Tanzania / Northern Safari Circuit / Lake ManyaraLake Manyara
Groundwater Forest, Flamingos and the Rift Valley Wall
A small park squeezed between the Great Rift Valley escarpment and a soda lake, a half-day stop between Tarangire and Ngorongoro: groundwater forest full of baboons and blue monkeys, elephants, hippo pools, flamingos on the lake in the wet months, and lions famous (if rarely seen) for climbing trees. Mto wa Mbu village at the gate has cheap lodges, banana-beer and village walks, and the Lake Manyara airstrip on the escarpment has daily bush flights. Park fee about US$59 a day in peak season.
Highlights
- Groundwater forest with baboons and blue monkeys
- Hippo pool
- Flamingos on the soda lake
- Tree-climbing lions (if lucky)
- Rift Valley escarpment views
- Mto wa Mbu village and banana farms
Things to do
- Half-day game drive through the groundwater forestMorning · 4h
- Mto wa Mbu village and banana farm walkAfternoon · 2h 30m
- Canopy treetop walkwayAfternoon · 1h 30m
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: June – October, December – February
Worth knowing
Long Rains: Muddy Tracks, Some Camps Closed
April and May are the long rains: heavy downpours most afternoons, muddy and sometimes impassable tracks, and some camps and lodges closed. The animals are still there (Ngorongoro Crater is good all year) and lodges cut their rates by a third or more, but allow extra time on the roads and pick a lodge that is open.