Reviews of Lake Manze Camp
Wildlife sightings and reviews
222 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Lake Manze Camp and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
Wildlife sightings by our travellers
Starting in Aug-2018, 31 of our travellers have recorded their wildlife sightings at Lake Manze Camp.
Lion
94% success
Leopard
34% success
Wild dog
50% success
Buffalo
100% success
Giraffe
100% success
Hippo
100% success
Spotted Hyena
100% success
Wildebeest
100% success
Zebra
100% success
Elephant
97% success
Eland
93% success
Striped Hyena
7% success
Aardvark
0% success
Black Rhino
0% success
Pangolin
0% success
Mr D.
London
"Good location, less wildlife than Ruaha"
4 nights Arrived 24 Oct 2018
"Well run rustic camp with wildlife at very close quarters, sometimes just a few feet away. The camp offers numerous options for game viewing by vehicle, boat or walking. The bird life on the lake is exceptional.
Sean and Millie were friendly and helpful and we hope they manage to renew their contracts next year to continue running this camp.
We would have scored this camp higher had the accommodation been better but the water flow in the showers was very poor and also stone-cold most of the time. It is disappointing that even though we stayed for 4 nights and spent hundreds of dollars per night, they still charged us $2 for shampoo... it leaves a bad taste and seems unnecessarily mean." See all these reviews: 10n in Tanzania
Sean and Millie were friendly and helpful and we hope they manage to renew their contracts next year to continue running this camp.
We would have scored this camp higher had the accommodation been better but the water flow in the showers was very poor and also stone-cold most of the time. It is disappointing that even though we stayed for 4 nights and spent hundreds of dollars per night, they still charged us $2 for shampoo... it leaves a bad taste and seems unnecessarily mean." See all these reviews: 10n in Tanzania
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Good
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Average
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Average
Sightings Report
Buffalo
5 sightings
Eland
1 sighting
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Hippo
8 sightings
Lion
6 sightings
Spotted Hyena
3 sightings
Wildebeest
3 sightings
Zebra
4 sightings
Mr A.
West Vancouver
"Interesting camp. & location. Well managed"
4 nights Arrived 3 Oct 2018
"Well managed camp. Personable staff.
Good food, first class guides, none provided with binoculars to help them spot birds easily. - see previous review of Mdonya Camp" See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania
Good food, first class guides, none provided with binoculars to help them spot birds easily. - see previous review of Mdonya Camp" See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Good
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Feedback Response
Whilst we were glad that overall these clients enjoyed their stay, we were sorry to hear that their guide did not have binoculars. We contacted the camp about this and they informed us that it is standard practice for guides to carry binoculars, and they are sorry that this did not appear to be the case on this occasion. The camp works hard to source high quality binoculars, with their binoculars typically coming from South Africa. They informed us that they have a system in place whereby the guides contribute a little towards the cost of binoculars, and that these then become their own personal pair. This then encourages the guides to keep them in a good condition.
"Senior Africa Specialist"
Sightings Report
Buffalo
10 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Hippo
10 sightings
Leopard
2 sightings
Lion
10 sightings
Spotted Hyena
5 sightings
Wild dog
10 sightings
Wildebeest
4 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
Mr & Mrs F
Harrow
"Lake Manze Adventure Camp review"
4 nights Arrived 24 Aug 2018
"Lake Manze is a true bush experience, which we love and its why we made this return visit. Millie and Sean (Managers) were very friendly and an interesting couple. Really enjoyed their company.
