Nestled at the base of the rusty-gold Great Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara National Park is a lush, green oasis that provides a stark and beautiful contrast to the surrounding savannas. The park is dominated by its namesake, a shimmering alkaline soda lake that covers two-thirds of the sanctuary’s area and serves as a vital sanctuary for thousands of flamingos, which often carpet the water in a vibrant pink hue. As you enter the park, you are immediately enveloped by an ancient groundwater forest, where giant fig and mahogany trees provide a dense canopy for troops of olive baboons and blue monkeys, creating a jungle-like atmosphere that feels worlds away from the classic African plains.

Beyond its scenic beauty, Manyara is famous for a unique and mysterious phenomenon: its legendary tree-climbing lions. While lions are typically ground-dwellers, the prides here have adapted to lounging high in the branches of acacia trees, offering lucky travelers a truly rare wildlife sight. The park is also a sanctuary for large herds of buffalo, wildebeest, and zebras that congregate on the grassy floodplains, as well as a significant population of elephants that move gracefully through the wooded areas. At Kilimanjaro Mavens, we prize Lake Manyara for its incredible birdlife (over 400 species) and its “Tree-Top Walkway,” which allows you to experience the forest from a bird’s-eye perspective, making it an essential stop for nature lovers and photographers alike.