LAKE MANYARA

Lake Manyara is situated halfway between Arusha and the Ngorongoro Crater and the smallest of the safari parks in the northern safari circuit. It is scenically very beautiful with Lake Manyara covering about two thirds of it and the escarpment in the background. The downside of this beautiful peace of nature is that it can get very busy, as many safari goers come here for a half day safari drive around the northern part of the park before heading on to the more famous parks like the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti. Hence, if you wish to experience the park with less people around, we do recommend to actually stay in the park - best in the southern section. 

Wildlife
The park is most famous for its tree climbing lions. Lions are not adept tree climbers and it is still up for debate why the lions of Lake Manyara have made this into a habit. The lake is also home to thousands of pink flamingoes, which resemble a pink haze from a distance, and who share the lake with many other water birds, including pelicans. And of course there is a great number of big game like elephants, buffalo, wildebeest, giraffe, zebra and other plains game, plus a very varied bird life.

where to stay

From our visits to Lake Manyara, we have first-hand knowledge of the hotels and below you can find the ones we most commonly use. Those hotels include mainly our favourites sorted from low-key to deluxe, which are usually smaller hotels with very personalised service, but also some bigger places, if they are the best or only option available.
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lake manyara serena lodge
kirurumu manyara
escarpment luxury lodge
MANDHARI LODGE
LAke manyara tree lodge
To see some itinerary suggestions or request a bespoke itinerary including Lake Manyara National Park, please click below.