Lake Manyara safaris

Lake Manyara is one of the area’s soda lakes situated where the Serengeti’s endless plains plunge into the Great Rift Valley, neighboured by active and dormant volcanoes, mountains and craters: a fabulous feature of any Tanzania family safari for a living geography lesson.

Most people pop in for the day on their way to Ngorongoro, but a better approach to a family safari holiday is to make sure you have time to really explore this gem. An overnight stay will reward you with gorgeous early morning light on the lake, hippos making their way back to the water after nocturnal grazing, and access to the park’s most scenic spots.

Manyara is famed for its tree-climbing lions, and its forest is alive with birdsong and butterflies, plus the occasional elusive leopard melting into the dappled shadows. The plains are graced by giraffe and grazing game, and there’s enough variety to keep even the shortest of attention spans engaged.

The rains leave the lake glassy, vast and peppered pink with flocks of flamingos. July to October is drier, and renowned for predator sightings — but in our opinion, this treasure is a worthwhile element of a Tanzania family safari year-round.

The activities available on Lake Manyara safaris are varied: weave through the wild on a bicycle and fulfil the ultimate tree-climber’s dream with a treetop canopy walk. Pull the kids’ legs by telling them they might bump into some lions up there…