LAKE MANZE TENTED CAMP

We have been back nearly a month and I just wanted to say Thank You for
recommending Lake Manze camp for our family. This was a great switch sell as
you actually found what we were looking for. Having been to a number of safari
destinations over the years this was a fantastic place to introduce our children to the African experience.
Julie-Anne Hudson 2011
 
Lake Manze camp based on our experience  could not have been bettered ,even if we had paid twice as much.The freedom to do what we wanted when we wanted and the accommodating staff made for a memorable holiday.Once again we had a vehicle to ourselves for all the 5 nights.Our genuine love for Africa was reciprocated by the camp host Nicole, and she did everything possible to embrace our wishes .Every day we were the first to leave ,every day we had a bush breakfast , everyday we had a bush lunch , every day we we were last back .I would say the evening meals were not quite as good as Mdonya , but two of the chefs were on their breaks.The guide we had Giovanni and the driver Daniel were superb and a good team.We also enjoyed boat trips on our own ,again with a bush breakfast!!! At Lake Manze camp it was certainly true , if you ask , you get!!!
T Platt 2011
 
Firstly, it was marvelous to be met at every stop and escorted to the next each time.  The first camp in Selous, Lake Manze was lovely, very casual, very romantic by candle light and a great start.  It was a good start to a first timer going on safari as it's all so overwhelming to see all the animals, it was better to see them so active in the second lodge we went too.  The food was very good and Sarah and Phil run a good camp there, and very nice and friendly themselves, the other staff was really nice and friendly too. It was as described in all the reviews, don't expect something you won't get.  Our very first evening at dinner an elephant came to the edge of the tent, elephants were walking through the camp daily.  The park its self was "quiet" because it was warmer there the animals slept more but it was wonderful to watch and see them.  We went on a full day safari the very first day and up to the hot springs, beautiful.  Then early mornings, 6am starts after that where we saw the animals move much more and small cubs playing with their mother.
S Gannon 2011

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We have been back nearly a month and I just wanted to say Thank You for
recommending Lake Manze camp for our family. This was a great switch sell as
you actually found what we were looking for. Having been to a number of safari
destinations over the years this was a fantastic place to introduce our children to the African experience.
Julie-Anne Hudson 2011
 
Lake Manze camp based on our experience  could not have been bettered ,even if we had paid twice as much.The freedom to do what we wanted when we wanted and the accommodating staff made for a memorable holiday.Once again we had a vehicle to ourselves for all the 5 nights.Our genuine love for Africa was reciprocated by the camp host Nicole, and she did everything possible to embrace our wishes .Every day we were the first to leave ,every day we had a bush breakfast , everyday we had a bush lunch , every day we we were last back .I would say the evening meals were not quite as good as Mdonya , but two of the chefs were on their breaks.The guide we had Giovanni and the driver Daniel were superb and a good team.We also enjoyed boat trips on our own ,again with a bush breakfast!!! At Lake Manze camp it was certainly true , if you ask , you get!!!
T Platt 2011
 
Firstly, it was marvelous to be met at every stop and escorted to the next each time.  The first camp in Selous, Lake Manze was lovely, very casual, very romantic by candle light and a great start.  It was a good start to a first timer going on safari as it's all so overwhelming to see all the animals, it was better to see them so active in the second lodge we went too.  The food was very good and Sarah and Phil run a good camp there, and very nice and friendly themselves, the other staff was really nice and friendly too. It was as described in all the reviews, don't expect something you won't get.  Our very first evening at dinner an elephant came to the edge of the tent, elephants were walking through the camp daily.  The park its self was "quiet" because it was warmer there the animals slept more but it was wonderful to watch and see them.  We went on a full day safari the very first day and up to the hot springs, beautiful.  Then early mornings, 6am starts after that where we saw the animals move much more and small cubs playing with their mother.
S Gannon 2011


We loved lake Manse, Richard reminds me of an old school master!! quite formal in his ways but very interested in what you have done etc, which is great especially as he must hear the same things day in day out! Organised people on the first day to ensure he mixed everyone up. Elephants on form including a morning raid for bananas.
Jeremy and Gilly Claydon 2009

I think you asked for feedback and we can only really award 11/10 in all respects. Manze and Impala were both fabulous
Peter and Christina Pearce 2009

