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
94% success
34% success
50% success
100% success
100% success
100% success
100% success
100% success
100% success
97% success
93% success
7% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
"Beyond criticism"
Cannot recommend highly enough." See all these reviews: 3n in Tanzania; 2n in Zanzibar
"Safari from Lake Manze camp"
As well as the location, we heard from other travellers that the Selous is quieter and less commercial than some of Tanzania's Northern game parks and so it was not unusual to be able to spend as long as you wanted with the lions, crocodiles or birds in an afternoon and not be disturbed by many other cars or visitors.
The camp was welcoming, well run and we thought the drivers and guides were generally very informative, experienced and worked together very well to ensure that guests saw what was of most interest to them.
The tents were clean and comfortable and the lack of electricity or fences really gave you a feeling of being 'amongst nature'. It was quite common to see elephants in and around the camp and Giraffe and Hippos were never far away. We were both surprised and pleased to see so much and would definitely consider a safari again." See all these reviews: 4n in Tanzania; 1n in Zanzibar
"First ever safari at Lake Manze"
The reserve was wonderfully quiet in terms of other safaris - we barely saw another vehicle all day - the walking and boat safaris were fantastic, the animal life and the scenery was superb and the camp itself met all our expectations. Richard and his team were wonderfully hospitable, without exception, and the camp offered just the right level of comfort, without ever feeling like we were too removed from the reserve itself and the animal life that surrounded us. The ability to tailor each days safari to our particular interests and whims was also a huge plus.
Thanks also to Claire at Expert Africa for helping us to not only find exactly what we were looking for, but also for arranging it all at the last minute for us." See all these reviews: 3n in Tanzania
"Lake Manze Tented Camp review"
The tents were lovely, the lack of electric and community dining was nice. Staff were very friendly and seemed to enjoy their jobs. Guides were knowledgeable but sometimes had to be prompted for extra information.
The only negative thing we would say is that it would have been nice to have been told about the different activities which were available to us rather than having to find out from other guests." See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania; 4n in Zanzibar
"Lake Manze Tented Camp review"
Being safari virgins it would have been nice to have been told the best time for a walk is the morning when it's quiet and cooler, a good time to go on the boat would be the evening so you can watch the sunset, and also offer the chance of fishing. None of this information was passed onto to us by Richard and was retrieved off other guests who had been offered bush breakfasts and lunches along with trips to the natural springs. I'm not saying we would have taken him up on the offer but it would have been nice to be offered the options. Because of this it wasn't the most relaxing of places and when you are paying that sort of money to stay there you want to be treated well.
The camp should also come with a serious mosquito warning and have spray and additional nets provided over the beds. Whilst I found it amazing showering under the stars and watching the wildlife go past, it's not everyone's cup of tea and you can leave yourself open to a good old stinging.
The camp is also a little bit too communal, whilst it's nice to get to know people, not so sure it's that great a suggestion for honeymooners. A few seperate tables could offer some flexibility, rather than being told where you had to sit by said sergeant major and then if you were lucky enough you got to dine next to him at the top of the table (thank god we were spared that experience). That said we did meet some interesting and nice people over dinner and had a good laugh.
I'm painting a pretty bad picture here and that does the camp an injustice. Although fairly basic the camp is in a great location with all sorts of animals wandering through and the lack of electricity and the use of storm lanterns and camp fires at night creates a speacial atmosphere and adds to its charm. Furthermore the game in this location was amazing and the best we saw on the safari.
I have graded the service as poor, not because of the bar staff and guides etc but because of the camp manager." See all these reviews: 9n in Zanzibar; 5n in Tanzania
The management has conceded that the camp was full during these travellers stay and perhaps this impacted on the service. Though from other recent feedback we know this isn’t a common occurrence and we don’t expect it will happen again.
"Lake Manze Tented Camp review"
"Lake Manze Tented Camp review"
Liked the fact the camp was open and enjoyed regular visits from elephants. Good value for money." See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania
"Lake Manze Tented Camp review"
Very much a 'bush' experience, we had five hyenas around our tent at 2 a.m., and many skittish elephant around the camp (all dealt with efficiently by the Masai guards). Beautiful scenery, and so much to see." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania
"Lake Manze Tented Camp review"
The activities were very good and varied - walking, driving to different areas and boat available. Very flexible with the opportunity for an early start to a drive and picnic breakfast in the bush. Very good spot to watch predators on the open savannah." See all these reviews: 13n in Tanzania; 1n in Kenya
"Lake Manze Tented Camp review"
The wildlife is close to your tent - an amazing experience - and after three days in the bush and on the lake we had seen much, much more animals than we had ever expected (no rhino but giraffes, lions, a leopard, buffalos, elephants, kudus, impalas, hippos, crocodiles, wild dogs, baboons, wildebeests, a hyena, mungos and huge amount of different birds).
An unforgettable safari." See all these reviews: 5n in Zanzibar; 4n in Tanzania
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