Tanzania Safari

Lake Manyara Tree Lodge

Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania

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View images of Lake Manyara Tree Lodge:  Tree Lodge Images

LAKE MANYARA TREE LODGE RATES: Lake Manyara Tree Lodge Rates

LAKE MANYARA TREE LODGE - LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA
Lake Manyara Tree Lodge is set in the heart of a mahogany forest and is the only lodge in the diverse Lake Manyara National Park in northern Tanzania. It is the newest addition to CC Africa’s portfolio of luxury safari lodges on the northern Tanzanian safari circuit.

From soaring groundwater forests and a tranquil lake, to the mountain escarpment of the Great Rift Valley, Lake Manyara National Park boasts an incredible wealth of habitats and diverse African wildlife. Guests are offered an exciting, interpretive safari experience in game-rich surrounds which include large herds of elephant and buffalo. The Lodge, which was designed to exert minimal impact on the environment, is situated in the remote southwestern region of the Park. Here the Great Rift Valley is at its most impressive, with the Escarpment dropping some 500 metres/1640 feet down to the flamingo-rimmed shore of the lake.  Lake Manyara Tree Lodge is owned and operated by CC Africa. The camp closes in April & May.

Unique Selling Points
• Lake Manyara Tree Lodge is the only lodge in Lake Manyara National Park
• The towering escarpment of the Great Rift Valley is a breathtaking backdrop
• Privacy of the location ensures near exclusivity of game drives in the southern section of Lake Manyara National Park
• The Park is famous for its tree-climbing lions
• 350 species of birds make for good birdwatching
• Open 4x4 safari vehicles
• Great diversity of habitats
• Sundowners and lakeshore picnics

Accommodation            For images of Lake Manyara Tree Lodge, click Tree Lodge Images
Ten elegant stilted treehouses are cradled in the boughs of mahogany trees, ensuring privacy for all guests. Built of timber and makuti (palm fronds), the interiors are bleached, earthy and stylishly understated. Rooms are spacious with sitting areas and viewing decks. Ensuite bathrooms with a bath, outdoor shower, twin hand basins and private w.c..

• Ten stilted tree house suites
• En suite bathroom and outdoor shower
• Private game viewing deck overlooking the forest
• Within a unique African national park
• Crafts gallery and swimming pool
• Double volume guest areas
• Renowned CC African butler service

Each tree house suite features large windows to invite the lush forest inside. The classically elegant rooms are fitted with contemporary furnishings in neutral colours and textures. Bedrooms have overhead fans, mosquito nets and earthy, understated features.

Overlooking a forest boma (outdoor dining area) lined with ngalawas (dugout canoes), the guest areas are soaring spaces housing Dodoma artworks and tactile fabrics. An interactive kitchen allows guests to observe the preparation of delicious Pan-African cuisine which may be enjoyed in the theatrical boma, on dining decks, or on your private viewing deck with spectacular forest views. Breakfasts and picnics are also served on the lakeshore.

The Lodge has a Safari Shop featuring signature community craftwork and a range of lodge branded safari clothing.

Food
All CC Africa lodges are world-renowned for their delicious Pan-African cuisine – fresh ingredients, simply prepared with an African flavour. All halaal and vegetarian dietary requirements will be catered for. When making your reservation, please inform us of any specific dietary requirements you may have, and these will be communicated immediately to the camp. Should specific items need to be flown in, there will be an additional charge, which will be quoted separately. Regrettably, we are unable to cater for strictly kosher guests at Lake Manyara Tree Lodge.

Children’s Policy
Travel to Tanzania is recommended for children 8 years and older. Regretfully, children 5 years and younger cannot participate in the regular game drives. Child minders can be booked at an additional cost. Children aged 6 to 11 years are accommodated on game drives at the Lodge Manager’s discretion. An extra bed can be arranged for a child 11 years and younger sharing its parents’ treehouse. No more than 1 triple per night in the camp at any one time.

Children’s Activities
Childrens' activities depend entirely on the age of the children and may include the following:
• Special family game drives (at the discretion of the lodge manager and subject to availability)
• Special one-hour children's bush walks within the camp perimeter
• Planet Manager activity books
• Special programmes can be compiled such as tracking for children, fishing, frog safaris and birding
• Children’s meals and menus available

Activities & Wildlife
Exciting game-drives
Professional and skilled CC Africa safari guides will lead you on interpretive game-drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles in the game-rich Lake Manyara National Park. Due to the Lodge’s secluded location, there is minimal vehicle intrusion, allowing for leisurely tracking of the Park’s famous tree-climbing lions and uninterrupted viewing of flocks of pelicans and flamingos in the lake.

Lake Manyara National Park is a compact yet incredibly diverse wildlife haven at the base of the spectacular Great Rift Valley. Six distinct habitats support an array of wildlife:

• Famous tree-climbing lions
• Large herds of elephant and buffalo
• Richest birdwatching locality in Tanzania
• Enormous flocks of nomadic lesser flamingo
• Extraordinary hot springs on lakeshore
• Luxuriant groundwater forest

Lake Manyara Tree Lodge Habitats
Acacia woodland is dominated by spectacular umbrella thorn, tamarind tree and desert date, with cordia and salvadora shrubs; which are an excellent habitat for large mammals. Floodplains fringing the lake expand and retract according to the levels of the lake and are typically fringed by stands of fever trees and ivory palms. Verdant groundwater forest – dominated by evergreen mahogany and ficus – occurs where water seeps from the Rift Valley wall and along rivers and streams. Marshes and wetlands develop after rain to provide habitat for aquatic plants and animals. The level of the soda-rich Lake Manyara fluctuates through the seasons and from year to year. The vertical rock faces of the Rift Valley wall are colonised by aloes and other succulent plants, while baobab, sterculia and terminalia grow on the lower slopes.

Mammals at Lake Manyara Tree Lodge
Manyara is renowned for its tree-climbing lions which may be seen resting in favoured spots. After a decade of heavy poaching, elephant numbers have recovered and the great pachyderms are regularly encountered – the Park was the site of Iain Douglas-Hamilton’s pioneering work on elephant societies. Olive baboon troops may number up to 200 individuals. Giraffe are abundant with many males being very dark in colour. Small numbers of Heck’s wildebeest (a subspecies of the common wildebeest) favour the lakeshore. Buffalo bulls with enormous horns wallow in the lake shallows, and hippos are regularly seen. Leopard and Cape clawless otter are occasionally encountered. Klipspringers hold territories around boulders at the base of the Rift Valley wall.

Birds at Lake Manyara Tree Lodge
A remarkable 387 species are recorded. Over a million lesser flamingos may occur on the lake although they do not breed here. Great numbers of white pelican, pink-backed pelican, greater flamingo and yellow-billed stork also populate the lake on a seasonal basis. Countless other waterfowl, including many Eurasian migrants, favour the lakeshore. Birds of prey are represented by a remarkable 46 species including Ruppell’s griffon, Egyptian vulture, palmnut vulture, Verreaux’s eagle, crowned eagle, martial eagle, bat hawk and peregrine falcon. Vociferous silvery-cheeked hornbills inhabit evergreen forest and southern ground hornbills stalk open woodland in family groups. Among the more colourful bush birds are Fischer’s lovebird, blue-naped mousebird, grey-headed kingfisher, Abyssinian scimitarbill, red-and-yellow barbet and Peters’ twinspot.

Birding Specials at Lake Manyara
• Silvery-cheeked Hornbill
• Ashy Starling
• Red-and-yellow Barbet
• Slender-tailed Nightjar
• Abyssinian White-eye
• Pangani Longclaw
• Peters' Twinspot
• Lesser Flamingo
• Eastern Nicator
• Long-tailed Fiscal

Other African Wildlife
Huge African rock python dwell among boulders and ambush prey in wetlands. Gigantic, cathedral-like termite mounds are the work of millions of these industrious, colonial insects. A variety of colourful beetles and butterflies abound. Interestingly, there are no Nile crocodiles in the lake. Dragonflies and damselflies are prolific at the water's edge.

Lakeshore picnics
Enjoy a delicious breakfast or picnic on the lakeshore while viewing flocks of pelicans and flamingos with buffalo and hippos cooling in the water.

Night Drives at an additional cost
CC Africa guests are now experiencing incredible night drives from Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. They have been treated to lion, leopard, wild dog, large packs of hyena with pups, huge pods of hippo out of the water, porcupine, bush baby, genet cats, awesome night skies and much, much more. Manyara's night drives can be part of the afternoon game viewing extending into the night, or they can commence after an early dinner. The cost of this experience is subject to change (the bulk of these costs are paid over to Lake Manyara National Park in the form of extra park fees). The lodge requires 24 hours notice to organize and reserve night drives, so pre-booking this memorable experience is advisable.

Eco-Tourism
Lake Manyara Tree Lodge is committed to CC Africa’s core principle: Care of the Land, Care of the Wildlife, Care of the people.

CC Africa’s focus: Community equity, income generation, education and health care are a primary concern. In consultation with community organisations such as the Africa Foundation – originally founded by CC Africa, now a not-for-profit rural development organisation – Lake Manyara Tree Lodge has contributed significantly towards improving the prosperity and living conditions of the local Mayoca community.

Ecotourism in Africa: Our guests play a critical role in helping CC Africa realise our dream and vision: to create a model in wise land management, integrating international travellers and rural people to their mutual benefit and demonstrating that wildlife can be preserved on a sustainable basis by all.

Positive Health Programme
CC Africa strongly believes in its people and was recently listed as one of three finalists in the Investor in People category of the 2005 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. The October 2005 edition of Africa Geographic featured an article on AIDS and conversation, and highlighted the activities and programmes that various African companies are implementing in order to increase AIDS awareness and, in doing so, empower the communities taking care of some of the world's richest wilderness regions.

"Probably the most attractive program ... is that of CC Africa... CC Africa launched a Positive Health program in 2003 and in April and May last year ran two seven-day courses.... Their approach focuses on home-based care, gardens, counseling techniques and gender issues.... The health of the habitat is critical to the health of the individuals in it.... The conservation industry is uniquely positioned to take the treatment of HIV/AIDS in radically new directions.... Benefits [of the program] include acquiring 'hard skills' such as maintaining clean water, producing food, and home-based methods of dealing with illnesses that are not life threatening.... It takes only the will of ecologically minded people to make sure that the wild places are not lost."
Africa Geographic, October 2005

Other Considerations
• Weather: Warm to hot climate year round due to proximity to the equator.
• Rainfall: There are two rainy seasons with the so-called short rains being from November to December and the long rains from March to May.
• Temperature: Lake Manyara has a warm to hot climate year round due to its altitude and close proximity to the equator. Minimum temperatures are 15°C/59°F to maximum 40°C/104°F, and the heat reaches its peak in the dry months of January and February.
• Best time to travel: Superb game-viewing is offered throughout the year but is at its peak from December to February and from August to September.
• Malaria: Lake Manyara Tree Lodge is situated in a Malaria area and necessary precautions should be taken.
• Ratio of guests to staff: 1 to 2
• Camp closure: The Lodge closes during April and May each year during the long rains.

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