Lake Manyara National Park offers a diverse wilderness experience, featuring a range of habitats from the Rift Valley soda lake to dense woodlands and rugged mountainsides. Beyond its breathtaking landscape, the park is renowned for its rare tree-climbing lions and the large elephant herds it was originally established to protect.
The lake’s shores attract over 400 bird species, including many waterfowl and migratory birds. Herds of buffalo, cheetahs, Masai giraffes, and impalas roam the lakeside and the forested valley slopes.
A safari in Lake Manyara is truly captivating, as the park is home to a groundwater forest, vachellia tortilis woodlands, and the Maji Moto hot springs. Large troops of olive baboons, along with Sykes monkeys and short-eared galagos, are commonly seen. Other resident wildlife includes Cape clawless otters, Egyptian mongooses, hippos, and klipspringers.