Safari to Lake Manyara

important groundwater forest that remains lush through the dry season 

Located around 100 km southeast of Serengeti, Lake Manyara is a pretty little park set at the foot of the impressive Rift Valley Escarpment.

The reserve is very easily accessible, lying alongside the main road between Arusha and Tarangire to the south, Ngorongoro and Serengeti to the north.

For its size, the national park contains an unusual range of habitats and species, especially given that two thirds of that area is taken up by the lake itself.

The area is unusually rich in wildlife year round thanks to the presence of groundwater, which springs from various spots along the foot of the escarpment.

However, given the fact that the reserve is encroached upon by a significant town and that there are serious issues with vehicle traffic around the North Gate, careful planning is definitely needed to ensure a quality experience.

The area is generally considered to be at its best during the Jun-Oct dry season months, when the animals tend to congregate here, but we tend to include it more during periods when there is less vehicle traffic around, namely Mar-May and Nov-Dec.

The best lodges are those inside the national park or in the private reserves to the south.

The vast majority of visitors to Lake Manyara arrive by guided overland safari, so they travel to their lodge and around the reserve in their private vehicle.

Around 2% of visitors to Lake Manyara arrive by light aircraft, landing at the main airstrip on the top of the escarpment, from where it is necessary to descend via the main road to the national park. Virtually all of these visitors will be staying at Manyara Tree Lodge, deep in the southern end of the park. In this case they travel around the reserve with a vehicle and guide from their camp.

We always include all connecting transport in your trip unless you specifically ask us not to.

Where to stay

The greater Lake Manyara area has guest accommodation in around 10 decent camps and lodges, plus a host of lower cost options.

The best option is usually to stay deep within the southern sector of the national park, which both provides that unique Manyara atmosphere, but is far enough from the busy North Gate to keep you largely away from the traffic. The options are the very upmarket and stylish Manyara Tree Lodge and the rather cool and outdoorsy Wayo Manyara Green Camp.

Another good alternative is to stay on one of the private reserves on the other side of the lake from the national park, with options including the upmarket Manyara Ranch, the chic Chem Chem Lodge and the mid-priced Maramboi Tented Camp.

Most of the larger hotels are located on top of the Rift Escarpment, meaning that they have great views, but are far removed from the wildlife areas. We generally prefer to move on to the better lodges in the Ngorongoro Karatu area than use these options.

very busy with vehicles at the northern end