Manyara is an astonishing oasis in the Great Rift Valley, for although the valley is thousands of kilometres long, it is only here that the high-water table fed by countless springs from the escarpment has given rise to dense tropical vegetation, a forest brought about by a plethora of groundwater.

But Manyara is much more besides. Its evergreen forests, its park-like savanna dotted with acacias and open plains stretching down to the lake shores, together with the rugged wall of the Rift Valley as a backdrop, make Manyara into a microcosm of Tanzania’s natural environment.

The picture reaches perfection when all the rich mammalian fauna, featuring elephants, buffaloes, lions and giraffes, is included, not to mention the fantastic bird life on the shores of the watercourses.

Located on the way to Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, Lake Manyara National Park is worth a stop. Lake Manyara’s famous tree-climbing Lions and home to the largest concentration of Baboons anywhere in the world- a fact that accounts for compelling game viewing of large families of the primates.

Lake Manyara is home to an incredible array of birdlife. A wide variety of birds live in the groundwater forest, including flocks of pelicans, pink flamingos, herons, egrets, stalks, spoonbills, silvery-cheeked hornbills, crowned eagles, crested guinea fowls, woodpeckers and warblers.