Lake Manyara National Park: Nestling at the base of the Great Rift Valley escarpment, less than 130 kilometres from Arusha town, is Lake Manyara National Park, one of the oldest and most popular sanctuaries in East Africa. It is home to a myriad of bird life and the famous tree-climbing lions. The park offers an impressive diversity of habitats for animals and birds: from the slopes of the rift escarpment and ground water forest to the acacia woodlands, open grassland, and the soda lake itself which occupies 77% of the National Park total area of 330 sq m. Common animals include baboons, giraffe, impala, wildebeest, buffalo, zebra, elephant, hippos, with over 400 species of birds including water birds and the colourful migratory flamingoes.