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Lake Manyara National Park is dominated by a shallow alkaline lake at the base of the Rift Valley escarpment. It is famous for its tree-climbing lions and large elephant herds. The park entrance leads to a jungle-like groundwater forest, which is home to big numbers of olive baboons and blue monkeys. A thrilling 370m/1,200ft-long treetop walkway offers a bird’s-eye view into this unique habitat.
Scenery
The park has a remarkable variety of habitats in a small area. Most notable is the dense, evergreen groundwater forest featuring ancient mahogany and fig trees. Other habitats include the grassy floodplain, rocky escarpment, and acacia woodland, all of which can be covered in a half-day visit. Deeper into the park, a visit to the hot springs (Maji Moto) is recommended.
Activities
You’ll see a lot of different wildlife quickly on game drives, but there are other ways to get close to nature in the park. On a night drive you’ll have a chance to find creatures that are active at night, and on a canoe safari you might possibly see the big flocks of pink-hued flamingos for which the park is famous. Lake Manyara can also be explored on foot on a walking safari. And if your nerves can take it, the treetop walkway is a must.
From: $152 to $651 pp/day
From: June to October (Easier to spot animals)
From: July to March (The northern section gets crowded)
From: 330km² / 127mi²
Lake Manyara National Park is known for its legendary tree-climbing lions and impressively tusked elephants. Large buffalo, wildebeest, and zebra herds gather on the grassy plains. The escarpment is home to a dense leopard population, but you’ll need some luck to see one of these secretive big cats.
Wildlife Highlights
The forest patch at the entrance of the park is home to habituated troops of olive baboons and blue monkeys. The occasional bushbuck can also be spotted here, darting off in the undergrowth. Cute little dik-diks with their Bambi eyes and wriggly noses are common, and klipspringer pairs are sometimes seen balancing on the rocks at the far south of the park.
Best Time for Wildlife Viewing
Although Lake Manyara offers reasonable wildlife viewing throughout the year, the Dry season (June to October) is the best time. Wildlife is easier to spot because vegetation is thinner and animals gather around predictable water sources. The Wet season (November to May) offers the most beautiful scenery, but March and April tend to have a lot of rainfall.
The climate in Lake Manyara National Park is pleasantly warm. Average temperatures are consistent throughout the year. It is very rarely extremely hot, but it is often chilly during the evening and early morning. Taking warm clothing along on early morning game drives is recommended.
Lake Manyara's Dry season is from June to October. The Wet season consists of two rainy periods: the short rains (November to December) and the long rains (March to May), with a dry spell in between. It rarely rains the whole day.
Dry Season –June to October
It is usually sunny and bright and it hardly ever rains.
Wet Season –November to May
It is warm in the Wet season, with temperatures peaking in the afternoon around 28°C/82°F. Nighttime temperatures are around 19°C/66°F.
Lake Manyara National Park is part of the popular Northern safari circuit. Arusha is the gateway town and the best way to get there is to fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), which is about 50km/31 mi from Arusha. It is also possible to fly into Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) in Dar es Salaam and fly on to Arusha Airport (ARK) or Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO).
There are flights from Arusha and Serengeti National Park to Lake Manyara's airstrip, but the trip from Arusha on the tarred road only takes 1½ hours* by car.
Coming from the Ngorongoro Crater, the driving time is about 2 hours* to cover the 80km/50 mi.
*Driving times are only a rough indication. You should always consider the possibility of significant delays.
Airlines & Ticket Prices
Please check Sky scanner to see which airlines can take you to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) or Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR), and what tickets would cost.
Domestic Flights
In most cases, flights between parks are booked by your tour operator as part of your safari package. Domestic flights can be booked with local carriers:
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Arusha
Tanzania - Arusha