About Lake Manyara
Lake Manyara National Park lies pressed between the dramatic western escarpment of the Great Rift Valley and the alkaline lake that gives it its name. It is compact by Tanzanian standards, but few parks pack so much variety into so little space: a lush groundwater forest of fig and mahogany fed by springs from the Rift wall, acacia woodland, open floodplain, and the shimmering soda lake itself, which at times hosts great drifts of flamingos and huge flocks of pelicans and storks.
Manyara's celebrity residents are its tree-climbing lions, which drape themselves along acacia branches in a behavior seen in only a handful of places in Africa. Large elephant herds move through the forest shade, baboon troops line the roads, and hippo gather where the streams meet the lake. Often visited on the way to Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, Manyara makes a lyrical, bird-rich opening chapter to a northern Tanzania safari.
Pavlus Recommendations
How our planners would spend a day in Lake Manyara.
Look up for lions
Manyara's lions climb into the acacias — sprawled along branches with legs dangling — and finding a tree full of cats is one of the odder, more delightful sights in African safari-going.
Drive the groundwater forest
Spring-fed and jungle-thick, the forest feels closer to a rainforest than a savannah park: blue monkeys overhead, hornbills calling, and elephants appearing silently between the great fig trunks.
Scan the soda lake
When conditions are right the shallows turn pink with flamingos in their thousands. Even without them, the birdlife along Manyara's shore — pelicans, storks, fish eagles — is extraordinary.
Micato Journeys That Visit Lake Manyara
| Journey | Region | Days | Next Departure | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Micato Grand Safari | East Africa | 15 | Aug 11, 2026 | $40,150View & Get Price |
| East Africa’s Golden Savannahs | East Africa | 15 | Aug 6, 2026 | $39,750View & Get Price |
| The Hemingway Wing Safari | East Africa | 14 | Aug 6, 2026 | $31,450View & Get Price |
| The Great Herds of Kenya & Tanzania | East Africa | 13 | Aug 5, 2026 | $31,750View & Get Price |
| Tanzania Spectacular | East Africa | 10 | Aug 9, 2026 | $20,700View & Get Price |
| African Splendour | Southern Africa | 17 | Aug 8, 2026 | $45,100View & Get Price |
Every journey is all-inclusive, with 100% guaranteed departures. See full day-by-day itineraries → or call 800-528-9300 for your unadvertised Pavlus price.