Lake Victoria, Tanzania

(Speke Bay Lodge is located on the South-Eastern Shores of Lake Victoria, 15 kilometers from to the Serengeti National Park and 125 kilometers north of Mwanza. Speke Bay Lodge can be reached by dirt road from Arusha Tanzania through the Serengeti National Park or from Mwanza or Kenya on tarmac roads. Speke Bay Lodge is a 7 to 8 hour drive from Nairobi. Mara Serena Lodge is approximately 380 Kilometers or a 7 Hours drive to Speke Bay.

The Kenyan/Tanzania border crossing point is called Isabenia border post. You can fly from Arusha to Mwanza International Airport, which is 2½ Hours. Mwanza Airport also has connections to Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Nairobi, Kampala and Kigali. Transfers can be arranged with African Spice Safaris)

Speke Bay Lodge, Lake Victoria in Tanzania

Speke Bay Lodge

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Speke Bay Lodge; Speke Bay Lodge is located on the south-eastern shore of Lake Victoria in Tanzania, East Africa. It is 15 kilometers from the Serengeti National Park, and 125 kilometers north of Mwanza. Speke Bay is part of Speke Gulf, named after the famous explorer John Hanning Speke, who, in 1858, discovered Lake Victoria to be the source of the Nile.

Embraced by savannah, the lodge looks like a small village, stretched out along the shores of the lake. Speke Bay Lodge main buildings and luxury accommodation are round in form, built to perfection, painted white and thatched with a grass roof in the traditional style of the local tribe, the Sukuma.

All eight bungalows are situated along the shore of Lake Victoria. Each bungalow is a separate structure designed to ensure your privacy. The roofs are thatched with a thick layer of grass, providing excellent insulation.

The custom-made furniture in solid Mkola wood adds to the warm and elegant atmosphere. An entrance hall gives access to a bathroom and a spacious main room. This room has a sleeping area with a large lockable cupboard (for your clothes and valuables) and a writing table.

The sitting area has a huge French window opening on to a bougainvillea and passion flower- shaded veranda where your breakfast can be served.

Speke Bay Lodge bungalows have a loft with two twin beds, making them suitable for families with children. The bathroom has a large table with a build-in basin, a spacious shower and a hygienic wall mounted toilet.

All the appliances and fittings are the best on the market. For hot water solar panels are used, but thermostat steered electrical elements have been installed, for use on cloudy days.

The water system is state of the art, with a large sand filter, UV-treatment, and Ozone-injection. Bottled drinking water is available.

Speke Bay Lodge Non-Residents Accommodation Prices

2013 Non-Residents Accommodation Rates Per Night Include:

Speke Bay Lodge Tents Accommodation (Not Self-Contained)

Notes

* Lunch box 20 US Dollars per person

* Speke Bay Lodge prices are inclusive of taxes

* Lake Cruise 6 Guests maximum is 75 US Dollars Per Cruise

* Children aged 0 to 3 years sharing with adults stay for free

* Children aged 4 to 12 years of age are charged 50% of the adult rate

* Bird Walks (Maximum of 6 Guests Per Group or Walk) 62 US Dollars

* Canoe trips (Maximum of 4 Guests Per Canoe) is 60 US Dollars Per Canoe

* Children not sharing with adults will be charged at the full rate for the child and 50% for the subsequent children

* Mountain Bikes trip through Masamba Hills cost is 40 US Dollars Per Person with a minimum of 140 US Dollars

Speke Bay Lodge Tented Camp

Speke Bay Lodge Tented Camp consists of twelve tents, each covered by a thatched roof, which also creates a private and shady sitting area. The tents are fully furnished and contain two beds; hot showers and toilets are close-by. For tour-groups on a camping safari, a natural site is reserved.

Alternatively there is the option of using the tented camp. The owners reserve the right to keep the numbers small, so as not to endanger the high standards of the camp. Tailor made activities can be organized if the groups stay at least two nights.

Speke Bay Lodge Dining

Three separate round buildings are joined by a large terrace, which overlooks Lake Victoria. There is a well-stocked bar with a good choice of South African wines. The restaurant offers a blend of international and Tanzanian cuisine; and is specialized in fresh fish from the lake and uses vegetables and fruits from the local fields.

The owners have trained the staff, and the quality and refinement that has been achieved, will surprise you. Also here, the size and set-up guarantees plenty of personal attention. There are no large buffets; each client can make his or her choice, and the staff will be happy to cater for your special wishes and diets.

Your breakfast or lunch can be served on the terrace of your bungalow at any time you wish, or a table will be set for you on the terrace of the restaurant, in the garden or on the beach.

Speke Bay Lodge Safari Excursions

Speke Bay Lodge is outside but close to the Serengeti National Park, hence is an ideal place to start or end a safari, or relax during travels. Several Excursions are operated from the Lodge including:

* Garden

* Boating

* Bicycle Rental

* Bird-Watching

* Lake Cruise and Mountain Biking

* Canoe Trip to Local Fishing Village

Speke Bay Lodge Excursion by Local Canoe/ Canoe-trip on Lake Victoria to a fishing village
From Speke Bay Lodge, guests will be picked up by fishermen with their traditional canoes and be rowed along the shoreline to a nearby village. Here they can explore the village on foot and then return to the Lodge while enjoying the singing of the fishermen. One of our staff members guides this trip and gives information about the different methods of fishing and the way of life in the village.

