Manvara

Manyara Region (sometimes listed as Manvara in older records) frames the eastern side of Tanzania's Rift Valley, anchored by the shallow soda waters of Lake Manyara — a sanctuary for over 400 bird species including enormous flamingo flocks and one of the world's last populations of tree-climbing lions. The lake's alkaline chemistry creates surreal reflections at dawn when pelican flotillas drift over mirror-glass water. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, occupies the region's western border, sheltering the world's largest intact caldera and the densest lion population on Earth. Mto wa Mbu, meaning 'River of Mosquitoes,' is despite its name a bustling cultural village where over 120 Tanzanian tribes coexist.