Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara National Park’s closest town is Karatu, located about 200km west of Moshi. This 325km2 park is located below the massive escarpment of the Great Rift Valley and consists of five distinct vegetation zones hosting a large range of flora. The park is famous for its tree-climbing lions that laze on the branches of acacia trees during the day. Lake Manyara is home to over 350 species of birds, the most abundant of which being the flamingo; during certain seasons, flamingoes cover the surface of Lake Manyara with a pink blanket for kilometers. Finally, the national park is home to great numbers of buffalo, elephant, giraffe, hippo, impala and baboons.