Probably more recognised as a pleasant stopover during a safari of the legendary parks of Ngorongoro and Serengeti, Lake Manyara National Park is nonetheless a place of unique beauty and species variety - and a supreme safari destination in its own right.
All the big game species of Tanzania are found in the park including elephant, lions and leopard, although the latter is notoriously difficult to spot.
The park takes its name from the alkaline waters of Lake Manyara itself - a lake where millions of flamingos gather in the shallows to feed and where wildlife grazes on the banks. Although the lake is a dominant part of the park there are enough game drive routes through woodlands and plains to delight most visitors.
Lake Manyara's proximity to the crater and Serengeti may be unfortunate in the sense that its attractions are generally overlooked. It is here that the famous tree-climbing lions have been observed for decades - it must be said though that they are not easy to find.