Lake Manyara

Lake Manyara National Park is a small and beautiful park situated at 3,150 feet elevation that abuts the 1,000 foot western wall of the Great Rift Valley escarpment. It is 330 square kilometers in area, much of which is taken up by the soda lake tinted pink by huge flocks of flamingoes. The park also boasts a lush jungle-like groundwater forest with wild fig, palm, and tamarind trees, an acacia woodland, and a grassy flatland near the lake. Baobab trees abound. Manyara is particularly famous for its dense elephant population and tree-climbing lions. The behavior of lions climbing trees was first observed in this park, but lions do climb trees in Tarangire and the Serengeti as well. You will also see many hippopotamus floating in the lake or grazing on its edge, giraffes, buffalo, large troops of baboons, zebra, and monkeys. With its profusion of birds (more than 380 species), Manyara is also one of the best parks for bird watching.

Kilimanjaro to Lake Manyara N.P.: 2.5 hours by safari vehicle.