Lake Manyara National Park is famous for its tree-climbing lions, who spend most of the day spread out along the branches of Acacia trees six to seven metres above the ground. Nestled at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, the park is noted for its incredible beauty. As visitors enter the gate, they pass into the lush forest, home to troops of baboons and both blue and vervet monkeys. Further along, the forest opens up into woodlands, grassland, swamps and beyond the soda lake itself, covering 200 square kilometres and sanctuary to over 400 species of bird including flamingo, pelican, stork, sacred ibis, cormorant and Egyptian Geese. The park is particularly noted for its huge herds of buffalo and elephant, as well as giraffe, hippo, reedbuck, warthog, wildebeest, zebra and a great variety of smaller animals.
Situated in the East African country of Tanzania, Lake Natron is fed by mineral-rich hot springs and is less than three meters deep. High levels of evaporation leave loads of salt and minerals behind, the volcanic carbonate colours the water a striking red and the temperature can reach up to 50 degrees Celsius. All of which makes it a perfect breeding ground for the endangered Lesser Flamingo; however, it is known as the deadliest lake in the country, the high sodium carbonate level in the water is known to calcify and petrify wildlife who get too close. Visitors can climb the Ol Doinyo L'Engai, an active volcano; explore the surrounding terrain, including rugged mountains, grassy plains, and gorges; and spot a variety of wildlife.
Located between the Central Serengeti and Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve to the north, the Northern Serengeti is a remote African wildlife wonderland. The vast, rolling savannah of the Northern Serengeti, is known as the hub of the great migration. The landscape is characterised by vast stretches of savannah interspersed with acacia trees and riverine woodlands. Wildlife can be seen along the banks of the Mara River and visitors can view the annual spectacle of the half a million migrating wildebeest. Commonly spotted wildlife include: a multitude of plains game such as buffalo, zebra, gazelles, impala, giraffe as well as lion and leopard. Visitors can look forward to bird watching, hot air ballooning, game safaris and guided bush walks.
The Seronera region, in the central Serengeti, is set directly on the Great Migration route, and offers excellent viewing of this incredible annual phenomenon, when countless wildebeest flood across the plains. While migratory game populations fluctuate seasonally, Seronera is still a wildlife hotspot at other times of the year, sheltering the Big Five, among many other species. Visitors can enjoy hot air balloon trips and walking safaris as well as guided game drives.
The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken caldera in the world. Surrounded by very steep walls rising 610 metres from the crater floor, this natural amphitheatre measures 19.2 kilometres in diameter and 304²km in area. It is home to up to 30,000 animals, almost half of which are wildebeest and zebra. Buffalo, elephant, hippo, hyena, jackal, lion, ostrich, serval, warthog, bushbuck, eland, hartebeest, reedbuck, waterbuck and huge herds of both Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle are easily seen on the crater floor.
