andBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge

The Treehouse Suites are elevated on stilts, offering guests sweeping views of the treetops and lush greenery. Each of the suites is positioned on a spacious timber deck, where guests can sit out and enjoy the stunning views. The bedroom features large windows, allowing the tropical oasis to reach inside.

With modern furnishings and overhead fans, the rooms are designed with neutral colours and tones to provide a natural setting that doesn’t cause too much of an impact on the landscape. Guests can enjoy lying back on their soft double beds, protected by mosquito nets. The treehouse bathrooms feature an indoor tub and outdoor shower. Sit back on your sofa, taking in the unique surroundings in a private and restful setting.

The Family Suite is much like the standard treehouses, but with 2 en-suite bedrooms to sleep two adults and two children (three children can be accommodated as part of a special request). The suite is nestled in the boughs of the towering trees, overlooking the lush grasslands and forest. The timber deck is larger than that of the standard treehouses, providing an open space for families to gather and share stories about exciting safari adventures. The main bathroom consists of an outdoor shower and freestanding bath, whereas the second bathroom has an indoor shower.

The treehouse lodge overlooks a forest boma, where guests can enjoy outdoor dining with traditional cuisine. Guests can also get involved with Lake Manyara Tree Lodge’s interactive kitchen, which allows you to watch or participate in creating dishes that will later be served either by the boma, or out on the open dining deck.

Guests can enjoy a selection of hot and cold food from the kitchen and breakfast buffet in the mornings, followed by a hearty lunch on returning from your first activity of the day. Guests can also choose to take a packed lunch out on activities if desired. Before dinner, indulge in a sundowner and a selection of canapes, before being served a delicious three-course meal under the stars.

Embark on an exclusive game drive to parts of Lake Manyara National Park that day visitors are usually unable to reach. The lodge’s position within the reserve means that guests can start their day far from the park’s entrance gate and enjoy and private experience away from other safari vehicles. Set out in an open 4×4 safari vehicle and explore the different ecosystems within the national park.

Stop off at the lakeshore and view the many bird species that congregate on the waters. Guests visiting during Tanzania’s dry season may even be able to watch the thousands of flamingos that gather here between May and November, transforming the lake into a sea of pink. Guests can also visit the acacia woodlands and see Manyara’s black-maned, tree-climbing lions, or venture to the grassy floodplains and see the large herds of elephants. Learn about these incredible animals from your knowledgeable guide and capture unique photos to show off to your friends back home.

Night drives are also available at an additional cost. These allow guests to search through the bush for predators while they are most active and see the nocturnal species that are not visible during the day.

For guests staying 2 or more nights at andBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodges, a complimentary trip to explore Lake Manyara awaits you. Venture out on the lodge’s bikes and visit the nearby Mayoka community with an expert guide. Learn about the village and the people who have made their homes there. Guests may even get to meet the local Mang’ati/Datooga tribe.

After passing through the village, you will travel along a stunning cycle route with incredible views of the lake and its surrounding landscape. Stop to capture photos of the green and blue scenery, before the route meanders down to the lake itself. Admire the thousands of flamingos that will take off in unison, turning the sky pink with feathers. This unforgettable experience also gives all proceeds to the Mayoka community.

Visit the local Maasai village and discover the amazing culture and heritage of the Maasai people. Guests will be invited into the homes of villagers. These houses, called enkaji, are traditional homes made from branches and twigs, held together with soil, cow dung and ash.

After visiting the Maasai people in their homes and learning about their way of life, you will be offered a traditional meal made from fresh, independently sourced ingredients. Try out a range of Maasai delicacies before viewing the famous Maasai beaded jewellery, a selection of which will be available to purchase.

Explore Lake Manyara National Park from a bird’s eye perspective as you wander along the treetop walkway. This trail of suspended bridges meanders along the treetops at a height of 18 metres and offers guests the chance to get up close to swinging monkeys and tree-climbing lions. The treetop walkway is protected by netting for your safety, but this does not impede the brilliant photographic opportunities that are available. Enjoy a unique view of the national park under the cooling shade of the surrounding greenery.

Guests will have the opportunity to visit the Kilimamoja School and see the incredible impacts of the Africa Foundation, such as the newly built, fully-equipped science laboratories, and how it has benefitted pupils. Meet the headmistress, teachers and students and learn about their lives and the effects that the Africa Foundation has had on their education and school. This activity will still be available during school holidays, but guests will be unable to meet the local children.

Young safari-goers will be able to enjoy a range of specially designed activities through andBeyond’s WILDChild programme. At Lake Manyara Tree Lodge, children will be able to participate in nature walks with a private guide and learn ranger skills such as identifying different animal tracks, insects, birds and plants.

This gentle walk will allow children to view the camp’s colourful native butterflies and learn about the smaller creatures that inhabit the local area. The whole family can join in, creating an opportunity for bonding and discovering something together.

Children can also get creative in the kitchen and learn to bake Manyara’s signature chocolate chip cookies, which are ideal for bringing along on a game drive, or gather around the boma fire and toast marshmallows in the evenings. Your ranger will also be happy to teach you how to play bao, a traditional East African board game, which children can then enjoy together while making new friends.

Enjoy soothing spa treatments and massages with products from andBeyond’s partner, Healing Earth. These eco-friendly spa and skincare products use only natural ingredients and essential oils, and are inspired by Africa’s traditional healers. Take a break from your exploring to relax and reset, getting away from the anxieties of the outside world so that you can return from your travels rejuvenated. Spa treatments are at an additional cost.

