Lake Manyara National Park
A soda-lake park at the foot of the East African Rift wall. Groundwater-fed forests host baboon troops and the famous tree-climbing lions, and flamingos gather at the lake shore.
Lake Manyara National Park lies at the base of the western escarpment of the East African Rift, covering about 330 square km, most of which is lake. Hemingway called it 'the most beautiful place I have seen in Africa.' At the park entrance is a dense forest fed by underground springs, where hundreds of olive baboons and blue monkeys are common. To the south lie open grasslands and acacia woodland, home to elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and hippo pools. Manyara is famous for its tree-climbing lions, which often rest on acacia branches, though sightings are not guaranteed. During the wet season, large numbers of flamingos, pelicans, and storks gather at the shallow soda lake, making it a top birdwatching destination. The park also has a Treetop Walkway. Entrance fee is about USD 59 per person per 24 hours (tax included). Getting there: It's about 2 hours by car from Arusha. The entrance is beside Mto wa Mbu town. Manyara is usually visited as a half-day or full-day game drive on the way to Ngorongoro along the northern circuit. Mto wa Mbu town offers banana plantation visits and cultural villages of several ethnic groups. Note: Mosquitoes and tsetse flies are common in the forest, so take precautions.
Opening hours
06:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Mto wa Mbu Cultural Tourism
- Lake Manyara Treetop Walkway
- Karatu Coffee Farms (Gibb's Farm)
- Ngorongoro Crater
- Tarangire River
- Lake Eyasi & Hadzabe
- Maasai Cultural Boma (Ngorongoro)
- Tarangire National Park