Our guide, Joseph, was one of the best we have had. Very knowledgeable on his birds (our particular interest) and an excellent spotter. He worked well with our driver, Zahora, who was a very caring driver and good spotter as well. They both showed so much interest in the wildlife and really made our stay so enjoyable." See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania
Our guide, Joseph, was one of the best we have had. Very knowledgeable on his birds (our particular interest) and an excellent spotter. He worked well with our driver, Zahora, who was a very caring driver and good spotter as well. They both showed so much interest in the wildlife and really made our stay so enjoyable." See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Average
Sightings Report
Buffalo
Multiple sightings
Eland
1 sighting
Elephant
Multiple sightings
Giraffe
Multiple sightings
Hippo
Multiple sightings
Lion
Multiple sightings
Spotted Hyena
Multiple sightings
Wildebeest
Multiple sightings
Zebra
Multiple sightings
Ian G
Wiltshire
"Excellent time at Lake Manze"
4 nights Arrived 5 Aug 2018
"Had an amazing time at this camp. It was exactly what we wanted for our first safari, was run like clockwork and has great staff. Very special thanks to our hosts Shawn and Millie who ensured that we felt very comfortable throughout our stay and that everything worked as it should. Arranging dinner seating so that everyone sits near someone who they will get on with is an example of the efforts they go to to make sure everyone enjoys their stay - some people may not like this idea but they have been doing this for a while and got it right every time while we were there.
Special thanks also to our guide and driver Zac and Ali, the best in camp in our view. Zac is wonderfully knowledgeable about the area and its wildlife and Ali manages to get the vehicle to places you wouldn't think vehicles should go - often the driving was an exciting as the wildlife. The camp provides walking, boating and vehicle safaris. We did them all and particularly enjoyed the boat safari, though they were all excellent. Breakfast and lunch in the bush were particular highlights and all the food, while not cordon bleu , is tasty and plentiful.
Facilities are as advertised, so don't expect wifi, electricity in your tent, a/c, pool etc. Note that despite what the website says electric charging is available 24/7 by the bar. This is a close to nature camp albeit with proper toilet, shower and bed. Wild animals , particularly elephants, roam throughout the camp and this is one of its main attractions.
We had a wonderful time and cannot recommend this place highly enough, my wife is already planning to take our daughter there." See all these reviews: 10n in Tanzania
Special thanks also to our guide and driver Zac and Ali, the best in camp in our view. Zac is wonderfully knowledgeable about the area and its wildlife and Ali manages to get the vehicle to places you wouldn't think vehicles should go - often the driving was an exciting as the wildlife. The camp provides walking, boating and vehicle safaris. We did them all and particularly enjoyed the boat safari, though they were all excellent. Breakfast and lunch in the bush were particular highlights and all the food, while not cordon bleu , is tasty and plentiful.
Facilities are as advertised, so don't expect wifi, electricity in your tent, a/c, pool etc. Note that despite what the website says electric charging is available 24/7 by the bar. This is a close to nature camp albeit with proper toilet, shower and bed. Wild animals , particularly elephants, roam throughout the camp and this is one of its main attractions.
We had a wonderful time and cannot recommend this place highly enough, my wife is already planning to take our daughter there." See all these reviews: 10n in Tanzania
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Good
Sightings Report
Buffalo
10 sightings
Eland
5 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Hippo
10 sightings
Lion
8 sightings
Spotted Hyena
10 sightings
Wild dog
10 sightings
Wildebeest
10 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
Mr RT
Sutton
"Lake Manze - January 2018"
3 nights Arrived 14 Jan 2018
"Good location, with great game viewing close at hand. The camp is good; tents are simple and comfortable, communal areas very good; all very well hosted by Shaun and Millie. Food was good, and they catered well for my specialised requirements. Very good value. With hindsight I wish I had stayed for 4 nights rather than 3.
January was quite wet, and some of the vehicles struggled in muddy conditions. I suspect that they could do with a little more investment. Boat safaris are good, with excellent bird life.
The local airstrip can't be used in very wet conditions and the road in can be blocked, necessitating a transfer by small boat, which can feel uncomfortable." See all these reviews: 14n in Tanzania
January was quite wet, and some of the vehicles struggled in muddy conditions. I suspect that they could do with a little more investment. Boat safaris are good, with excellent bird life.
The local airstrip can't be used in very wet conditions and the road in can be blocked, necessitating a transfer by small boat, which can feel uncomfortable." See all these reviews: 14n in Tanzania
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Good
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Mr & Mrs S
Wiltshire
"Lake Manze Adventure Camp review"
3 nights Arrived 23 Dec 2017
"Game drives and guide Kalisti and guide/driver Daniel (who looked after us extremely well) were excellent - lots of game in the camp area - better on this occasion than other areas in the Selous.
