• 385 sq km
• about 950 m (sea level)
• Ancient soda lake
• Legendary tree climbing lions
• Elephants, buffaloes & hippos
• Thousands of flamingoes
• 350 bird species
Manyara National Park is a thin green band of forest tucked below the massive
escarpment of the Rift Valley walls. The 385 sq km Park set along the shores of lake
Manyara was until 1960 the major hunting area in Tanzania. The park is home to
all the major mammals including the famous tree climbing lions. Feeding in the
undergrowth of the acacia forest or simply dozing in the dry riverbeds are the
countries' densest population of Buffalo and Elephants.
Deep in the south of the park, hot springs bubble to the surface as hippos wallow
near the lake shores. The parks has over 350 species of birds which include thousands
of the red billed quelea, pelicans, cormorants and the pink streaks of thousands
of flamingos.
The dry season ( June - October) is the best for sighting and photography of the
large mammals while the wet season ( November to June ) is best for bird watching.
