Sustainable bush camp with an amazing location

Lake Manyara National Park is not on the regular tourist trail. Instead, it is a well-kept secret for the lucky few. Here, in the wilderness, neighboring a flushing waterfall is where you will find Manyara Green Camp. A stay at this unique location overlooking the bush is one of life's little treats.

This is a comfortable camp - small and intimate. But still, it is neither the size nor the facilities that make Manyara Green Camp into something special.

Quite the contrary. It is the accessible location, the varied experiences, fantastic and flexible staff, and the opportunity to see herds of elephants and buffaloes wandering past the tent opening. Without any other tourists.

A quite unique camp, close to our hearts

Set beneath the Endabash waterfalls lies our very special Manyara Green Camp. The camp is founded and run by over very own Jean du Plessis.

Originally it was born from a TV show and after exploring the park, Jean realized this was a site not to forget and frequented here with his young family wild camping by the side of the riverbed.

As his children grew so did the camp and, with rising demands for more infrastructure and more lux from the trade, we now have a semi-permanent camp, which is quite comfortable, yet maintains its light footprint.

Elephants drinking from the waterfall

As you arrive at the camp you are struck by the magnitude of the waterfall - cascading between the months of December and May and delicately falling in the drier times.

When the waterfall dries during the dry season and the river soaks into the sand, the elephants etch closer every night to the base of the falls and can be heard while you lie in your beds trumpeting and enjoying the cool pools that they dig away with their feet.

8 safari tents in the cradle of civilization

It takes a couple of hours to drive to the camp. But the drive does not feel long and boring at all. There is always something to look at… And to stop for a closer look... and capture it through the camera lens.

With all those stops, the trip can take a bit longer, but regardless, you can soon find yourself in a safari chair in front of your tent. In your hand, is a tropical drink, and in front of you is the most amazing view. 

There are only 8 safari tents here. Tastefully decorated and with the opening facing the river delta, wildlife and waterfalls.

2 of the tents can be connected so that families of up to 6 people can stay together. All tents have their own bathroom, which in true safari style is open air and with a compost toilet and bucket shower. Elegant and nicely decorated.

4 million-year-old swimming pool

There are no other people to be seen. And you quickly get such a sense of ownership of the place. A 'this-is-our-place-feeling'! And it actually is!

There is no man-made swimming pool here. Instead, the 4 million-year-old crystal clear Endabash waterfall flows from the surrounding quartz mountains and forms a glorious little natural 'beach pool'. Nature, history, and authenticity so beautifully add up giving you a most unique swim. 

By jeep, in a canoe, at the top of the trees, and not least on foot

...The only thing left now is to join as many activities as you can possibly dream of. You are in one of the most spectacular natural areas in the world, and nature like this brings stories from the past to the present. 

You are of course going on a real jeep safari. In fact, as much as you want. And as long or as short as you want… It is only you, your family, and no one else. It is a private safari trip and we tailor-make all activities to your needs, wishes, and ages.

Jeep safaris are only one way you can experience the animals. In fact, the ability to experience wildlife in many different ways is one of the unique features of Manyara Green Camp - by foot, canoe, or from the comfort of your camp.

Jean's mission is to get people out of the cars to truly experience the animals. Not just see them, but feel, smell, and hear them - up close. And this is especially true for children, who quickly get tired of sitting in a safari car for hours.

One-legged flamingos, beaked pelicans, and drinking giraffes are best experienced up close - it is time for a walking safari along beautiful Lake Manyara. Or maybe perhaps even better - by canoe.

Suspension bridges amongst the treetops might just possibly be the world's best way to watch birds and monkeys. And you might have to look down, too, as a group of elephants breaks through the undergrowth below you.

Elephant parade in the moonlight

Manyara is alive at all times of the day whether it is the hammerkops that fly into their palatial nest, a troop of baboons with their reprimanding echoing across the rift, or a pride of lions moving down at night through the glades and down to the falls.

When the sun goes down and is replaced by starry skies, the sound, shape, and mood also change. A trip through the savannah, when lions and leopards are most active, is a very special experience, which, incidentally, is possible only in very few places in Tanzania's national parks.

Dinner takes place at long tables. The starry sky, the moon, and fire as the only sources of light. The staff is experts in BBQ. Even special children's menus they can handle. The mood is just right - only one thing is missing. And just as the words have been said, it happens almost as if by magic.

Teaches the next generation to take care of nature

Why 'Green Camp'? It is so simple, but nature is what it is all about. Both the nature you meet when you open your tent, and the nature we pass to the next generation.

Therefore, the camp is 100% free of disposable plastic and runs exclusively on solar energy. But even better, Jean and Wayo Green Camps work with local schools and a nearby orphanage to teach them how to take care of the most precious thing we have.