soaring groundwater forests and a tranquil lake ...
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. Luxurious safari tree house suites: Crafted from local timber and makuti (palm fronds), Lake Manyara Tree Lodge is discreetly tucked away in an ancient mahogany forest in close proximity to the exquisite soda lake. 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), 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.
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. 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.
A remarkable 387 species of birds have been recorded here. 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. 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.
The tallest mountain on the continent and the most spectacular animal migration on the planet are just two reasons the visit these glorious territories.
The countries of Tanzania and Kenya combine spectacular African...
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SOUTHERN AFRICA TRAVEL The Oak Suite, Guardian House,
Borough Road, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 2AE Tel: 01483 425533 Fax: 01483 860391 The air holiday packages on this website are ATOL protected
by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 4795. Please see our booking
conditions for more information. Click on the ATOL logo above for more information.
Many thanks and credit to the following
photographers whose images have been used in this site: Michael Poliza, Colin
Bell, Dana Allen, David Ross, Nick Melidonas and Wilderness Safaris.
