Lake Manyara

Lake Manyara National Park is small and narrow, squeezed between the Rift Valley escarpment and the lake itself, but it changes character every few kilometres. You enter through dense groundwater forest fed by springs, then emerge onto open floodplain and finally the alkaline lake shore.

It is best known for its tree-climbing lions, which rest in the branches of acacias through the heat of the day, and for exceptionally large baboon troops along the forest road. The birdlife is outstanding, with flamingo, pelican and stork on the lake. It is usually visited as a half or full day en route between Tarangire and the Ngorongoro highlands.