Lake Manyara National Park stretches for 50 kilometres along the foot of the rusty gold Rift Valley escarpment, which rises 600 metres above it. Ernest Hemingway called it "the loveliest I had seen in Africa". The park covers around 325 square kilometres, of which the lake itself takes up about 230, and it lies roughly 126 kilometres southwest of Arusha and 55 kilometres from the Ngorongoro Crater.
Manyara is famous for its pink flamingos, which gather in their thousands and sometimes millions to feed on the alkaline water, along with great flocks of pelicans, cormorants, storks and herons. The park is also home to large herds of elephants and to lions that are known for climbing trees.
The area was used for sport hunting as far back as the 1920s, became a game reserve around 1957 and was given national park status around 1960. It is a natural first or last stop on Tanzania’s northern safari circuit.
June to September is the best time to visit, with the peak season in July and August.
Manyara’s lions are known for resting in the branches of trees, one of the park’s most memorable sights.
Thousands of pink flamingos, and at times millions, feed on the alkaline water below the escarpment, joined by pelicans, cormorants, storks and herons.
The park supports large herds of elephants that move between the forest, the lakeshore and the foot of the escarpment.
A 10-day Tanzania safari designed to show clear value-for-money, sensible lodge tiers, and enough wildlife time to avoid feeling rushed.
Tanzania
national park
Park entry fees are confirmed in your quotation, and proof of identity is requested at the gate. The gates are open from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily.
A 8-day Tanzania safari designed to show clear value-for-money, sensible lodge tiers, and enough wildlife time to avoid feeling rushed.
A 6-day Tanzania safari designed to show clear value-for-money, sensible lodge tiers, and enough wildlife time to avoid feeling rushed.