Groundwater forest, a soda lake full of waterbirds and the famous tree-climbing lions. A compact park that birders love.
Lake Manyara is small and easy to underrate. You enter through a patch of groundwater forest fed by springs from the Rift Valley wall, which is green even in the driest months.
The forest has Silvery-cheeked Hornbills and big baboon troops. Further in, the lakeshore opens up into pelicans, storks, flamingos and waders, with hundreds of birds in view at once.
The park is known for lions that climb trees. They do, but not reliably, so treat any you see as a bonus.
Lake Manyara is about two hours from Arusha, beside the town of Mto wa Mbu at the base of the Rift Valley escarpment. It’s on the main road to Karatu, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti.
Most guests stay in Karatu or on the escarpment above the lake, with views across the Rift Valley.
Yes, for its groundwater forest, waterbirds and scenery, particularly if you’re passing on the way to the crater.
Sometimes, but not reliably.
Pelicans, storks, flamingos and waders on the lake, and hornbills and forest birds in the groundwater forest.
10daysThe classic northern circuit for birders: around 300 species in ten days, from Beesley’s Lark and Fischer’s Lovebird to the Serengeti specials and the Maasai steppe at Mererani.
8daysNorthern Tanzania’s best birding in eight days: montane forest, Beesley’s Lark, Tarangire’s endemics, the Ngorongoro Crater and the Maasai steppe at Mererani. Around 250 species.
5daysTanzania’s classic safari highlights in five days: Tarangire’s baobabs and elephants, Lake Manyara’s forest and the Ngorongoro Crater.
7daysLake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater, two nights in the Serengeti and a guided forest walk to the Endoro elephant caves.
10daysThe classic Tanzania safari: all four northern-circuit parks plus the Ngorongoro Crater, a lodge every night and enough Serengeti days to settle in.
10daysFive nights in Ndutu and the southern Serengeti during the wildebeest calving season, plus Lake Manyara and the Ngorongoro Crater.
19daysNineteen days combining the northern parks and their big game with the endemic birds of the Mbulu, South Pare and Usambara Mountains.
12daysTwelve days on the northern circuit with time for the specialities: Beesley’s Lark, two days each in Tarangire and the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro highlands and Endoro Forest.
9daysNine days is the length where you stop choosing between birds and big game.
6daysThis is the classic northern circuit, run for birders.
10daysWe built this trip for a couple where one of them lives for birds and the other wants lions.
Wildlife
The animals, trees and reptiles our guides look for here, with the best season and where to find them. See the full wildlife guide.
Loxodonta africana
Tarangire’s big herds are the classic sight: families drifting between baobabs to the river in the dry season.
Panthera leo
The Serengeti holds one of the largest lion populations left in Africa. Prides of twenty are not unusual.
Panthera pardus
Secretive and beautiful. The Seronera valley’s sausage trees are the best place in Africa to find one by day.
Syncerus caffer
The Big Five’s heavyweight. Herds of several hundred are a daily sight in Arusha National Park and the crater.
Giraffa tippelskirchi
Tanzania’s national animal, with jagged star-shaped patches. Common almost everywhere except inside the crater.
Equus quagga
The migration’s other half. Hundreds of thousands of zebra move with the wildebeest across the Serengeti.
Hippopotamus amphibius
Noisy, territorial and surprisingly fast. The Serengeti’s hippo pools hold hundreds in a single bend of river.
Papio anubis
Lake Manyara’s troops are some of the biggest in Africa, and the most entertaining hour of any game drive.
Aepyceros melampus
The graceful antelope you will see most often, and the leopard’s favourite meal.
Crocodylus niloticus
Ancient, patient and enormous. The Grumeti River’s crocodiles wait all year for the migration to cross.
Nanger granti
The tall, pale gazelle of the open plains, happy a long way from water. Look for the white rump that reaches above the tail.
Cercopithecus mitis
The quiet grey-blue monkey of Tanzania’s forests, usually noticed by a shaking branch high in the canopy.
Birding
Specialities, endemics and the birds that make this place different, chosen by our birding guides. Browse all birds.
Balearica regulorum
The golden crown, the dance and the bugling call. Endangered, but still a daily sight on the crater floor.
Agapornis personatus
Green, yellow and masked in black, chattering in flocks around the baobabs. A Tanzanian endemic you will hear before you see.
Coracias caudatus
The most photographed bird in Africa, with eight colours and a rolling display flight to match.
Bycanistes brevis
A huge forest hornbill with a cream casque, whooshing overhead with every wingbeat.
Tockus deckeni
The small dry-country hornbill with the red and ivory bill, hopping along the road ahead of the vehicle.
Trachyphonus erythrocephalus
Spotted like a leopard and loud as a duet. Pairs sing together from termite mounds in the dry bush.
Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis
Nearly 1.5 metres tall with a red, black and yellow bill. Tanzania’s most elegant wading bird.
Pytilia melba
A small waxbill with a red face, green wings and a barred belly, feeding quietly on the ground in the thorn bush.
Himantopus himantopus
Pink legs longer than seems sensible, wading the soda lakes among the flamingos.
Cichladusa guttata
The first song of the day at most lodges, rich and varied, from a spotted bird that keeps to the shadows.
Ardea intermedia
A quiet white egret of marshes and lake edges, between the Great and Little Egrets in size and easy to overlook.
Icthyophaga vocifer
The voice of Africa. A white-headed eagle whose ringing call carries across every lake and river.
Apaloderma narina
Emerald back, scarlet belly, and a habit of sitting absolutely still. Finding one is a highlight of any forest walk.
Charadrius pallidus
A small, pale plover with a fine chestnut breast band, found almost only on the shores of salt and soda lakes.
Pelecanus onocrotalus
Huge white pelicans that often fish in groups, herding fish into the shallows before scooping them up together.
Activities
How a day here is spent, from game drives to walks and boat trips. All safari activities.
The heart of every safari: a private 4x4 with a pop-up roof, your own guide, and the whole day to follow the wildlife.
More than 1,100 species, dozens of endemics, and guides who find most birds by ear. Our speciality.
Spotlights, genets and bushbabies. See the park after dark, when a different cast of animals comes out.
Vehicles positioned for the light, beanbags on the window, and a guide who understands what you are trying to capture.
More parks, plains and forests our safaris visit, each with its own wildlife, birds and best season.
Montane forest, the Momella Lakes and Hartlaub’s Turaco, just 45 minutes from Arusha.
The Rift Valley soda lake where East Africa’s Lesser Flamingos breed.
Seasonal soda lake with flamingos, waterbirds and quiet dry bush.
Africa’s largest lake, with papyrus specialists and lakeshore birds.
Quiet island park with forest birds, waterbirds and sitatunga.
Clear lake, western forest birds and the gateway to Gombe and Mahale.
Montane forest birding on the slopes of Africa’s highest mountain.
The only place on earth to see the critically endangered Beesley’s Lark.
Huge elephant herds, ancient baobabs and Tanzania’s endemic birds.
A volcanic caldera with black rhino, lions and big grassland birds.
Vast plains, the Great Migration and big cats all year round.
Ancient Eastern Arc forests holding Tanzania’s rarest endemic birds.
Track wild chimpanzees in the forests where Jane Goodall began her research.
Tanzania’s largest park: big predators, baobab plains and 570+ bird species.
Rainforest endemics, Sanje Falls and the Kilombero Weaver in southern Tanzania.
Let’s plan a safari around your interests. Share your travel dates, number of people, the ages of any children travelling, and the birds or wildlife you hope to see. We’ll get back to you within 24 hours with a personalised itinerary and a detailed quote.
