what my customers liked: None touristy, Forest, boat trip, camping, camp fire
What my customers did not like: ” noisy birds at night”
Overview of lake Zengena
I enjoy putting Zenegena on the menu for travelers who like camping and nature. It is a non touristy site that I frequent offering a different experience than spending the night in a hotel.
Although close to towns and the main road, the forest near and around the lake remains untouched. The colobus monkeys and a variety of birds add to its beauty. Blessed with a mild temperature not exceeding the 20s, a one hour trek around this beautiful crater lake is quite refreshing.
A full boat trip around this lake could take more than an hour. A boat trip on lake Zengena is quite different than many other. The lake is surrounded by beautiful trees which look like a rain forest. There are specific spots around the lake where, if you are lucky, you will enjoy sightings of wild hyenas. If luck is not on your side, then there is nothing to regret. The serenity on the lake is quite immersing.
The downside of camping in Zengena is that there are no professional cooks to call upon. You either have to go to and back from the nearest town for dinner or go there with take away. I sometimes venture cooking something simple for my guests.
Different from many other sites, Zengena is neither too hot nor too cold. As the area is full of dried wood and leaves, you can have a campfire all night over some wine and beer. Many tour operators make a quick coffee stop at Zenegena on their drive to Bahirdar. Very few promote or propose it as a sleep over site. So chances are you will most likely be on your own with your guides, driver, and park ranger giving you the privacy you wish.
An early wake and you will enjoy a beautiful sunrise. As you drive on with a breakfast stop at Bahirdar, you will reach the glamorous nile fall at 10 a.m , the right time to enjoy the rainbow decorating the fall.
A night at Zengena is punctuated by sounds of large birds. The reaction I got is quite mixed: some say that it makes them feel closer to nature. For a few, it proved to be a nuisance.
