Lake Manyara

“Lake Manyara is famous for lions that climb trees - an unusual habit found in few places - lounging in the acacias above a soda lake that turns pink with flamingos.”

About Lake Manyara

Lake Manyara was protected as a national park to safeguard its lake, forest and the wildlife funnelled along the base of the Rift Valley escarpment. Its groundwater forest and birdlife drew early attention, and the conservationist Iain Douglas-Hamilton conducted pioneering elephant research here. Part of the northern safari circuit and a biosphere reserve, Manyara is valued for the diversity it concentrates in a small area and for its distinctive tree-climbing lions, even as lake levels and flamingo numbers shift with the seasons.

Overview Lake Manyara National Park, at the foot of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, is a compact, scenic reserve that packs a remarkable variety of habitats into a small area: a shallow alkaline lake, groundwater forest, open grassland and the dramatic wall of the Rift rising behind. It is best known for two things, its tree-climbing lions and the flamingos that gather in pink ribbons on the lake.

Lions in the Branches Lions do not usually climb trees, but Manyara's are famous for lounging in the branches of acacias, an unusual local behaviour that is one of the park's signature sights, though sightings are never guaranteed.

A Lake of Flamingos When conditions are right, the soda lake hosts huge flocks of lesser flamingos feeding on its algae, turning its shallows pink, along with pelicans and a wealth of other waterbirds.

Forest and Escarpment The lush groundwater forest near the entrance, fed by springs from the escarpment, shelters elephants, baboons and blue monkeys, and the views up to the Rift wall give the small park a grandeur beyond its size.

The Experience

A drive through Manyara moves quickly between worlds: shaded groundwater forest alive with baboons and elephants, open floodplain by the lake where flamingos and pelicans crowd the shallows, and viewpoints up to the towering Rift escarpment. The hope of spotting a lion draped in an acacia adds a thrill to the search. Its small size makes it an easy half-day or stop en route to the bigger parks, and the variety of scenery and birdlife makes it rewarding well beyond the famous lions.

Why It Matters

Lake Manyara National Park is a scenic and biologically diverse reserve on Tanzania's northern circuit, noted for its tree-climbing lions, its flamingo-filled soda lake and the dramatic backdrop of the Great Rift Valley escarpment.

Why Visit

It offers exceptional variety and scenery in a compact, easily added park, with the chance of its unusual tree-climbing lions and pink flamingo flocks. Drive the forest and lakeshore, scan the acacias for lions, and bring binoculars for the birds.