Reviews of Lake Manze Camp

"We were really happy with our stay at Lake Manze and felt it was the highlight of our honeymoon. We were safari first-timers and would definitely recommend this place to others.

In hindsight a 3-night stay would probably be perfect here but to achieve that we'd have had to cut back on other parts of our trip to stay in budget, and 2 nights was very definitely worth it: we saw lions on five occasions, and even a hyena, along with countless giraffes, hippos and other animals. We really liked the 'no fences' style of the place, and it was amazing having elephants in front of our tent two days running (a bit scary too, but the Masai security were looking out for us).

Every member of the staff team came across as being totally professional, and gave excellent service without ever being pushy or smarmy. Our main guide and driver (Roger and Ally) were a great team (Roger very informative, Ally an excellent driver across difficult terrain) and seemed to have eyes like hawks! Sara the manager was very helpful in suggesting what trips were best use of our limited time.

The food was very decent - veggies and vegans will be well catered for, although hardcore carnivores will be a bit disappointed and a bit more choice might be better. Initially we weren't too sure about the communal dining but it probably improved our overall experience. We were impressed that the bar was very reasonably priced - out here it would be easy for them to overcharge if they wanted to, but it increased our confidence in the place that they didn't.

The tent was great - I was a bit concerned about the open bathroom as my wife doesn't like insects, but apart from the odd encounter it wasn't too bad and it was fun seeing elephants and baboons out the back. The lack of electricity was no problem at all as there were sufficient light sources in the tent and cameras could be charged at the bar, and sitting for a drink in the lamplight was quite romantic." See all these reviews: 7n in Zanzibar; 2n in Tanzania

"A great start to our holiday. A good mix of water and land safaris and activities.

Great to be able to plan your own days." See all these reviews: 16n in Tanzania

"We loved everything about Lake Manze camp, even not having electricity and a semi-outdoor bathroom, which made it feel like a romantic adventure. Sara was an extremely nice and efficient manager, making sure we were aware of our safari options and got to do exactly what we wanted each day.

The food was quite good, the staff wonderful, and we were thrilled that the elephants and other animals had free run of the camp (with maasai warriors standing by to insure our safety). Our guide, Victor, and driver, Daniel, were superb. Victor had so much knowledge about the animals and plants and excellent enough English to convey complex ideas. Daniel was an excellent driver, very conscientious about our comfort and safety, and on some truly challenging roads.

We also enjoyed two walking safaris and felt safe with ranger George, and two water safaris with our very experienced and interesting guide, Elton." See all these reviews: 14n in Tanzania

"We were overawed by the amount of animals we saw and at such close quarters. The guides were enormously informative and obliging.

The tents were comfortable, the food was excellent and the general organization was very efficient." See all these reviews: 7n in Zanzibar; 5n in Tanzania

"We had a superb time at Lake Manze camp and it was a great place to begin our holiday in the Selous. Our experience begin before even reaching the camp with giraffes on the airstrip! We had a fantastic guide in Giovanni and it certainly helped having a separate driver as we saw the most game here out of the three camps we stayed in. The highlight was seeing a lioness feeding her two tiny cubs.

The facilities at the camp were excellent and the tents very comfortable. We loved having the toilet and shower open to the skies and the lack of electricity gave a wonderful atmosphere at night. Hearing elephants right outside the tent was a fabulous experience as was their company at breakfast!

The food and service was first-rate and the waiters loved our ten-year old. Travelling as a family of five, the only draw-back was the communal dining at lunch and especially at evening when it was a race to sit together." See all these reviews: 11n in Tanzania

"An excellent camp, relaxed but thoroughly professional. the ability to discuss and select your own programme for the next day with the manager during the pre dinner drinks added a personal touch that enhanced the experience.

The experience of having elephants wandering through the camp and around the tents at night was amazing. Also the quantity and variety of game life we saw was way above expectations - whether this was the time of year or sheer luck doesn't matter, it was excellent." See all these reviews: 3n in Tanzania; 3n in Zanzibar

"having highlighted the problems (mdonya ) with the manager at this camp we were accomodated with our own land rover
the camp was well positioned & had an abundance of very well conditioned animals with lions prolific - six different sightings with over 70 lions seen.
again no leopard or wild dogs were sighted & cheetah are not seen in Selous. the guide & driver could not be faulted for knowledge & effort
they were very accomodating with full day full on safari
the boat on the lake was also excellent with numerous hippos/crocodile & wading birds" See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania

"great atmosphere, love the overall camp, with the elephants around the tents! Like the idea of sharing tables for meals.

Only regret: we had a trainee guide for all our drive safaris, and, having been on safari before, he did not bring much new with his comments. It was more a "chat with him" than real information or anecdotes about the animals...

the drive boat was great, in a quite small boat near quite big animals!" See all these reviews: 6n in Tanzania

"This was a great introduction to what it means to be on safari. Straight from the plane we went onto a game drive with a really experienced and friendly guide (Victor) and brilliant driver (Salom). Then back for lunch which, like all of the meals, was fantastic with real quality.

Our tent was great too - more of a rustic experience with no electricity but just what we wanted as we wanted to feel like we were on an adventure. There is power available in the bar too so you can charge phones, cameras, etc.

It was an extremely relaxing experience with the day built around what we wanted to do and a variety of activities on offer. Being near the lake the option of a boat safari is excellent with even more animals to see.

To top it all off we were visited daily by elephants right outside our tent which was an experience we will never forget. To be so close to them was amazing.

Finally, it was a great touch for the staff to organise a romantic meal for two outside our tent on our last night. We would heartily recommend Lake Manze Camp to anyone considering a safari." See all these reviews: 7n in Zanzibar; 4n in Tanzania

"We had a wonderful time here and were very well looked after.

We loved the 50s style tents, basic but charming and comfortable and the simplicity of the camp coupled with excellent and thoughtful service made for a very memorable stay." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania; 2n in Zanzibar