Since 1991, andBeyond’s company ethos has been ‘Care of the Land, Wildlife & People.’ Always looking for ways to contribute to wildlife spaces and local communities and reducing their environmental impact, without compromising the guest experience. Each of their lodges has a ‘sustainability champion’ who looks for ideas ‘to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, recycling initiatives, conservation awareness drives, water efficiency … addressing erosion and re-greening.’

Exclusive experiences are created for guests whilst showing lasting benefits which are meaningful for the communities around their camps and the natural environment. Currently, andBeyond have 59 awards recognising their sustainability impact.

andBeyond ‘Maximise our localised shared value opportunities through economic benefit, capacity building and social service infrastructure.’ They have created 101 jobs in the communities they operate within, offering life-changing opportunities to local people.

Through social service infrastructure initiatives, 56,000 people from local communities now have access to clean water through water access sites and 4724 Hippo Water Rollers, which assist in the transportation of water. 532 school students have been provided with an opportunity for higher education in 285 new or renovated classrooms.

The Africa Foundation is a non-profit organisation that works with andBeyond in order to collaborate and consult with local communities, identifying the needs of the people and finding creative solutions to fulfil these needs. The main areas in which they focus on are: education, healthcare and clean water, small business development, and environment and conservation.

‘The appropriate training, skills and resources are provided by Africa Foundation or through partner organisations to ensure projects are not only effectively implemented but remain self-sustainable long after initiation. Over 26 years, Africa Foundation has made a clear and significant impact on the health, education and economic standing of the identified communities surrounding the wildlife reserves where andBeyond operates.’

The Africa Foundation’s Community Leaders Education Fund (CLEF) bursary programme has created opportunities for youth by providing access to education. One of the biggest setbacks that young people in Africa face in terms of receiving an education is being able to afford it. This issue is particularly prevalent in rural communities. The Africa Foundation has provided bursaries for 475 CLEF students over the last 26 years, giving all of them access to education that will allow these youth to unlock a career.

The Africa Foundation also funded the Mbhedula craft market in 1997, where tourists can purchase locally-made crafts in Mduku. The Mbhedula craft market allows women in rural communities to source their own income and support their families. People living with disabilities are also able to find work here, giving them the opportunity to work and provide for themselves. Additionally, the market allows Mduku women to sell their products locally rather than having to travel up to 300km away to Durban and be forced to sleep on the streets. As well as funding the construction of the market, the Africa Foundation also invested in street signs and improving the visibility of the craft market, bringing in more trade and support to the people who work there.

andBeyond protects endangered land and marine species in the areas they operate and they focus on at least 3 endangered species in each area. In Botswana, they support the Rhinos Without Borders initiative which so far has translocated 87 rhinos from South Africa to Botswana to keep them safe from poachers. They also help maintain biodiversity by actively managing the wildlife populations in the areas they operate. To help care for the wildlife andBeyond educate local communities in conservation, over 18,000 lessons on conservation have been taught.

andBeyond understands that to protect the land they operate on they need to implement eco-friendly and sustainable initiatives. One of the aims is to reduce their direct carbon footprint by 8%, so far all of the andBeyond lodges have been audited with an average sustainability score of 88%.

Another way they are caring for the land is by resourcing and using their water sustainably, 96% of lodges use water sourced from water bottling plants and they are currently 85 litres/head better than their target of 500 l/head. A target for andBeyond is zero plastic water bottles through their camps and so far 740,000 plastic water bottles have been eliminated per year.

In line with andBeyond’s stance on ecological sustainability and streamlined efficiency mandate, there currently exists a wealth of initiatives and protocols designed to mediate the ecological impact on areas built upon and utilised for means of ecotourism. For instance, careful site selection ensures that the areas chosen for the construction of all andBeyond properties are compatible with the surrounding landscapes, ecosystems and wildlife.

The implementation of repurposed and recycled construction materials greatly benefits the ecology of the land, negating the need to source and haul industrial quantities of lumber and other construction materials across vast distances through otherwise undisturbed ecosystems. Minimal foundations and excavations are achieved using steel frame structures atop the designated areas of construction, minimising the imprint on the immediate environment.

Energy efficiency is maintained through the architectural use of very wide eaves, covered external terraces, cross ventilation and maximised insulation. Heat pumps have been used to heat the pools, with gas used for water heating to greatly reduce the carbon footprint. State-of-the-art wastewater and sewer treatment systems enable all wastewater to be effectively recycled for irrigation.

Above-ground wastewater treatment plants work on an environmentally friendly accelerated aerobic and anaerobic digestion process. Up to 57% of all andBeyond lodges now contain water treatment plants. Additionally, an ever-increasing number of andBeyond lodges have seen the installation of Hydraloop greywater treatment systems, used to purify wastewater for gardens, irrigation and cleaning solar panel banks.

At andBeyond Phinda Mountain Lodge, more accurate water measurement systems have been implemented to trial more efficient water management practices that hold the potential for wide-scale implementation across all andBeyond ecotourism destinations.

Innovative water management initiatives are being rolled out across a variety of andBeyond properties. This is achieved through identifying the locations that would best benefit from these cutting-edge installations and trialling solutions to assess viability for future rollouts in equally affected areas. andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is currently testing an above-ground wastewater treatment system that will utilise laundry water to wash safari vehicles and flush staff toilets, saving 160 000 l (42 267 gallons) of water each month.