We loved the bush breakfasts and early morning game drives. Our hosts Sean and Millie went beyond the call of duty to welcome us and to make our stay memorable.
The tent would have been more comfortable if the bathroom/toilet had been included in the zipped zone - difficult to avoid insects getting in when the bathroom is in use, particularly at night." See all these reviews: 11n in Tanzania
We loved the bush breakfasts and early morning game drives. Our hosts Sean and Millie went beyond the call of duty to welcome us and to make our stay memorable.
The tent would have been more comfortable if the bathroom/toilet had been included in the zipped zone - difficult to avoid insects getting in when the bathroom is in use, particularly at night." See all these reviews: 11n in Tanzania
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Average
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mrs H
Bristol
"Second Visit - Just as Good"
4 nights Arrived 7 Dec 2017
"This was our second visit to Lake Manze and we loved it just as much as our first. We stayed in December for 4 nights. We had Ally and Kalisti as our driver and guide. Ally is a very experienced driver and also great at spotting wildlife, especially the birds. Kalisti is younger and very enthusiastic. Both were great company and keen to make sure we had a brilliant time.
We shared some of our game drives with a couple we had met in Ruaha and the rest of the time it was just us. We also did a boat safari with Abdullah which was also great, that man knows all about everything on the lake. We spent most of days doing full day game drives, leaving either before or after breakfast and not returning until gone 6pm. The guys picked some wonderful locations on the lake shores for us to eat breakfast and lunch. Game viewing was great including lions and elephants really close up, hippos, wildebeest, antelope, crocodiles, kudu, hyaena, lots of warthog families with babies, zebra, giraffe etc and loads of birds. It was all great.
It was lovely to catch up with Millie and Shaun, the camp managers who are always on hand to make sure everyone is happy and to help plan each day. It was good to catch up over dinner each evening. As before the tents were great and so was the food and all the staff in the camp were very friendly.
It was a great stay and we hope to return soon." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar
We shared some of our game drives with a couple we had met in Ruaha and the rest of the time it was just us. We also did a boat safari with Abdullah which was also great, that man knows all about everything on the lake. We spent most of days doing full day game drives, leaving either before or after breakfast and not returning until gone 6pm. The guys picked some wonderful locations on the lake shores for us to eat breakfast and lunch. Game viewing was great including lions and elephants really close up, hippos, wildebeest, antelope, crocodiles, kudu, hyaena, lots of warthog families with babies, zebra, giraffe etc and loads of birds. It was all great.
It was lovely to catch up with Millie and Shaun, the camp managers who are always on hand to make sure everyone is happy and to help plan each day. It was good to catch up over dinner each evening. As before the tents were great and so was the food and all the staff in the camp were very friendly.
It was a great stay and we hope to return soon." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Excellent
Mrs L
Leeds
"Lake Manze Adventure Camp review"
4 nights Arrived 22 Nov 2017
"We had an amazing four nights at Lake Manze – the camp itself is in a really beautiful spot on the lake and we saw some incredible wildlife from the comfort of the terrace in front of our tent – elephants, moneys, impala, hippos… its something extra special to be able to watch them with a beer in hand!
The tents are spacious, comfortable and very clean, and the solar-powered fan was a bonus as the Selous is quite humid. Food in the camp was very very good – I would say it was the best we had in Tanzania, I looked forward to every meal!
Our guides Abdallah and Zac, and driver Ally were absolutely fantastic – they are experts in the wildlife of the Selous and very passionate about their work. The game viewing was brilliant – we were lucky enough to see the wild dogs, fighting wildebeest, a lioness with a warthog kill – we saw plenty of animal behaviour which was really special. We both left the Selous with a new-found love of birds too – special thanks to Abdallah for his exceptional boat-driving skills for getting us so close!
If you want a masterclass in hospitality, visit Lake Manze – Shaun and Milli are fantastic hosts who go above and beyond in every aspect of their work. I was sad to leave as I felt like I was leaving new friends! Thanks to everyone at Lake Manze (wildlife included!) for making our trip extra special – I hope we can return one day." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania
The tents are spacious, comfortable and very clean, and the solar-powered fan was a bonus as the Selous is quite humid. Food in the camp was very very good – I would say it was the best we had in Tanzania, I looked forward to every meal!
