Location & Access:
Lake Manyara is a scenic gem nestled between the eastern and western escarpments of the Rift Valley. It is a two-hour (130 km/75 miles) drive from Arusha on well-paved roads. By air, the park is a 20-minute flight from Arusha Airport (ARK) or a 45-minute flight from Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). From Lake Manyara, it takes approximately 1.5 hours to drive to Ngorongoro Crater, following a breathtaking route up the Rift Valley’s western escarpment.

Size:
Covering 330 square kilometers (250 square miles), Lake Manyara is Tanzania’s third smallest national park. One-third of the park is land (100 square kilometers/22 square miles), while the rest is occupied by the lake itself.

Wildlife & Natural Highlights:
Lake Manyara National Park is known for its evergreen forest, sustained by underground water sources, which attracts migratory and wetland birds. Two-thirds of the lake is composed of shallow alkaline-saline soda waters, which, due to Rift Valley heat, experience rapid evaporation. This process leads to high concentrations of saline and sodium carbonate, fostering the growth of cyanobacteria. These microorganisms produce blue-green benthic algae, a crucial food source for the park’s famous flamingos. Despite the lake’s caustic waters, which can reach a pH level of 9, flamingos have adapted to this environment.

Beyond flamingos, the park hosts large troops of baboons, blue monkeys, vervet monkeys, tree-climbing lions, kudus, buffalos, giraffes, hippos, wildebeest, zebras, elephants, impalas, Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelles, cheetahs, warthogs, leopards, hyraxes, elands, bushbucks, waterbucks, and dik-diks.

Activities:
Near the park lies Mto Wa Mbu, a culturally diverse town with a population of 18,000 people from 85 different tribes, making it one of Africa’s most culturally rich destinations. The town offers a variety of cultural experiences, including village walks, mountain biking, forest walks along the Rift Valley escarpment, canoeing, and visits to a local brewery.

Inside the park, visitors can enjoy traditional game drives, walking safaris, and night game drives, providing unique opportunities to explore the park’s landscapes and wildlife from different perspectives.