DESTINATION GUIDE // TANZANIA
Lake Manyara National Park
A narrow strip of forest, lake and escarpment, famous for lions that climb trees.
325 km2
PARK AREA
230 km2
IS LAKE
126 km
FROM ARUSHA
400+
BIRD SPECIES
Tree lions
SIGNATURE SIGHT
GENERAL OVERVIEW
About Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara is a narrow strip of park pressed between the Great Rift Valley escarpment and the lake it is named for, about 330 square kilometres in total of which the lake itself covers roughly 230 when full. That leaves a band of land only a few kilometres wide in places, which is why the habitat changes so abruptly as you drive.
In the space of an hour you pass through groundwater forest fed by springs at the base of the escarpment, then acacia woodland, then open floodplain, then the soda lake shore. Ernest Hemingway called the setting the loveliest he had seen in Africa, and the escarpment rising 600 metres behind the water is the reason.
It is the smallest of the northern circuit parks and the first one most itineraries reach from Arusha, which makes it a natural half day or overnight rather than a multi day stop. What it lacks in size it makes up for in variety, with over 400 bird species recorded and the highest biomass density of large mammals per square kilometre of any Tanzanian park.
WILDLIFE AND LANDSCAPES
Species And Terrain
Tree climbing lions. Manyara shares this behaviour with the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth in Uganda and few other places. The lions here rest in acacia and sausage trees through the heat of the day. Sightings are far from guaranteed, and honest operators say so.
Elephant. Large numbers in the groundwater forest, at close quarters on narrow forest roads.
Baboons. Manyara has one of the largest olive baboon populations in Africa, in troops that can run to several hundred animals. They are impossible to miss.
Other mammals. Buffalo, giraffe, zebra, impala, bushbuck, waterbuck, blue monkey and hippo at the Hippo Pool on the lake edge. Leopard are present and rarely seen.
Flamingo and birds. Lesser flamingo on the soda lake in numbers that rise and fall with water level, plus pelican, storks and over 400 species overall. This is one of the best short birding stops in northern Tanzania.
THINGS TO DO
Activities In The Park
Game drives. The main circuit runs from the northern gate through the groundwater forest to the Hippo Pool and the Maji Moto hot springs at the southern end.
Treetop canopy walkway. A 370 metre suspended walkway up to eighteen metres above the groundwater forest floor, the only one of its kind in northern Tanzania. Around an hour and suitable for most visitors.
Night game drives. Permitted here, unlike most Tanzanian parks, and good for genet, civet, bushbaby and occasionally leopard.
Walking safaris. Guided walks with an armed ranger on the escarpment and along the lake shore.
Canoeing. Possible on the lake when water levels allow, though it is frequently suspended when the lake is low or high.
Maji Moto hot springs. Springs at the southern end of the park reaching about 60 degrees.
Cycling and cultural tours. Around Mto wa Mbu village at the park gate, one of the more genuinely multi-ethnic villages in Tanzania.
WHY VISIT
What Lake Manyara Is Known For
Variety in a very small space. Forest, woodland, floodplain and soda lake in a park you can drive across in an afternoon means the drive itself keeps changing, which is not true of the bigger northern parks.
The activities are the second reason. Night drives, walking safaris and a canopy walkway are all things the Serengeti and Ngorongoro do not permit, so Manyara adds something to a circuit rather than repeating it.
And it is on the way. The park gate sits at Mto wa Mbu on the main road from Arusha to the crater, so a half day here costs almost nothing in travel time.
Be realistic about the tree climbing lions. They are the park’s marketing image and they are genuinely present, but you should treat a sighting as a bonus rather than the reason to come.
ENTRY FEES
Park Fees And Practicalities
Park entry for non-resident adults is around 59 US dollars per person per day, with children aged five to fifteen at roughly 18 dollars. Under fives enter free. Fees are set by TANAPA and VAT at 18 per cent applies to Tanzanian park charges, with quoted rates varying as to whether it is included.
The canopy walkway is charged separately at around 25 dollars per person. Night game drives and guided walking safaris are also priced individually and must be arranged in advance with the park.
Vehicle entry fees apply on top. Tickets run for 24 hours from entry, so an overnight inside the park crossing that mark triggers a second day.
All fees are prepaid electronically before arrival. We itemise them in the quote so nothing is collected at the gate.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
When To Go
July to October, the dry season. The best general game viewing. Animals concentrate near the lake and the roads are firm. Tree climbing lion sightings are also most frequent in this window.
November to June. Better for birds. Migrants arrive, the flamingo numbers on the lake are usually higher and the forest is at its greenest.
April and May, the long rains. The lake floods, some southern tracks close and the park is at its quietest. Rates drop noticeably.