Our guides Abdallah and Zac, and driver Ally were absolutely fantastic – they are experts in the wildlife of the Selous and very passionate about their work. The game viewing was brilliant – we were lucky enough to see the wild dogs, fighting wildebeest, a lioness with a warthog kill – we saw plenty of animal behaviour which was really special. We both left the Selous with a new-found love of birds too – special thanks to Abdallah for his exceptional boat-driving skills for getting us so close!
If you want a masterclass in hospitality, visit Lake Manze – Shaun and Milli are fantastic hosts who go above and beyond in every aspect of their work. I was sad to leave as I felt like I was leaving new friends! Thanks to everyone at Lake Manze (wildlife included!) for making our trip extra special – I hope we can return one day." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs R
Glos
"Lake Manze experience "
4 nights Arrived 7 Nov 2017
"The accommodation was v like Mdonya although there was a fan in the tent to help combat the humidity and heat.
We were lucky to have an experienced private guide - Joseph and driver Abuu. We saw fantastic wildlife including a fabulous hour+ with a pack of 24 wild dogs which had not been seen in the area for 2 years.
The staff were good fun and friendly, led by Shaun and Millie who are great hosts. The food was good and plentiful with much variety.
The Selous GR is a great contrast to Ruaha - v green and lush. We enjoyed the boating as well as the game drives." See all these reviews: 13n in Tanzania
We were lucky to have an experienced private guide - Joseph and driver Abuu. We saw fantastic wildlife including a fabulous hour+ with a pack of 24 wild dogs which had not been seen in the area for 2 years.
The staff were good fun and friendly, led by Shaun and Millie who are great hosts. The food was good and plentiful with much variety.
The Selous GR is a great contrast to Ruaha - v green and lush. We enjoyed the boating as well as the game drives." See all these reviews: 13n in Tanzania
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Good
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Ms W
Kenora
"Amazing animal sightings, up close, no crowds"
3 nights Arrived 2 Nov 2017
"We met our guide and driver at the air strip on arrival and started are first game drive as we headed to the camp! After receiving a warm reception at the camp, receiving assistance with our luggage from the Masai guides, we arrived at our wonderful tent! It was perfect after the beds were converted from a double into 2 singles. We had everything we needed, it was spotless, the beds and linens were comfortable and it almost felt like we weren't camping.
We meet with the camp manager shortly after arrival for review of the camp layout, safety rules, plans for the evening and the following day. We ended up going out on a boat safari and enjoyed the company of another guest and our guide. I trained but we hardly noticed we were so excited with the abundant birdlife, crocs and hippos.
Every day was packed full with incredible game drives, amazing knowledgeable guides, delicious meals and enjoyable social time before dinner with our guests. We appreciated the safety provided by the Masai in the early morning and evening. The game drives were fabulous with wonderful communication between the guides in other vehicles as to sightings, never a line up of vehicles waiting to see the animals and a wealth of knowledge shared by the guides about plants, trees, birds, insects, the animals and their behaviour.
We were a bit confused with the tipping as to the rates suggested were for each of us or the both of us travelling together. we thought we had it right but were led to believe at the second camp that we had tipped double what was recommended as a guide. We were both so pleased with our guides that it really was worthwhile." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar
We meet with the camp manager shortly after arrival for review of the camp layout, safety rules, plans for the evening and the following day. We ended up going out on a boat safari and enjoyed the company of another guest and our guide. I trained but we hardly noticed we were so excited with the abundant birdlife, crocs and hippos.
Every day was packed full with incredible game drives, amazing knowledgeable guides, delicious meals and enjoyable social time before dinner with our guests. We appreciated the safety provided by the Masai in the early morning and evening. The game drives were fabulous with wonderful communication between the guides in other vehicles as to sightings, never a line up of vehicles waiting to see the animals and a wealth of knowledge shared by the guides about plants, trees, birds, insects, the animals and their behaviour.
We were a bit confused with the tipping as to the rates suggested were for each of us or the both of us travelling together. we thought we had it right but were led to believe at the second camp that we had tipped double what was recommended as a guide. We were both so pleased with our guides that it really was worthwhile." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
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