Lake Manyara
Tanzania

Introduction
 

Located beneath the cliffs of the Manyara Escarpment, on the edge of the Rift Valley, Lake Manyara National Park offers varied ecosystems, incredible bird life, and breathtaking views. Located on the way to Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, Lake Manyara National Park is well worth a stop in its own right.

Known for its elephants and tree-climbing lions, Lake Manyara is also excellent for flamingos and other fascinating birds in and around the soda lake. A Lake Manyara safari is a unique and fascinating experience as the Park offers vast ecological variety in a small area, featuring a ground-water forest, acacia tortilis woodland and hot springs called Maji Moto.

Lake Manyara National Park is also a birding paradise (more than 400 species), particularly for waterfowl and migrants, and the forests are famous for lion sightings. Lions hunt on the grassy shores of the Lake, and are known for their habit of climbing and lounging in trees.

Lodge Overview

In the remote southern end of Lake Manyara National Park, northern Tanzania, Lake Manyara Tree Lodge is the only lodge in the Park. Here the Great Rift Valley is at its most impressive, with the Escarpment dropping some 500 metres/1640 feet down to the flamingo-rimmed shore of the lake.  Overlooking a forest boma (outdoor dining area), guest areas are soaring spaces housing Dodoma artworks and tactile fabrics. Guest areas are intimate and stylish, and feature an interactive kitchen. The sitting and dining areas overlook a charming forest boma lined with galawas (dugout canoes).  

Game Viewing

From soaring groundwater forests and a tranquil lake, to the mountain escarpment of the Great Rift Valley, Lake Manyara National Park boasts an incredible wealth of habitats and diverse African wildlife. Guests are offered an exciting, interpretive safari experience in game-rich surrounds which include large herds of elephant and buffalo.

An incredible array of bird life thrives on the alkaline soda of Lake Manyara.  Pink flamingo stoop and graze by the thousands, colourful specks against the grey minerals of the lake shore. Also seen here are Yellow-billed storks and herons, all merging together to provide a spectacular show to the onlooker. Even reluctant bird-watchers will find something to watch and marvel at within the national park.

Lake Manyaras famous tree-climbing lions are another reason to pay this park a visit. The only kind of their species in the world, they make the ancient mahogany and elegant acacias their home during the rainy season, and are a well-known but rather rare feature of the northern park. In addition to the lions, the national park is also home to the largest concentration of baboons anywhere in the world -- a fact that makes for interesting game viewing of large families of the primates.

Activities
 

Game-drives
Professional and skilled safari guides will lead you on interpretive game-drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles in the game-rich Lake Manyara National Park. Due to the Lodges secluded location, there is minimal vehicle intrusion, allowing for leisurely tracking of the Parks famous tree-climbing lions, and uninterrupted viewing of flocks of pelicans and flamingos in the lake.

Birding safaris
With 387 different bird species recorded here, Lake Manyara Tree Lodge offers abundant bird watching opportunities led by a specialist safari guide. The birding safaris take you from the beautiful soda lake where you will spot hundreds of thousands of flamingos and pelicans, to the evergreen forest inhabited by various species including the silvery-cheeked hornbill.

Lakeshore picnics
Enjoy a delicious breakfast or picnic on the lakeshore while viewing flocks of pelicans and flamingos with buffalo and hippos cooling in the water.

Night Drives
Take advantage of this opportunity, as an extra, at Lake Manyara tree lodge and be treated to lion, leopard, wild dog, large packs of hyena with pups, huge pods of hippo out of the water, porcupine, bush baby, genet cats, awesome night skies and much, much more. Manyara's night drives can be part of the afternoon game viewing extending into the night, or they can commence after an early dinner. There is an additional cost of this experience (the bulk of the costs are paid over to Lake Manyara National Park in the form of extra park fees). The lodge requires 24 hours notice to organize and reserve night drives, so pre-booking this memorable experience is advisable.

Children

Children welcome - travel to Tanzania is recommended for children 8 years and older. Regretfully, children 5 years and younger cannot participate in the regular game-drives. Child minders can be booked at an additional cost.  Children aged 6 to 11 years are accommodated on game-drives at the Lodge Managers discretion. An extra bed can be arranged for a child 11 and younger sharing its parents treehouse. No more than one triple in the camp at any one time.

Pricing

Please contact us for current rates:

How to get there

There are scheduled flights twice-daily from Arusha Airport to Lake Manyara airstrip followed by a scenic 2 -hour game-drive to the lodge through the National Park.

Sun Safaris can arrange all transfers.

Please contact us for current rates: