GUIDE ON LAKE MANZE TENTED CAMP IN TANZANIA

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On the shore of Lake Manze in Nyerere National Park (Selous) in Southern Tanzania, there is a well-camouflaged tented camp, reminiscent of an Edwardian African safari expedition. With minimal impact on the delightful wilderness in which it is situated, Lake Manze Tented Camp allows you to feel like Adam in the Garden of Eden, alone in the heart of Nature, undisturbed by any other human beings.

Selous Game Reserve is the oldest in Africa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the size of a small European country such as Switzerland and almost double the size of Belgium. It is unspoiled by human settlements. Eco-tourism including Tanzania photo safaris are encouraged only in the northern strip of Selous, where such activities as walking, boating, fishing, birding, photography and game-viewing and driving safaris are accessible to a select few discerning visitors on tour in Tanzania.



The reserve is home to high concentrations of elephants, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles and 150,000 black Cape buffalo, as well as the best spot to see African hunting dogs and lions in Tanzania. It is difficult to assess the rare black rhinoceros, once over 2,000, but now possibly between 250 and 500 individuals.

There are 350 recorded birds and over 2,000 floral species in this rich and biologically diverse ecosystem which comprises acacia wooded highlands, Miombo woodland valleys, lakes, rivers and seasonally dry river beds, flood plains, swamps and uncluttered savannah in a dramatic and dynamically changing tapestry of seasons. In so remote and uncharted an area, new species of plants, reptiles, and insects are sometimes being discovered. Your Lake Manze Tented Camp Safari with AfricanMecca may produce many surprises.

Accommodation At Lake Manze Tented Camp

Lake Manze Tented Camp consists of 12 practical, no-frills canvas tents, just an hour’s en-route game drive from Siwandu Airstrip. They all have an upraised stone verandah, facing the lake, and shaded by palm trees to provide a wild African vacation accommodation experience with minimal environmental impact.

A central lodge and dining area, with a sand-floored, thatched, open lounge, provides comfortable sofas and armchairs from which you can view the comings and goings of local wildlife, especially the elephants, which have an established trail through the camp. Stone paved verandahs with safari chairs allow you to watch hippos, herons, and even crocodiles from the safety of your own tent during your unique Selous trip with AfricanMecca.



Each tent has twin or double beds and two tents have an extra room instead of a verandah, for accommodation for families on safari. There are adjoining simple fenced outdoor bathrooms with flush toilet, wash basin and bush shower. There is solar hot water but no electricity. Battery recharging is done at the bar. A torch and candles are provided for night-time. Drinking water is supplied in vacuum flasks. Zipped canvas and mesh flaps offer night-time security and also divide the bathroom from the sleeping area.

Mesh windows keep out insects whilst admitting every breath of air. A canvas open wardrobe and shelves complete with Swahili floor mats with a lockable wooden chest for valuables. Maasai askaris escorts protect you as you traverse the camp, especially in the night, adding to the excitement of this authentic Tanzanian safari experience.

Safari At Lake Manze Tented Camp

Because the Selous is not a National Park, there is a wider range of permitted activities for your adventurous Tanzanian holiday, including walking and boating safaris as well as fly camping, fishing and game drives, usually in two outings daily, morning and afternoon, or one all day safari. Night driving is prohibited in Selous so visitors must return to camp by 6.30-7.00 p.m.



Being a small camp, activities are tailored to your own requirements with destinations and departure times arranged in discussion with your guide. If you want to see crocodiles, wait until later in the day when they have roused themselves in the sunshine. Guided walks focus on the grassy plains around Lake Manze, where you will experience a gentle two hour stroll to examine plants, lizards and insects as well as tracks, carrion bones and droppings, and learn to read the bush.

You may well see elephants, impala and other wildlife, but most sightings will be of a smaller and more intimate nature not seen on game drives. Children under 15 years are not eligible for walks. On game-viewing drives, there are usually four AfricanMecca guests. Destinations range from the open plains around Beho Beho to the hot springs of Maji Moto.



Larger mammals; giraffes, lions, buffalo and numerous antelopes will be much in evidence (read more on best time to visit Selous in Tanzania). Fishing and boating trips on the Lake in shaded metal boats with outboard motors will vary your Africa tour and introduce you safely to hippos, crocs, catfish and voracious tiger fish, with numerous wading and fishing birds, including ospreys and fish-eagles.

Dining At Lake Manze Tented Camp

Lake Manze Tented Camp encourages local farmers outside the reserve by providing all they need to grow fresh vegetables for camp use. This rewards them for their stewardship of this last unspoiled wilderness gem. Work up an appetite for breakfast with an early morning safari walk or game-tracking drive after your wake-up cuppa with home-made biscuits. Your knowledgeable guide will share his love of the area and its wildlife, before returning for a bush breakfast of home-made muesli, fruit, cheese, pot-baked bread and conserves, or eggs cooked over an open fire.

If you take a driving tour of Selous as planned on your AfricanMecca itinerary, you can take on board refreshments in your shady roofed, open-sided 4 x 4 transport. In this very large reserve, radio links with other guides are particularly useful to augment his skills in rapid location of interesting wildlife movements.



Hot and cold luncheon platters, with chilled wine, are available in the mess tent, after which you can relax and enjoy the local wildlife from the lounge or verandah, or take a siesta before rousing for light snacks with afternoon tea. A late afternoon boat trip or game drive ends with sundowner cocktails round the camp-fire to enhance your enjoyment of a spectacular sunset. Dinner can be served on your verandah, or you can savor a bush meal cooked and eaten under a starry sky, followed by a dessert with coffee or liqueur as you swap African travel yarns around the “bush television” campfire.

Related Pages

1. Nyerere (Selous) Safari Park Guide	2. Best Time & Weather To Visit Nyerere (Selous)
3. Nyerere (Selous) Map	4. Safari Lodges, Camps & Hotels In Nyerere (Selous)