Manyara's Secret

On the sunny western escarpment above Lake Manyara, on community managed land just outside the national park near Mto wa Mbu. It is about 20 minutes from the Lake Manyara gate.

Sixteen villas in total, from two person villas to four, six and eight person villas, plus a honeymoon villa. Every villa has its own private plunge pool.

About 2.5 hours by road from Kilimanjaro International Airport, or a 20 minute flight to Lake Manyara Airport followed by a 30 minute drive.

Yes. The four, six and eight person villas are built for families and multigenerational groups, and one extra bed per villa is free for a child up to five years old.

Full board on a set menu, bottled water, wake up tea or coffee, WiFi, and use of the plunge pools and infinity pool. Park fees are charged separately and shown as itemised lines in your trip price.

The lodge is open all year. The dry months from June to October are easiest for game drives in Lake Manyara and Tarangire, while the green season brings lush scenery and birdlife.

Yes. Wireless internet is included and reaches every villa, not only the public areas. It is good enough for calls home and for work if you need it, which is unusual for this part of the northern circuit.

The lodge runs on its own solar park, and the hot water comes from solar boilers. You will not hear a generator running through dinner, which is a large part of why the terrace is so quiet in the evening.

The Lake Manyara park gate is roughly 15 to 25 minutes down the escarpment. Tarangire is about 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on which gate you use, and the Ngorongoro gate is about an hour to an hour and a half. Mto wa Mbu village and its market sit just below the lodge and make an easy half day on foot with a local guide.

The long rains fall roughly from late March to the middle of May. The escarpment turns green, the park is quiet, and the lake rises, which is when flamingo feed on the shallows in real numbers. The trade off is mud on the park roads and thicker growth, which makes general game spotting harder than it is in the dry months. Birding is at its best in this window.

Yes. From 1 October 2026 visitors entering mainland Tanzania must hold the government inbound travel insurance, 44 USD per adult and valid for up to 92 days, covering emergency medical care, evacuation, repatriation and lost luggage. Children aged 3 to 17 pay half and infants under 3 are free. It is bought online before you fly or on arrival, and residents of Tanzania and of East African and SADC countries are exempt. If you land in Zanzibar first, the Zanzibar policy covers you instead. It is paid by you directly and is not part of your trip price.