MANYARA NATIONAL PARK

Lake Manyara National Park - A gem in the Great Rift Valley

Ernest Hemingway once called it the most beautiful landscape he had ever seen in Africa. Ideal as a first impression of northern Tanzania. A place that shows new sides with every visit. Small in area, big in experience.

Geographical location: The gateway to the safari tour in the north

Lake Manyara National Park is located just under 120 kilometers southwest of Arusha – a driving time of about one and a half to two hours on a well-developed road. This makes it the most easily accessible national park of the entire northern Tanzanian safari system.

It covers a total area of around 325 square kilometres and is located at the western foot of the Rift Valley Escarpment, which rises at an impressive height of up to 600 metres above the valley floor. The lake itself – shallow, alkaline, full of life – takes up to two-thirds of the park’s area in the rainy season. The water has no drainage; it is fed by rivers that flow down from the cliffs, as well as underground hot springs in the south of the park.

The park is located on the direct route between Arusha and the Ngorongoro Crater. The Kwa-Kuchinja Game Corridor connects it ecologically with Tarangire National Park in the east. So if you combine Tarangire, Lake Manyara, and the Ngorongoro Crater, you will experience three completely different ecosystems that nevertheless complement each other to form a single large, contiguous animal kingdom.

What Makes Lake Manyara Unique: A Comparison with Other Parks

The Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater are world-famous. Lake Manyara is the gem that many travelers underestimate

The unique selling points of Lake Manyara:

Tree-climbing lions – a phenomenon that occurs only sporadically in the Serengeti and Tarangire outside Lake Manyara in northern Tanzania. Lake Manyara is the most famous and reliable place to observe this rare behavior.
Six completely different habitats in a very small area – groundwater forest, acacia savannah, open grassy plains, swamps, salt flats, and the alkaline lake surface. No other park in northern Tanzania offers this density of habitats in such a small area.
Over 400 species of birds – Lake Manyara is one of the most important birding areas in East Africa. No other park in northern Tanzania achieves this diversity in such a compact form.
Night game drive in the national park – Lake Manyara is one of the few national parks in Tanzania where night driving is officially allowed. Leopards, civets, porcupines, and bush babies only appear in the spotlight.
Canopy Walkway – the 370 metre treetop walk through the mahogany groundwater forest offers a perspective of the wilderness that no game drive can replace.
Cultural diversity in Mto wa Mbu – the market town at the park entrance is home to over 120 different Tanzanian ethnic groups. A cultural encounter here is as dense and authentic as anywhere else in northern Tanzania.

Sights & Must-Go Places in Lake Manyara National Park

The tree-climbing lions – the mystery of science

Lions in trees – this behavior is so unusual that biologists still have no uniform explanation for it. Warmth, insect repellent, relaxation? Probably altogether. In Lake Manyara, lions rest on the branches of fig and liver sausage trees with astonishing regularity. The early morning hours and the cool evening hours are the best times to spot the lions in the trees.

The groundwater forest at the north entrance – green, cool, wild

Anyone who enters the park through the north gate is immediately immersed in a dense, evergreen forest. Mahogany and fig giants create a shady roof under which hundreds of vervet monkeys, baboon troops, sometimes several hundred individuals, and shy duikers roam through the undergrowth. This forest is also the heart of the canopy walkway and offers excellent birdwatching conditions: silver-cheeked squirrels, small bee-eaters, and fish shoals are at home here. For our guests, who come directly from dry Arusha, this entrance forest seems like a green shock – in the best sense of the word

Hippo Pool and Silale Swamp – Compact Wildlife

The hippo pool is one of the most reliable wildlife spots in the park: dozens of hippos lie here tightly packed in the shallow water, puffing, fighting, and sleeping. You smell the pool when you get closer before you see it. The Silale Swamp next door is a waterfowl haven and attracts large herds of elephants that wallow and drink in the shallow water. Compared to the Serengeti or the Tarangire, these encounters take place in a confined space – the animals close, the light good, the atmosphere intimate. This is exactly what our guests appreciate about Lake Manyara: no hours-long journey, no waiting, immediate immersion in the safari action.

