Africa is blessed with epic lakes — Tanganyika is the world’s second deepest; all the Rift Lakes are gigantic stunners, and Lake Victoria is a massive and complex inland sea. But many, including Ernest Hemingway, consider the smaller gem of Lake Manyara — with its diamond-white alkali rim, its million or so coral-coloured flamingos, and the deep sapphire waters at its centre — the loveliest of all.

Located on the way to Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti, Lake Manyara National Park is worth a stop in its own right. 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.

Lake Manyara’s famous tree-climbing lions are another reason to pay a visit to this park. The only kind of their species in the world, they make the ancient mahogany and elegant acacias their home during the rainy season, and are a well-known but rather rare feature of the northern park.

About Arusha National Park
Size: 325 km2 (125 sq mi).
Location: Northern Tanzania.

Getting there
Easy drive from Arusha or Lake Manyara following a surfaced road to within 7km (four miles) of the main entrance gate; can continue on to Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti.
Charter flights from Arusha and the Serengeti.

What to do
– Guided Walking safaris.
– Day trips to Maasai and Barabaig villages, as well as to the hundreds of ancient rock paintings in the vicinity of Kolo on the Dodoma Road.