Lake Manyara National Park .
Lake Manyara
Located among Tarangire National Park and Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara National Park is an easy addition to a Northern Circuit safari.
However, it’s well worth a visit in its own right, famous for its exclusive ecologies overflowing with diverse wildlife. This pocket-sized version of the Serengeti is host to at least 11 different ecosystems, with groundwater forests, floodplains, hot springs, and open savannahs.
Game Drives in Lake Manyara National Park
The popularity of the park is covered in Lake Manyara, a beautiful soda lake that invites hippos, pink flamingos, and more than 300 other migratory birds.
Lake Manyara National Park also claims one of the world’s highest absorptions of large mammals. You’ll possibly spot huge herds of elephants and the renowned tree-climbing lions, along with great populations of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, giraffe, warthog, impala and waterbuck.
If you’re intense to spot some primates, keep your eyes peeled for the resident baboon, vervet monkey, common monkey, and nocturnal bushbabies. The park is also home to leopards and hyenas, although they are more difficult to spot.
Bordered by the Great Rift Valley in the west, and set beneath the cliffs of the Manyara Escarpment, Lake Manyara is part of the Lake Manyara Biosphere Reserve, making it one of the best-protected areas for wildlife in Tanzania.
Top highlights
- Incredible tree-climbing lions.
- Huge herds of elephants.
- Highly concentrated wildlife in a relatively small park.
- Excellent birdwatching.
- Unique and beautiful natural scenery.
- Night safaris and hiking available.
Quick facts
- Number of Annual Visitors: Approximately 180,000
- Size: 325 km2
- Common Animal Sightings: Elephants, hippo, flamingo, lion, wildebeest, buffalo, giraffe, impala, waterbuck, zebra, warthog, zebra, baboon, monkeys.
Best time to visit Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara National Park can be visited all year round, with something special to see in every season. If you’d like to see the park’s abundant big game, visit during the dry winter season from June to October, when wildlife viewing is at its best, and you can also witness the Great Migration in the surrounding northern parks.
If you’d like to see the park’s birdlife and pink flamingos, visit between November and April, when migrant species arrive and resident birds display their colourful breeding plumage. The lake is also at its prime during this season, with lush green foliage dotted with bright pink flamingos.
How to get to Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park is the ideal addition to your Northern Circuit itinerary in Tanzania, as it’s only a three-hour drive from Ngorongoro Conservation Area or Tarangire National Park, and a five-hour drive from Serengeti National Park.
You can also reach Lake Manyara in just two hours from Arusha, or fly from Arusha Airport to Lake Manyara Airport (LKY). Flights take 30 minutes and you will be met on arrival by a representative for your transfer to your lodge.
Where to stay in Tarangire National Park
Our favorite luxury lodges and camps in Lake Manyara National Park:
- Lake Manyara Kilimamoja Lodge
- Lake Manyara Serena Lodge
- Lake Manyara Tree Lodge
- Manyara Ranch Conservancy
- Escarpment Luxury Lodge
- Kirurumo Manyara Lodge
- View all Lodges and Camps in Lake Manyara
Safaris to Lake Manyara
Ready for Safari!?
“Let’s Plan together, Lake Manyara is amazing”