Lake Manyara National Park

Located beneath the cliffs of the Manyara Escarpment on the edge of the Rift Valley, Lake Manyara National Park offers diverse ecosystems, incredible birdlife and breathtaking views.
Located on the road to the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, Lake Manyara National Park is well worth a stop. Its forests, bush plains, baobab-studded cliffs and algae-studded hot springs offer incredible ecological variety in a small area, rich in wildlife and birds in incredible numbers.
From the entrance gate, the road winds through a lush, jungle-like expanse of forest, where troops of baboons numbering in the hundreds bask nonchalantly along the road and blue monkeys nimbly scamper between old mahogany trees.
In contrast to the intimacy of the forest, large herds of buffalo, wildebeest and zebra congregate on the grassy plains, as do the giraffes, some of which are so dark in color that they appear black from a distance.
Manyara is the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife. Over 400 species have been recorded, highlights include thousands of migrating flamingos, as well as other large water birds such as pelicans, cormorants, and storks.

Area: 330 km², of which the lake can reach 200 km² when the water level is high.
Location: Northern Tanzania. The entrance to the park is 126 km west of Arusha, along a newly paved road, near the ethnically diverse market town of Mto wa Mbu.
How to get there: By road or by internal flights from Arusha or any other park.
Possible activities:
– Night safari
– Visit a Maasai village
– Treetop Walk
– Cultural visit of Mto wa Mbu village and local lunch