It's fabulous! The Selous Game Reserve is beautiful, the river trip is a nice change from being in a vehicle and a wonderful experience. I finally saw plenty of crocodiles up close and personal! The camp itself is managed by an Italian woman Sarah who is great! The accommodations are just right and the food is delicious. I enjoy staying in this environment as you are close with nature and wildlife while feeling completely safe. The wildlife is abundant often right in the camp! I hope that I can celebrate my birthday here later this year!
Just one note - the Selous Park Fees are very high I believe $75 per day per person. I found the value staying here was excellent because it being so remote yet a good part of the rate is actually towards the Selous Reserve fees! And you are contributing towards the upkeep and preservation of this beautiful vast reserve.

We had an incredible experience at Lake Manze. It was the first stop on our honeymoon safari tour in Tanzania, and I can't say enough about the location, the camp and the quality of the guides.

I don't know what expectations other travelers have about "luxury camps," but the permanent tents were clean, comfortable, stylish and private. I wouldn't have asked for anything else especially since we watched a wild elephant calmly pass by the front of our tent under the full moon. Even though we were in the middle of the wild, we always felt safe due to the Maasai guides that accompanied us to the dining and lounge area.

Due to the intimacy of the camp, we didn't encounter large tour groups and the clientele were very friendly as well. We dined under the stars every evening and the food was delicious.

We didn't feel forced to stay on a specific schedule, and our days were always flexible. The boat safaris were a once in a lifetime experience as we saw hundreds of crocodiles, birds, hippos and other animals grazing by the riverside. Our walking safari was so informative as well and all of the guides are knowledgeable.

An important note as well- they were incredibly accommodating to us as KLM misplaced our luggage and we arrived a day later. They were so flexible and friendly upon our arrival.

Lake Manze may be one of the cheaper camps in the Selous but it is excellent value for money. The photographs of the camp on its website do not do it justice. The tents, although not luxurious, are more spacious and better appointed than they appear, with a very comfortable bed, an outside loo and shower with running water (not just jugs and buckets). Also, they are permanently surrounded by wildlife - there are always impala and baboons in camp, elephants pass through daily and there are great views of hippos and birds in the lake.

In terms of game viewing, I would highly recommend the boat safari, on which we saw an incredible variety of birds, loads of hippos and crocodiles and came incredibly close to a large bull elephant on the shoreline. On the drives, we were lucky enough to see wild dogs but on the whole the game was fairly skittish compared with other parks (presumably because of the fact that hunting is permitted in 90% of the Selous) and, after some unseasonal rain, the game was fairly scattered. In the dry season it is usually more concentrated around the lake.

We were impressed by the food. The meals were fairly basic but always fresh and tasty and the communal open-air dining next to campfires creates a friendly atmosphere.

The only real criticism I would make is of the tipping situation. Like most camps, there is a tips box in the mess area but guests are informed that the drivers and guides do not share in the tips collected in the box and have requested to be tipped separately. This has created an annoying situation where, after every game drive or cruise, guests are expected to pay a tip. It would be better if you were able to leave a single tip at the end of your stay as is the case at most other camps.

Spent 4 nights here at the beginning of October and cannot praise the camp or staff enough
Wildlife viewing is exceptional.We saw everything we wanted including wild dogs,hyenas and of course lions (we were lucky enough to see a pair mating and also two females on a giraffe kill)
The birdlife is exceptional and we really recommend the boat safaris (hippos and crocs everywhere)
The tents are spacious and having no electricity made the whole experience so much more authentic particularly with elephants and giraffes walking a few metres from our tent.
We would really recommend Lake Manze for a brilliant safari experience