Stretching 50 kilometers along the base of the striking 600-meter high Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara is a picturesque gem, with a setting described by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa.”

The park’s compact game-viewing circuit offers a miniature version of the Tanzanian safari experience. From the entrance gate, the road meanders through a lush, jungle-like groundwater forest where large troops of baboons lounge casually by the roadside, blue monkeys dart between ancient mahogany trees, wary bushbucks navigate the shadows, and imposing forest hornbills make their presence known with raucous calls from the treetops.

In contrast to the dense forest, the expansive grassy floodplain provides broad views eastward across the alkaline lake to the rugged blue volcanic peaks rising from the Maasai Steppes. Here, large herds of buffalo, wildebeest, and zebras graze, along with giraffes, some so dark in color that they seem black from a distance.

Further inland, a belt of acacia woodland is home to Manyara’s famous tree-climbing lions and elephants with impressive tusks. Banded mongooses scurry among the acacias, while the small Kirk’s dik-dik forages in their shade. Klipspringers can often be seen perched on rocks above a field of steaming and bubbling hot springs located near the lakeshore in the park’s southern section.

Lake Manyara offers an excellent introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife, with over 400 recorded species. Even a first-time visitor to Africa could reasonably expect to spot around 100 species in a single day. Highlights include flocks of pink flamingos on their migratory journey, as well as large waterbirds like pelicans, cormorants, and storks.