Described by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa”, Lake Manyara National Park is a small but stunning wildlife destination in Tanzania. It stretches for around 50 kilometres along the base of the Rift Valley escarpment, with its borders encompassing evergreen forest, savannah and marshlands around a centrepiece soda lake.

A true gem, Lake Manyara boasts one of the highest biomass densities of large mammals in the world but remains well off-the-beaten tourist track. It’s often visited as a side-trip by tourists travelling along the Northern Circuit but offers plenty of rewards for those who opt to stay a little longer. In addition to large families of elephants, Maasai giraffe and zebra, it’s also home to elegant gazelles, hippos and unique tree-climbing lions.

A highlight of visiting Lake Manyara is witnessing the thousands of flamingos that cluster along its shores, with more than 400 species of birds having been recorded within the park’s bounds. Venture into the lush forests where blue monkeys and baboons can be seen playing in the trees or head to the south of the park where sulphurous water can be seen bubbling to the surface.

Want to see for yourself why Hemingway was so impressed? Check out our Tanzania safaris featuring Lake Manyara below.