compact, lush and full of surprises — manyara packs forest, soda lake, and open plains into one easy, beautiful day. tree-climbing lions, thousands of flamingos, and birdlife everywhere you look. it's the perfect gentle opening to a northern journey, and we make the most of every hour.
"The loveliest [park] I had seen in Africa."
— Ernest Hemingway
lake manyara is the small park that keeps on surprising. stretched along the base of the great rift valley escarpment, it packs an extraordinary range of habitats into just 330 square kilometres — groundwater forest dense enough to hide elephants, baobab-studded acacia woodland, the vast alkaline lake itself, and the scarred red cliffs of the rift rising 670 metres above the floor.
it's most famous for one thing: the tree-climbing lions. found in only two african parks, these lions have learned to drape themselves across the high branches of ancient acacia and fig trees — partly to escape the heat, partly the tsetse flies, perhaps partly just because they can. to round a corner and find a lioness asleep on a branch six metres above you is one of the great surprises of any safari.
but manyara is far more than its tree lions. the lake itself shifts with the season — from a glittering soda flat to a vast pink mirror of flamingos. the hot springs of maji moto bubble up out of the rift floor. the groundwater forest at the entrance hides a healthy herd of elephants and the largest gathering of olive baboons in east africa. and the treetop walkway — a canopy-level suspension bridge through the upper forest — offers a view of the bush most travellers never get to see.
manyara is rarely a place you stay for several nights on its own. but as the perfect first or last stop on a northern circuit — a half-day or one-night welcome to tanzanian wildlife — it's hard to beat. hemingway, who hunted here in 1933, called it "the loveliest [park] i had seen in africa." it still holds up.
of all the world's 35,000 wild lions, only two populations regularly climb trees — those here at lake manyara, and those in uganda's queen elizabeth national park. nobody is quite sure why.
the lions of manyara learned to climb perhaps 50 years ago — the habit passed down from mother to cub. they go up yellow-barked fever trees and ancient figs, sometimes 8 metres high, drape themselves over a fork, and sleep for hours.
the popular theories: to escape the heat of the rift-valley floor, to dodge the dense tsetse flies near the ground, or to watch for prey across the open lake plains. most likely all three, woven together into a tradition.
the lions favour the acacia woodland between hippo pool and the mahali pa nyati area. watch for tails dangling from the branches. they're most often in view from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, when they're sheltering from the heat.
there are perhaps 25 lions left in manyara. the habit is fragile — if a generation forgets it, it could vanish. park authorities and researchers watch the prides carefully. every sighting is a privilege.
manyara is often written off as a half-day stop — and that's a mistake. here are six reasons it earns at least one overnight on any thoughtful northern circuit.
only two populations of tree-climbing lions exist anywhere in the world. manyara's — perhaps 25 of them — are reliably seen between hippo pool and mahali pa nyati through the dry season.
the lush groundwater forest at the park entrance — fed by underground springs from the escarpment — is unlike anywhere else on the northern circuit. towering figs, mahoganies, and the densest baboon population in east africa.
the shallow alkaline lake covers up to two-thirds of the park in wet years. pink with flamingos in season, dotted with hippo pods, fringed by hot springs — a photographer's dream.
a suspended canopy walkway gives you a primate's-eye view of the groundwater forest — looking down on elephants and bushbuck while colobus monkeys leap through the branches around you.
manyara is one of east africa's finest birding sites. pink-backed pelicans, african fish eagles, dozens of egret and heron species, and — in season — hundreds of thousands of flamingos.
just 2 hours from arusha, manyara works beautifully as the first or last stop on a northern circuit — or as a relaxed half-day with a pause in mto wa mbu village. no long drives, wildlife straight away.
manyara packs an extraordinary variety into 330 square kilometres — elephants in the forest, flamingos on the lake, and lions up in the trees.
tree-climbing specialists
east africa's densest troops
forest herds
lake manyara at peak
hippo pool resident
lakeshore herds
acacia browsers
forest canopy
lake manyara rewards every season — but each month wears a different face. here's a month-by-month guide to help you plan.
lush vegetation, lake at high water. spectacular birding.
beautiful skies. migratory birds present. lake full.
wet afternoons. lake at peak. photography light spectacular.
some roads challenging. birding extraordinary. low rates.
plains glow emerald. lake still full. quiet roads.
wildlife concentrates. tree-climbing lions visible.
cool, dry, sunny. predator activity high.
lions in trees regularly seen. cool mornings.
the single best month for tree lions. book ahead.
driest period. wildlife concentrates at hot springs.
brief showers. lake refills. beautiful light.
manageable crowds, beautiful, value rates.
Activity
01
half-day or full-day drives crossing all of manyara's habitats — from the groundwater forest at the entrance, through the acacia woodland (where the tree lions rest), down to the lakeshore where flamingos and hippos gather.
Activity
02
a 370-metre suspended canopy walkway through the groundwater forest — six platforms linked by gently swaying bridges, rising to 18 metres above the forest floor. colobus monkeys close by, and bird's-eye views of elephants below.
Activity
03
allowed only with a park ranger, night drives open up manyara's after-dark life — civets, genets, bushbabies, owls, leopards on the move, and hippos out of the water. spotlights handled by your guide. two-hour evening drives.
Activity
04
guided mountain-bike trips along the rim of the rift valley escarpment above the lake — through mto wa mbu village, banana plantations, and maasai grazing land. wonderful views, gentle terrain, and a real sense of the place.
Activity
05
when the lake is high (dec–may), guided canoe trips give you a water-level view of hippos, water birds, and the rift escarpment rising above. offered by a handful of operators, in season only.
Activity
06
a community-led walking tour of mto wa mbu — one of tanzania's most diverse villages, home to people from more than 120 of the country's 130 tribes. banana plantations, traditional markets, and a meal in a family home.
lake manyara offers places to stay across three tiers — from five-star indulgence for honeymooners to warm, great-value camps with real character. we work across all of them, and we choose for fit, never for commission.
from $720 — $1,650 per person per night
breathtaking lodges perched on the escarpment 670 metres above the lake, with private decks, plunge pools, and views right across the rift valley floor. many offer the canopy walk and night drives.
from $280 — $520 per person per night
comfortable lodges either on the escarpment rim or in the nearby karatu valley. lovely food, full game-drive programmes, and most of the same sightings as the luxury tier.
from $180 — $320 per person per night
tented camps and family lodges around mto wa mbu, at the foot of the escarpment. the most personal of all — small operations, warm welcomes, and surprisingly close encounters with both the village and the wildlife.
lake manyara is just under 2 hours from arusha — the closest national park entry on the northern circuit. it works beautifully as the first stop on a circuit, or as a final relaxed day before you fly home.
1.5 to 2 hours by good tarmac from arusha, and the descent off the escarpment opens up sweeping views of the lake and rift floor. the drive itself is part of the safari.
daily flights from arusha and kilimanjaro to manyara airstrip — a 30-minute hop. handy when time is tight, or for connecting straight on to the serengeti.
pair manyara with tarangire (45 min), ngorongoro (1.5 hrs) and serengeti (4 hrs). often the first overnight stop on a multi-park northern circuit.
park entry is $59 per adult per day, $18 for children 5–15. the treetop walkway is $45 per adult, $25 per child. it's all wrapped into our standard itinerary pricing.
two years of guiding lake manyara means we've answered these questions many times over. if there's something we haven't covered, just ask — we reply to every enquiry within 24 hours.
every con bush safaris journey is built around you — your dates, your budget, your dreams. tell us when you'd like to travel, and we'll shape an itinerary that puts you among the forest, lake and lions at exactly the right moment.