AndBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge

This lodge is situated at the southern end of the Lake Manyara National Park, which makes for a long and rewarding game drive through the park from the northern Main Gate. The drive largely follows the western shore of the growing lake, and offers chance encounters of all of the big five (although we did not see leaopard), and a very rich avian and reptilian fauna. The lodge is nestled deep in the dense forest of the lake shore without any barriers to wildlife (hence the requirement for Maasai Warrior escort during the dark hours. It’s main structure is built with a two-story open front facing the fenced in open sky dining area with decor of carved wood canoes. Service is impeccable and very attentive with a private waiter/host. Abdullah, our server, having worked at the lodge fopr 27 years, was the epitomy of friendly (and funny) personal attention. The food, prepared in an open access kitchen, was delicious and expertly prepared, with access to cocktails (we were always welcomed to dinner with a frozen gin&tonic) and premium wines. On the evening of our last day, a “Sundowner” drink reception was set up on a grassy shore of Lake Manyara and we enjoyed the sunset together with other quests, serviced by bar and restaurant staff. Our “villa,” built on stilts so that we were positioned high among the trees, was very comfortable with a wrap-around deck. The ambient temperature made it comfortable to shower outdoor and the lack of solid walls (metal net frames throughout, offered an effective insect barrier). We can highly recommend this very comfortable, high-end lodge to visitors of Lake Manyara National Park.

We were only there for a quick night but the lodge was lovely, room was comfortable and the staff was amazing. The one dinner and breakfast were great and the drinks the one evening were lovely. Only wish we were there for longer than a night. We were so embedded in nature and the wildlife, but safe at all times.

Staff and game driver, Hussein, were incredible. All are extremely accommodating. They deserve the highest praise. Hussein is very knowledgeable. Location: it’s the only lodge inside the national park which allows for mostly private morning and evening game drives. The lodge is at the opposite end of the park so getting there and back to the entrance in a game drive in itself. The park itself is quite small with only one main road. Because of the dense foliage, it is more challenging than the other parks to see the animals. Seeing the “tree” lions was a highlight. The rooms are stand alone cabins built on stilts. You’re very much one with nature. We had monkeys watching us in the outdoor shower, heard elephants and lions at night. I planned this trip in a hurry. If I had done more research and had more lead time, we would have skipped Manyara and gone to Ngorongoro Crater instead which is why I am giving 4 stars. The lodge itself and the staff are excellent.

From the very moment we arrived, we knew this was going to be an exceptional experience but the staff at the &Beyond Lake Manyara exceeded even our wildest expectations. We were greeted with the entire staff singing us a traditonal welcome and then escorted to our own private tree house where lo and behold hundreds of rose petals had been strewn around a tub filled to overflowing with a sumptuous bubble bath. Thoughtful personal notes welcomed us at every turn and our personal butler took care of our laundry with miraculous efficiency. We were looking forward to supper but had no idea that Mr Joachim had prepared us a private champagne meal poolside. The path to our table was strewn with thousands of rose petals as was the table itself. Thank you so much Grace for cooking us that exceptional meal and even indulging my chili addiction. We love the &Beyond properties not only for their highly personalised approach but their consistently exceptional location (the &Beyond Lake Manyara is the only lodge inside the Lake Manyara Reserve for example) and especially their vision as a hospitatlity group-- they exemplify what it means to be a corporate good player by their commitment to wildlife and nature conservation, their active involvement in local community development and their partnership with the Africa Foundation. Thank you to the entire staff (including our personal Masai guard) for such a memorable stay!

Located in Lake Manyara National Park. The safari camp is very nice. The rooms are comfortable and the rooms are are well maintained. The common area includes indoor and outdoor dining and a nice lounge. The staff are very welcoming. Overall, the Tree Lodge was amazing. Our guide/biologist was Henry from The Wild Source. Henry is a great guide, very friendly and very professional. See Video on YouTube: nwaynesworld

We had a wonderful experience at this lodge. The staff are excellent and work hard to make you feel at home. Our game driver George was kind and knowledgeable. He did everything he could to show us as many animals as possible. Our butler Patrice also worked hard to make us feel at home. We knew we were going to have a good time at this lodge when we saw a lion in a tree on our way in to the lodge! One nice thing about being here was how few other people were there. We felt like we had the whole park to ourselves. Having an elephant walk right past our cabin was also a great experience. This place has lots of elephants and lots of baboons.