Northern Tanzania

Lake Manyara National Park

Compact but Extraordinary — Tree-Climbing Lions and Flamingo Shores

Best Time

July–October (dry season, best wildlife viewing)

Park Fees

$53/person/day

UNESCO

Area

330 km²

Key Wildlife

Tree-Climbing Lion, Hippo, Elephant

About Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara National Park is one of Tanzania's smallest but most diverse parks, packing an extraordinary range of habitats into just 330 square kilometers. From the alkaline lake that gives the park its name to groundwater forests, open grasslands, and steep escarpments, Manyara offers remarkable variety in a compact area.

The park is most famous for its tree-climbing lions — one of only two places in Tanzania (the other being the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda) where lions regularly rest in acacia trees. The behavior is thought to be an adaptation to avoid the heat and biting flies on the ground.

Lake Manyara itself is a shallow alkaline lake that attracts thousands of flamingos during the wet season, creating a pink carpet along the shoreline. The lake also supports large populations of hippos, which can be observed wallowing in the shallows.

The groundwater forest on the park's eastern side is home to troops of baboons and blue monkeys, as well as the rare silvery-cheeked hornbill. A canopy walkway offers a unique perspective of the forest from above.