The park is famous among tourists for its tree-climbing lions. The bewildering cats are incredibly rare to find when you find them; the sight is one to behold. There are only two places in East Africa where you can watch the big cats engaged in this unusual phenomenon, and the second one is the Ishasha Sector of Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park.

One of the eerie experiences you should not miss when in Manyara is walking on the 18-metre-high treetop walkway near the park gate. The 1,312-foot walkway takes you through a series of suspension bridges that weave through the forest canopy. Here you get a bird’s-eye view of Manyara’s wilderness endowment.

Manyara’s deep forest features giant figs, tamarind, baobabs, and mahogany trees that shelter roaming old tuskers and tree-swinging blue monkeys.

In the evenings, as specks of dusty sunlight dance in the setting sun, there’s an excellent chance of spotting troops of olive baboons sitting on the road, grooming each other, chatting, and dozing. At the same time, dozens of naughty babies play around them, and old granddaddies look on with knowing eyes.

If planning your first bird-watching trip in Tanzania, you must have Lake Manyara National Park on your must-visit list. Because of the varied habitats, more than 400 species make the park their home.

As you drive through the forest, a series of gradually growing ‘toot’ notes that climax with a mad cackling laugh will wash your eardrums. Those are sounds from silvery-cheeked hornbills long before you see them. The woodland birds flap noisily in small groups among the massive trees, loudly roaring as they fly.