Lake Manyara National Park is flanked by the cliffs of the Manyara Escarpment, on the edge of the Rift Valley. This is one of Tanzania’s most diverse of national parks, a modest 325 square kilometres and is a combination of Rift Valley lake, open plain shoreline, dense woodlands and steep mountainside. It offers varied ecosystems, incredible bird life, and breathtaking views. Its ground water forests, bush plains, baobab strewn cliffs, and algae-streaked hot springs offer incredible ecological variety in a small area, rich in wildlife and incredible numbers of birds. The park provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife.
More than 400 species have been recorded, and even a first-time visitor to Africa might reasonably expect to observe 100 of these in one day. Highlights include thousands of pink-hued flamingos on their perpetual migration, as well as other large waterbirds such as pelicans, cormorants and storks. The Park has a large elephant population and is most famous for its tree-climbing lions. It is, however, a myth that this is unique to Manyara, as lions regularly climb trees throughout Africa. It is possibly most notable here as the large concentration of game and density of the vegetation make climbing a tree an opportunity to escape getting in the way of the elephants!
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