Backed by the rolling savanna of the Serengeti but bordered by the glittering waters of Lake Victoria, the largest inland lake in the world, the white-painted Speke Bay Lodge, with its traditional round or ‘rondavel’ thatched buildings resembles a small village of the local Sukuma people, strung out along the shores of Lake Victoria. Though outside the borders of the Serengeti National Park, the luxury Speke Bay Lodge is only 15 minutes drive from the nearest gate, allowing guests to combine the traditional safari experience with the much more unique lakeshore ambience. Set in 100 hectares of rolling savanna, the lodge also offers guided walks, biking, fishing, canoeing and more.

Location

The Serengeti National Park is 200 kms west of Arusha, Tanzania: the park’s northern boundary abuts with the Kenya border, its western boundary reaches Lake Victoria, Tanzania.
Speke Bay Lodge is located on the south-eastern shore of Lake Victoria, 15 kilometres from the Serengeti National Park, and 125 kilometres north of Mwanza.

Accommodation

Speke Bay Lodge Cottages
Eight ensuite (hot and cold running water, shower, WC) cottages are situated along the shores of Lake Victoria, each in a separate structure designed to ensure privacy. Roofs are thatched with a thick layer of grass in the traditional style of the local Sukuma tribe. The Speke Bay Lodge luxury cottages are equipped with ceiling fans and mosquito nets, custom-made furniture in solid Mkola wood adds to the warm and elegant atmosphere. Some have two twin beds in the loft, making them suitable for families with children. Breakfast is served on the private veranda of the cottage. 

Speke Bay Lodge Tents
The Speke Bay Lodge tented camp consists of 12 semi-permanent luxury safari 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 WCs are not ensuite but close-by).

Dining and bars

The Speke Bay Lodge central restaurant offers both international and local cuisine and uses fresh-caught lake fish and freshly-grown vegetables. The Speke Bay Lodge also offers a bar, vernadah, garden terrace and open-air lounge overlooking Lake Victoria. The lodge has its own gift shop.

What to see and do:

The annual wildebeest migration in the Serengeti
The migration of the wildebeest is perhaps one of Tanzania’s most famous natural events. Twice a year, propelled by the rains, 1.3 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra and 300,000 Thomson’s gazelle gather to undertake an 800 km migration trek to new grazing lands.

Typical safari experiences at Speke Bay Lodge include: safari game drives in especially adapted 4WD safari vehicles (with professionally trained Tanzania safari guides), safari bush breakfasts, lunches and dinners; cocktails around the lodge safari campfire and guided safari walks through the bush. The Speke Bay Lodge also offers ornithological tours, cultural performances and visits to the local Maasai people of Tanzania.
In the Serengeti, a particular highlight is a hot air balloon ride, which typically ascends from its launch site at dawn and travels for around an hour across the plains before descending in a controlled landing to a cooked safari breakfast in the bush.

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 can be significantly redced. In the Western Corridor, however, visitors can see  large numbers of migration wildebeest, zebra and gazelle, and various other mammals like cheetah, lion, elephant and hippo, and exceptionally large crocodile – all year round.

Canoe trip
Guided canoe trip to nearby fishing village Visit a traditional Tanzania village by local, colourful canoes, and learn about their methods of fishing and local life. The fishermen will also return you to the lodge, singing their rhythmic melodies while they row. You will be picked up in a colourful canoe at the Lodge's beach by fishermen and brought to Mwaburugu, their village. You may explore the village on foot before they bring you back, singing their rhythmic melodies while they row. Your guide tells you about the different methods of fishing, the way of life in the village and the birds you see on the way. This trip is only scheduled mornings, when the lake is calm and the fishermen bring in their overnight catch. Each canoe can carry four persons.

Guided bird walk

Go out either early morning or late afternoon, and spot some of the 260 different species of bush, swamp and water birds. Over 250 species of bush, swamp and water birds live on the Lodge's 85 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 sunbird, Northern brown-throated weaver, yellow-backed weaver, black-headed gonolek and blue-headed coucal. The Speke Bay Lodge keeps a bird list, and co-operates with the Tanzania Bird Atlas, by surveying the lake area. Guided walks are offered twice a day; early morning or late afternoon.

Fishing on Lake Victoria

Fish from the shore or rowing boat for tilapia, cat fish and cichlids Fishing
You can fish from the beach or from a rowing boat for tilapia, catfish, barbel or small fish like the cichlids. Equipment is 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 colourful 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 baptised "Mkombozi" (Saviour) by the local Sukuma tribe. Now there is a lively fish trade in Nile perch with a lot of factories that export to Europe.

Motor boat trip

Cruise along the lively shores of Lake Victoria

Mountain biking

Venture out into the heart of Sukumaland by mountain bike. In the Masamba Hills the only means of transportation is abicycle. 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'. 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 colourful 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.