Because most visits are half a day on the way to the crater, season matters less here than it does further along the circuit. The groundwater forest and the canopy walk work in any weather.
GETTING THERE
How To Reach The Park
By road from Arusha. Around 126 km to the northern gate at Mto wa Mbu, roughly two hours on tarmac. This is the standard approach and the first park on a northern circuit.
From Ngorongoro. About an hour down from the crater rim through Karatu.
From Tarangire. An hour and a half, so the two combine easily into a single day.
By air. Lake Manyara airstrip takes scheduled flights from Arusha, the Serengeti and Zanzibar, which makes it a useful entry point for fly-in itineraries.
Most travellers pass the gate on the way to the crater, so a morning drive here and an afternoon transfer up the escarpment is the usual shape.
WHERE TO STAY
Lodges And Camps
&Beyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. Ten stilted treehouses in the mahogany forest at the remote southern end of the park. The most exclusive option and a long drive from the gate.
Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge. On the escarpment rim above the park with wide views over the lake, mid to upper range.
Escarpment Luxury Lodge. On the rim near Mto wa Mbu with excellent views and a smaller footprint.
Manyara Wildlife Safari Camp. Comfortable tented rooms on the escarpment, good mid range value.
Mto wa Mbu. A range of budget guesthouses and campsites at the gate itself, the cheapest base on the northern circuit.
Many itineraries skip staying here entirely and sleep in Karatu on the way to the crater, which works perfectly well for a half day visit.
TRAVEL TIPS
What To Know Before You Go
Manage lion expectations. The tree climbing lions are real but sightings are uncommon. Come for the forest, the elephants and the birds and treat the lions as a bonus.
Baboons. Very large troops and habituated to vehicles. Keep windows up when parked and never feed them.
Tsetse flies. Present in the woodland sections. Avoid dark blue and black clothing.
Lake levels. The soda lake rises and falls dramatically. Flamingo numbers and canoeing availability both depend on it, so neither can be promised in advance.
Book activities ahead. Night drives, walks and the canopy walkway all need arranging in advance rather than on arrival.
Malaria. Present at this altitude. Prophylaxis is advised.
TOURS WITH US
Safaris With Sola Safari Travels
We use Manyara as the opening half day of a northern circuit: leave Arusha after breakfast, a morning in the groundwater forest and along the lake, lunch at Mto wa Mbu, then up the escarpment to Karatu or the crater rim for the night.
For travellers with more time we add a night on the escarpment so you can do the canopy walk and a night drive, neither of which fits into a half day. Fees and activity bookings are arranged in advance and the trip runs in a private 4×4 with one driver guide throughout.
SAFARI PACKAGES
Safaris That Include Lake Manyara
Manyara opens the northern circuit, usually as a half day on the way to the crater. All departures are private.
5 DAYS / 4 NIGHTS
5 Days Serengeti and Ngorongoro Safari
The endless Serengeti plains and a full morning on the Ngorongoro crater floor.
From $1,100 per person
7 DAYS / 6 NIGHTS
7 Days Kenya and Tanzania
The Masai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in one crossing. Our most booked route.
From $1,590 per person
10 DAYS / 9 NIGHTS
10 Days Ultimate East Africa
Amboseli, the Masai Mara, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater at an unhurried pace.
From $2,360 per person
KEY QUESTIONS
Lake Manyara Safari, Key Questions
Possibly, but do not count on it. Manyara lions do rest in acacia and sausage trees, particularly in the dry season, but sightings are uncommon. The forest elephants, the baboon troops and the birdlife are the reliable draws.
Around 59 US dollars per non-resident adult per day and about 18 dollars for children aged five to fifteen, set by TANAPA. VAT at 18 per cent applies to Tanzanian park charges. The canopy walkway, night drives and walking safaris are charged separately.
For most itineraries yes. The park is small and the main circuit takes three to four hours. A full night lets you add the canopy walk, a night drive or a guided walk, which are the activities the bigger parks do not allow.
A 370 metre suspended walkway up to eighteen metres above the groundwater forest, the only one in northern Tanzania. It takes about an hour, costs roughly 25 dollars and suits most fitness levels.
Numbers depend entirely on water level rather than season. They are generally higher in the wetter months from November to June, but the lake fluctuates and no operator can promise them.
It is the first park out of Arusha, about two hours on tarmac, and sits directly on the road to Ngorongoro. Most itineraries do a morning here then continue up the escarpment the same afternoon.
EXPLORE MORE
Pair Lake Manyara With Other Destinations
The park sits at the foot of the escarpment on the main road west from Arusha.
Your Lake Manyara Safari Starts Here
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