Lake Manyara National Park is one of the oldest and at the same time smallest of Tanzania’s parks. While the wildlife may not be as abundant as in other parks, it has beautiful landscapes, and it is the perfect place for nature lovers to unwind on the first few days of a safari.

It is an alkaline lake surrounded by vegetation that transitions from groundwater forests to flood plains and finally to grasslands dotted with acacia trees. The lake is fed from the northern Simba River and the eastern Makuyuni River. Plus, it forms part of the Rift Valley catchment during the rainy seasons. In recent years the lake’s water level has risen significantly and skeletons of waterlogged trees mark the old shoreline.

Park inhabitants include buffalos, hippos, baboons, waterbucks, impalas, giraffes, zebras, and wildebeests. There is a healthy population of leopards, but sightings are rare due to the thick vegetation. In the past, the park was renowned for large populations of elephants and tree-climbing lions, however, since the lake’s water levels have risen sightings are rarer.

Highlights:

On entry, visitors to Lake Manyara National Park are greeted by a green forest which boasts ancient Mahogany, Sycamore fig, Kapok and huge Baobabs trees. The park is home to large groups of olive baboons with as many as 150 individuals in the troop. They can be seen playing and foraging in the forest and rivers.

Views of the lake are stunning with 670 flowering species and 180 butterfly species found here. For bird enthusiasts, this park is truly rewarding as over 390 species of birds have been recorded. The peace of the forest can be disrupted by the trumpeting calls of the Silvery-cheeked Hornbills, Ground Hornbills and Red-billed Hornbills. Water birds like Blacksmith Plovers, Little Egrets, Black Herons, Spoonbills and Pink Backed Pelicans can be seen here. Flamingos, once abundant, are now seasonal visitors due to the increased water level.

Large herds of wildebeests, zebras and buffaloes like to gather on the open flood plains from where they graze and can keep a lookout for approaching predators.