Lake Manyara National Park.
COUNTRY: Tanzania
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PARK SIZE: 205 sq. miles - 330 sq. kilometers
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ECOSYSTEMS: Alkaline lake, acacia woodlands, grasslands
WILDLIFE: over 400 species of birds, baboons, cape
buffalo, zebra, giraffe, elephant, hippos, impala
BEST TIME TO GO: Dry season (July-October) for large mammals; wet season (November-June)
for bird watching and canoeing.
HIGHLIGHTS: Tree climbing Lions, Baboons, Cape Buffalo, Zebra, Hippo pools, Hot springs.
This park is set along the lake shore between the 2,000 foot escarpment and the Great Rift Valley. It's beautifully forested acacia woodlands provide prime real estate for its famous tree climbing lions. The area is also known for its prolific bird life.
Although only 205 sq. miles. in size, of which three quarters is taken up by the lake itself. This enchanting park is one of the most popular and attractive wildlife sanctuaries in East Africa. It is noted for its beauty and incredibly lush forest, home to troops of baboons and blue monkeys. Well known for its birds like the Crested Eagle, it also is home to other animals including buffalo, giraffe, elephant, hippo, impala. And of course the lions!
As you enter the park you drive through beautiful forested areas where your likely to see baboons and elephant. Then along the shore of the lake you may see large gatherings of water buffalo, zebra, and giraffe. Other highlights include the Hippo Pool, where large numbers usually gather.