We had a great start at Lake manze seeing a lepoard with an impala just minutes from the runway. Malcolm who was in charge at Lake manze made us feel so welcome he even treated us to sunset drinks by the lake and our own priavite dinner on the last night made from the fish we had caught that morning.
Alex Hotston 2009

LakeManze is sublime, the service, guides, food, connections all wonderful. Paulo and Daia seem to have it set up really well there.
Gina Salsac and Ian Tillotson

Lake Manze was a really great rustic camp where due to the more basic style you really felt part of it all and very close to the nature around you.  The tents were basic but had all you needed and the outdoor shower and toilet was an experience!  The camp is situated in beautiful surroundings and it was a joy to witness so closely the elephants who wandered through camp on a regular basis.  Food was not fine dining, but extremely tasty and enjoyable.  We particularly enjoyed the packed breakfast for morning safaris and the lunches.  All staff at the camp were courteous and helpful and always tried to accommodate guest requests.  Rangers and drivers were extremely knowledgeable which allowed excellent game viewing.  All in all we found Lake Manze a very special camp where the lack of pure luxury (and electricity) found at some lodges, actually added to the experience – we would definitely recommend it and would love to return!  This is a place not to be missed.
Jane Roake 2010

3^rd- 1 night at Lake Manze camp. The most colonial of our places. Simple but nice tents, a lovely elephant joining us for breakfast and a fantastic communal dinner under the stars.
Kristian Spofforth  2010

We really enjoyed Lake Manze, saw loads of animals and the tents were great. Showering under the stars with elephants walking past is definitely something we'll remember!
Karen Fisk

LakeManze; charming, good food, nice people - and interesting with elephants and hippo in the camp. Waking up to the birds in the morning was fantastic. A baboon spider in one of our back-packs was less charming... Definetely added to the authenticity... The camp staff helped us get it out, and we kept our bags closed... 
The safari drives and boat trips were great; good guides and lot's to see. 
Tove  Sjoblom 2011
 
Lake Manze camp- we enjoyed our time here. It was very well organised and the guides were really knowledgeable. We saw everything we could have wished for including a whole family of lions and hunting dogs. We particularly liked the boat and walking safaris which made a nice change from the drives.  Food was simple but well cooked and filling.
J Savage 2011

Lake Manze tented camp, Selous national park. Met by camp representatives and the 1 hour journey was made into a very enjoyable 3 our game drive. We saw our first impala, giraffes, zebra, elephants and lions including 2 month old cubs. It was very exciting.
Got to the camp for a delicious lunch. Staff were extremely friendly and made us feel totally at ease. We were warned about the elephants and other animals wandering through the site - and they did! it was great. That afternoon we did a thoroughly enjoyable river safari with Elton as our guide. He knew which Hippo families were aggresive and steered well clear and helped us with the names of all the stunning birds. His timing was impeccable: positioning the boat in the best possible places for sunset. We had fabulous views of elephants and giraffes coming down for their eveing drinks. The following day we did a full game drive, seeing 2 pairs of mating lions and many other fantastic sightings including 4 African Hunting Dogs. We went to the hot springs and had a dip and the bush lunch was excellent. That evening we had a private dining experience on the veranda - it was a relief to know that the masai tribesman was looking out for large animals and we were not too bothered by the smaller ones! On the third day we did an early morning walking safari, a late morning lake safari and an afternoon game drive. It was brilliant to be able to do different activities. Highlight of the morning - seeing a fish eagle and an osprey having a fight over fishing perch positions! Elton was impressed too!
A Glarvey 2011

Lake Manze camp based on our experience  could not have been bettered ,even if we had paid twice as much.The freedom to do what we wanted when we wanted and the accommodating staff made for a memorable holiday.Once again we had a vehicle to ourselves for all the 5 nights.Our genuine love for Africa was reciprocated by the camp host Nicole, and she did everything possible to embrace our wishes .Every day we were the first to leave ,every day we had a bush breakfast , everyday we had a bush lunch , every day we we were last back .I would say the evening meals were not quite as good as Mdonya , but two of the chefs were on their breaks.The guide we had Giovanni and the driver Daniel were superb and a good team.We also enjoyed boat trips on our own ,again with a bush breakfast!!! At Lake Manze camp it was certainly true , if you ask , you get!!!
T Platt 2011

Going on safari has been a dream of mine for some time, and it was with great excitement that my friend Laura and I set off for Tanzania in September 2011 for a safari trip, with three days on the romantic-sounding island of Zanzibar afterwards to recover.

