: during the right conditions hundreds of thousands of flamingos line the lake shore in a spectacular pink display. Large pods of hippos wallow in the lake shallows. Baboons, colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys inhabit the forest. Giraffes, buffalos, wildebeest, zebras roam the open areas.

Birdlife

Lake Manyara is a birder's paradise with over 400 species recorded. The alkaline lake attracts massive flocks of lesser and greater flamingos. Yellow-billed storks, open-billed storks, African spoonbills, various herons and egrets, fish eagles, and an enormous variety of woodland species all inhabit the park.