Lake Manyara National Park is a scenic 330 sq km (127 sq miles) Park in northern Tanzania. It is located about 945m (3100ft) above sea level at the base of the Western Rift Valley Escarpment. It is home to a diverse set of landscapes and wildlife, including buffalo, elephant, giraffe, lion, hippo, baboon, blue monkey, various antelopes, just to name a few. Hunting seized in 1960 when it became a National Park. The lake itself, said by Ernest Hemingway to be “the loveliest lake in Africa”, is a shallow lake and covers about 200 sq km (77 sq miles) with its high alkaline waters. The name "Manyara" originated from the word "emanyara", which in Maa - the language of the Massai - means "plant" and refers to the Euphorbia Tirucalli bush, used as a living blockage to keep cattle from straying. 

Besides its abundance of game, the park consists of a diverse landscape, from lush ground-water forest with massive mahogany and fig trees, to acacia woodland, marshes and savannah.