Lake Manyara National Park
Welcome to Lake Manyara National Park
The insider's travel guide to Lake Manyara National ParkOn the edge of Lake Manyara, the Lake Manyara National Park is a forested area of land, sitting below the Great Rift escarpment.
The lake is populated by over 350 species of birds, such as ostriches, as well as being the feeding ground for roughly 1,900,000 flamingos and is a popular park for birdwatchers.
There is also the chance to spot tree-climbing lions, herds of elephants, hippos and giraffes as well as migrations of zebras and wildebeest passing through the area.
The Lake Manyara National Park atlas
5 picks Places & Experiences You Won't Find Elsewhere-
I tend to use Manyara Green Camp when I want people to experience Lake Manyara as more than a drive-through park. The camp is small and lightweight, and that suits the setting. It sits in a quieter part of the park, which allows time to slow down rather than rushing between sightings. What works well here is the balance between walking, cycling and vehicle-based exploration. Being able to get out on foot or on bikes changes how you read the landscape, especially in a park that’s as varied as Manyara, with forest, groundwater springs and open areas all compressed into a relatively small space. The camp itself is simple and functional. Tents are comfortable enough without trying to imitate a lodge, and the focus stays firmly on time spent outside. It’s a good place to begin a journey, particularly for travellers who want to ease into safari at a more measured pace.
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Situated a short distance northwest of Tarangire, scenic Lake Manyara National Park sits in the shadow of a dramatic stretch of the Great Rift escarpment. The park’s centrepiece is the lake for which it is named, but it also protects large areas of acacia woodland, groundwater fig forest, and grassy floodplain. Manyara is a haven for birdwatchers. At least 400 bird species have been recorded, with aquatic birds and raptors being especially well represented. The park is also famous for its tree-climbing lions, and for hosting one of Tanzania’s most-studied elephant populations. In addition to game drives, guided walking safaris are possible, and there’s a treetop walkway that takes you up into the forest canopy.
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Best safari lodge for: Top guides and treehouse vibe I love the upmarket Tarzan experience offered by the 10 luxury treehouse suites that comprise &Beyond's Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. Set in a luxuriant mahogany forest, this exclusive lodge is also arguably the best base for Lake Manyara safaris, not least because it lies so deep in the park you can explore roads seldom visited by people staying elsewhere. The lodge’s guides know the park backwards, which greatly increases the odds of locating Manyara’s famous tree-climbing lions.
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Best safari lodge for: A convenient base with excellent views One of my favourite places to stay in all of Tanzania, Best View Lodge is situated at the top of the Rift Valley Escarpment with incredible views in all directions. I’ve sat on the veranda here, gin and tonic in hand, gazing at some life changing sunsets: the vast escarpment wall in one direction, farms below, and Lake Manyara ahead glistening in the evening light. The lodge is perfectly situated for exploring Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, and Ngorongoro Crater all from the same base, which is one of the reasons I recommend it to almost all our guests. And when you’re back from a day of walking safaris and game drives, the staff are wonderfully warm and helpful, the rooms are comfortable and the food is delicious. You can’t really go wrong here, it’s one of the best.
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Tanzania’s ‘northern circuit’ of Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro and the Serengeti is by far the country’s most popular safari region. This quartet of parks has some of the best wildlife viewing on earth, a good range of accommodations, and they can all be strung together in a convenient, compact trip. But all that convenience comes at a cost. Although Tanzania doesn’t suffer from quite the same overcrowding as in Kenya’s Masai Mara, the Serengeti and other northern circuit parks do get uncomfortably busy in places. This itinerary is my preferred way to fit in all the parks without straying into the more crowded zones, or spending too much time in transit. To optimise your time we fit in a game drive while travelling to the next location wherever possible. Another problem is that people often assume visiting Tanzania is just about seeing animals. In actual fact, doing several game drives (often on bumpy tracks) every single day can get pretty exhausting! In my experience, people have a much more enjoyable time when the itinerary allows for some time out of the 4X4 with opportunities to meet some of the people and communities who live here. A word of caution: There are some fairly dubious “Maasai village” experiences offered here and in Kenya – lots of these are staged and feel quite exploitative. There are sensitive and respectful ways of meeting local community members, which I’ve outlined in this suggested itinerary.
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Manyara Green Camp
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Best for flamingos & birdwatching
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Lake Manyara Tree Lodge
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Manyara Best View Lodge
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The best Tanzania northern circuit itinerary
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