Flamingos on the lakeshore – Pink spectacle

When the water level is right, and the concentration of algae in the alkaline lake is high, thousands of lesser flamingos and pink flamingos gather on the shore, turning the shallow lake surface a bright pink. This spectacle is most likely in the late rainy season in late May, early June, when salt and algae are concentrated.

Canopy Walkway – Safari View from Above

The 370-metre treetop walk leads gently uphill through the canopy of the groundwater forest. At this altitude, you will meet the birds at eye level, watch vervet monkeys jumping from branch to branch, and occasionally have an unobstructed view over the lake and the rift valley’s steep wall. This experience is perfect for guests who don’t just want to observe nature but want to experience it physically.

Maji Moto – The hot springs in the south

Maji Moto is Swahili and simply means “hot water”. In the little-visited south of the park are these geothermal hotspots that bring warm, mineral-rich water to the surface. Klipspringers hop on the rocks, and rare bird species use the heat-fed vegetation. The south of Lake Manyara is known to very few tourists – an untouched wilderness and ideal for great photos.

Night Game Drive – The Park Never Sleeps

Lake Manyara – like Tarangire National Park – is one of the few parks in Tanzania that allows official night game drives. Equipped with spotlights and red lights, you discover a completely different world: leopards on the hunt for prey, bush babies with large glowing eyes, porcupines, civets, and aardvarks. For guests who have already visited the park during the day, the night drive is the big aha experience. We organize this program regularly and know the best routes and entry times.

Best time to visit Lake Manyara

The park can be visited all year round. We think there is no bad time to visit Lake Manyara. Just different priorities.

June to October – Dry season: Wildlife high season

The great dry season from June to October is the classic safari high season – and for good reason. The grass is low, water points are becoming scarce, and the animals concentrate on a few points. This is ideal for wildlife watching: large herds of elephants on the Silale marsh edge, herds of buffalo in the open areas, lions in trees in clear light.

Best conditions for big game viewing, as the vegetation is thinner
Increased chances of seeing tree-climbing lions
Pleasant temperatures (18 to 28 degrees), ideal for early morning game drives
Can be combined well with the great migration of the Serengeti (July to October)
Dry paths – no restrictions on vehicles in the park

November to December – Short rainy season: green season with bird explosion

The short rainy season from November to December transforms Lake Manyara into a lush green. Migratory birds from Europe and Asia arrive, the lake fills with water and flamingos come in large numbers. For photographers and bird lovers, this is an excellent time.

Up to 400 bird species at the same time – high season for birders
Dramatic green landscape in front of the Rift Valley Steep Face – perfect photo opportunity
Significantly fewer tourist vehicles in the park – more exclusive experiences
Cheaper prices in many lodges and camps
Good flamingo presence on the lakeshore

January to February – intermediate dryness: insider tip for connoisseurs

Between the two rainy seasons, there is a short dry period in January and February – little known, very pleasant. The vegetation is still green, the animals are active and well distributed, and tourism figures are low. For guests who are flexible in their travel planning, this is an attractive alternative to the high season.

Low visitor numbers – hardly any other vehicles in the park
Can be combined with the nesting season of the flamingos at the lake
Also ideal for families with children who are not yet of school age.
Often the lowest prices of the whole year

March to May – Big rainy season: Yes – But

The big rainy season from March to May is the most demanding time to travel. Roads can get muddy, and the vegetation is dense. Nevertheless, this period offers an advantage: complete exclusivity. In an enclosed 4×4 with an experienced driver and not afraid of rain, you will experience Lake Manyara in its most lush, wild form.

Our conclusion for Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara is ideal as the first or last stop on a longer safari tour. But those who are only passing through see great things, but do not experience them. That’s why we recommend at least one night in or near the park. The night game drive, the early morning canopy walk, and the hours of sunshine on the lakeshore take time. Take it.

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