Lake Manyara covers about 330 square kilometres, two thirds of it lake, squeezed between the Rift Valley escarpment and the shallow soda water of the lake itself. It is a small park by Tanzanian standards and packs a surprising range of habitat into that space.
The entrance opens into groundwater forest fed by springs at the base of the escarpment, dense and green and full of blue monkeys and baboons. Beyond it the forest gives way to acacia woodland, then open floodplain, then the lake shore where flamingo, pelican and storks gather in numbers.
Manyara is best known for its tree-climbing lions, which rest in the acacias through the heat of the day. The behaviour is not guaranteed and not unique to this park, but Manyara is one of the more reliable places to look for it. Elephant move through the forest, hippo lie in the pools near the entrance and the birdlife is excellent throughout.
The park is usually visited as a half day or full day on the road between Arusha and Ngorongoro, and it works well as an opening stop before the larger parks.