We had chosen two adventure camps, both in the south of Tanzania, and the first was at Lake Manze in the Selous area.  We got there in a small aeroplane from Dar-es-Salaam and it was exciting to look at the countryside from the air, knowing that we would be enjoying being in the bush very shortly.

We arrived at 9.30 am and set out straight away on a game drive on our way to the camp.  We immediately saw impala, giraffe and elephants.  We marvelled at the many birds and animals which seemed so plentiful.  The beautiful spinosa terminalia trees decorated the bush with bright green foliage spreading out in a flattish form like so many umbrellas.

Arriving at the camp we were greeted by Sally and the other staff, and taken to our tent, which although basic and without electricity, had the luxury of a flush toilet and shower (with water heated by solar power) in open air underneath the sky - wonderful!


Lake Manze camp is near Lake Zerrakerra, so we saw a lot of hippos on our boat trips on the lake and nearby channel.  At night they came out of the water and we could hear them chomping away on the grass very close to our tent, which was very exciting.


Having breakfast the next morning in the open sided covered area, we were thrilled to see an elephant amble by just a few yards away.  There were no fences round the camp and when we walked between our tent and the main covered area we were always escorted by a Maasai guard, who made sure we came to no harm, especially when it was dark  - lots of animals about!

We saw so many animals and birds that I have made a list of these at the end of this little account.

One morning early in our visit we went on a nature walk.  This was really interesting - we learnt a lot about animal tracks, and especially the dung that was lying about, which could tell the experienced guides what had been about, and how long ago.  Various trees were pointed out to us for example the ‘toothbrush tree’ which had flowers which looked just like red toothbrushes, and apparently the fresh light branches could be chewed to use as a toothbrush.  The fruit of a desert date tree (an acacia) could be used to cure intestinal worms.  The long pod cassia trees had beautiful yellow blossoms, and pods that were about 20 cm long.  The greater kudu eat the leaves and flowers, and the roots and bark were boiled and used to cure malaria.  Weaver bird nests abounded - built on the downwind side for shelter; different weaver birds using different kinds of architecture, so again the experienced guides could say which variety was nesting in which tree.

We learnt that the ‘big five’ of game animals have their counterpart in the ’small five’: elephant shrew, lion ant, leopard tortoise, red billed buffalo weaver and rhino beetle.

Our trips on the water were very special - we saw so many crocodiles and hippo that it was tempting to become blase, but it was wonderful to see all the animals in their natural habitat, just going about their ordinary business. 

On our first trip on the lake we quickly saw a malachite kingfisher, a beautiful bird with bright blue plumage and a red beak.  Soon afterwards we were joined by three pied kingfishers which followed our boat for several minutes.  As a brilliant finish, we also saw a giant kingfisher sitting on a branch in a tree with a monitor lizard close by.

Another day we were driving past a large baobab tree with a hole in the trunk - the guide excitedly pointed out a porcupine in the hole.  Laura and I looked and looked but could see nothing.  In the end we got out of the truck and approached to just a few feet away, and in the end conceded that we could see a few white stripes moving in the darkness of the hole.  To say we saw a porcupine is perhaps stretching the facts a bit!

One of the highlights of the trip for me was when we were parked up near the lake for one of our ‘bush breakfasts’ when two hippos were squaring up for a fight.  Their massive jaws were wide open and they were each trying to overcome the other.  We were too far away to take a photo on our somewhat limited equipment, but it was super just to watch through the binoculars.  It went on for some 20 minutes, which our guide assured us meant a serious fight.

We wanted to make the most of our trip, so we were up every morning before 6 am - in the dark - and usually went out for a long morning drive, and then an afternoon drive, but the best days were when we went for a full day, involving bush breakfasts, and bush lunches, when wonderful hot food was produced like magic by our guide and driver.  The ability to drive far away from anywhere, and just soak up the isolation, the heat, and the silence, especially in the heat of the day, was thrilling.
J Johnston 2011
 
Everyone at Lake Manze camp was brilliant. We even ended up having a jeep, driver and guide to ourselves most days.  
Anna and Dan Mayall 2010

Manze was great (Richard was very entertaining) and it was interesting having elephants wandering between the tents all the time.
Gail James 2009  

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