The trip takes a bit over two hours and is to be made in the morning only (departure between 9 and 10 a.m.), because that is the time the fishermen bring in their overnight catch, plus that the lake is calm then.

Each canoe can take up to four persons. Costs is 40 US Dollars Per Canoe

Speke Bay Lodge Mountain Bike Trips

Speke Bay Lodge Mountain Bike Trips ventures out into the heart of Sukumaland by mountain bike. In the Masamba Hills the only means of transportation is a bicycle. That is why there are numerous small tracks and no cars. It gives a good picture of what most of Tanzania still looks like 'off the beaten track'.

The guided trip takes about three hours and is best taken in the late afternoon. The effort it takes depends on your fitness and how frequent you want to rest. It is meant to be a leisurely trip, to experience Africa from a bicycle: the smells, the wind, the landscape and the people.

You will be surprised what a different experience this is, and how much you now become part of the environment, instead of rushing by car. Towards the evening it gets cooler (the altitude is around 1200-meters/4000 ft above sea level), farmers work on their shamba's while singing, women in their colorful kangas come home from markets, shepherds bring their cattle back from grazing, people wave and children smile and greet you.

The bike trips will be adjusted to the fitness level and wishes of each group. More challenging trips or longer ones with a picnic lunch can be organized on request. Costs is 30 US Dollars per person, with a minimum of 120 US Dollars. Speke Bay Lodge has nine bikes available.

Speke Bay Lodge Fishing

Speke Bay Lodge Fishing can be done from the beach or from a rowing boat for tilapia, catfish, barbel or small fish like the cichlids. Fishing equipment is available for hire at the Lodge. Lake Victoria is famous for its unique population of "furu" (cichlids), which seems to be recovering, after it was threatened with extinction by the Nile perch.

These chiclids are very colorful and are often kept in aquaria. The Nile perch was introduced in the lake somewhere around 1960 and flourished. On one side it was an ecological disaster, but on the other side the Nile perch was baptized"Mkombozi" (Savior) by the local Sukuma tribe. Now there is a lively fish trade in Nile perch with a lot of factories that export to Europe.

Speke Bay Lodge Bird watching

Over 150 species of bush, swamp and water birds live on the Speke Bay Lodge 100 hectares of savannah. African Fish Eagles have a nest in a tree next to the lounge. You can frequently see them skim the lake and catch fish. You are free to roam around the extensive gardens or use a boat to get close to the reeds for better observation.

Many birds are indigenous to this area and will not be seen in the Serengeti. Among them: swamp flycatcher, red-chested sun bird, Northern brown-throated weaver, yellow-backed weaver, black-headed gonolek and blue-headed coucal. You can take your time, without being disturbed, and there is no danger from animals.

The Lodge keeps a bird list, and co-operates with the Tanzania Bird Atlas, by surveying the lake area. Guided walks are organized on request. The cost is 42 US Dollars per walk. Guests will be provided with a check list.

Safaris into the Western Corridor of Serengeti

The beauty and attraction of the Western Corridor of the Serengeti National Park is still underestimated and left out of many itineraries. The special attraction of this area lies in the all year round availability of water in the Grumeti River, and heavier rainfall than the rest of the Serengeti.

This results in large resident herds of wildebeest and most of the other game. On top of that, the area is also part of the migration route of the wildebeest: as the dry season intensifies the population moves away from the eastern plains to the north and west towards Lake Victoria.

Due to the dryness in the tourist high season (July, August), the number of animals seen on the plains in the east of the Serengeti and around Seronera is often quite disappointing. The Western Corridor is an excellent area to make up for this; all year round you have the chance to see large numbers of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle, and various other mammals like cheetah, lion, elephant and hippo, and exceptionally large crocodile.

The area never becomes as dry and dusty as the eastern plains. All this makes Speke Bay Lodge an exceptionally good starting point for a Serengeti safari. Speke Bay Lodge is only 15 km from the Ndabaka Gate. You immediately encounter the wildlife. You do not need to venture out more than 50 kilometers to see most of the game this park has to offer. After a hot day you return to the cool breeze from Lake Victoria.

Speke Bay Lodge Lake cruise
If weather conditions permit it, we can offer a lake cruise by motor boat on Lake Victoria. The best time would either be mid-morning or late afternoon.

You might see fishermen pulling in their nets, men and women working on their fields or doing their laundry. The maximum number of people who can join in is 6. And the cost is 75 US Dollars per cruise.

Booking & Reservations for Speke Bay Lodge is located on the South-Eastern Shores of Lake Victoria, 15 kilometers from to the Serengeti National Park and 125 kilometers north of Mwanza - Tanzania

Booking Office Tel: + 254 (0) 20 2437871

Mobile : 0721242711 (Safaricom) - Kenya

Email: info@africanspicesafaris.com