Selous Game Reserve | Nyerere National Park
Selous Game Reserve – Nyerere National Park
I booked my safari holiday through Serengeti trips. They were the most helpful company I have ever dealt with and I work within the travel industry. I had the most amazing time. The holiday went as clockwork with no hitches anywhere.
Daear William, Just to let you know we had a great adventure at Selous National Park. All went well. Saw animals every day and lots of them on first and last day.
When to Visit Selous Game Reserve
The best time to visit Selous Game Reserve is from June to October which also ranks as the peak tourist season in Tanzania. When we talk about the Selous Tanzania Weather, we are basically going to analyze the seasonal weather patterns experienced in the Selous and how they affect this game reserve.
Being a classic dry park, the Selous has remarkable game viewing opportunities that gradually get even better in the later times of the dry season. The biggest crowds of animals are usually experienced in the best time of the year which is July to October; however, this does not mean that game viewing cannot be done during the rest of the year.
Getting to Selous Game Reserve – Nyerere:
By air transport: Selous Game Reserve can easily be accessed by air transport with any of the local aircrafts connecting from Ruaha as well as Dar es Salaam. It is about a 90 minutes flight from Ruaha and 45 minutes flight from Dar es salaam City.
By road transport: Can also be accessed by road with a trip connecting from Dar es salaam which made follow the normal safari route through Mikumi National Park and then you can reach the park through Matambwe Gate. This journey which could take about 4 hours covering a distance of 220 km is another option.
Things to do in Selous – Nyerere National Park
So many safaris focus on the Big Five – but a bush walk encourages you to turn your attention instead to the smaller details. Learn to identify creatures from their tracks, find bones – and teeth! – embedded in the earth, and discover the diminutive reptiles and insects of the bush. But this doesn’t mean you won’t find yourself face to face with a herd of buffalo or hungry lioness – and the experience is sure to be more memorable than any encounter from a Land Cruiser.
Bush walks are only possible as the reserve regulations are more relaxed than those in the national parks.Unlike Tanzania’s northern parks, Selous can be exlpored by boat. Cruises on the Rufiji River and Lake Tagalala are a soothing alternative to bone-shaking game drives – as well as getting you up close to the animals. Hippos yawning, elephants bathing and giraffes splaying their long legs to drink are some of the scenes to look forward to. Do check age restrictions if travelling with kids.
Selous can be a fantastic place for children, but most lodges will have a minimum age, and bush walks, for example, are only available for children aged over 12 – or in some cases 16. Game drives in Selous are exhilarating – and definitely worth getting up at the crack of dawn for. But after several days of early morning bush walks, sunset river cruises and nighttime game drives, you may just feel like you need a holiday from your holiday! This is where Tanzania’s islands come in. Many itineraries hop over to Zanzibar, Mafia or Chole Islands for a well deserved rest after all that activity – once in your beachside villa, you can lie in as long as you like.
Where to Stay in Gombe National Park?
There are a number of types of accommodations offered with the Selous varying from the budget safari Tanzania, to, mid-range and then the luxury safari facilities. Below we have highlighted some of the best Accommodations you can stay at.
Siwandu Camp
Formerly known as the Selous Safari Camp, this was the very first safari camp in the Selous to offer luxury accommodations in this part of the reserve. It offers a accommodation in 13 rooms and its great location offers its guest an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery and landscape to the fullest. Its an ideal location for a photo safari in Tanzania. This beautiful facility offers value for money and will surely satisfy every desires of a traveler will to spend some extra dollars on their accommodation.
Lake Manze Camp
Comprised of 12 well furnished beautiful tenets, the mid-range Lake Manze Camp is situated within the prim areas for wildlife viewing the Selous Game reserves along the shores of Lake Manze after which it was named. It will offer you comfort and exclusive service
Experience this magical, romantic camp on the shore of the Lake Manze with stunning lake views from your own verandah. Experience the sunrise on a walking safari. Enjoy a delicious picnic bush breakfast or lunch during your game drive as you spot lions and wild dogs. Take a fishing trip on the lake.
Get close and personal with hippos and crocodiles and thousands of exotic birds on a sunset boat safari. Delight in a sumptuous candlelight dinner on the lakeshore to the symphony of the surrounding.
You’ll never want to leave!
Beho Beho
Located within the cooler Selous highland in the northern part of the Game reserve, this facility was the very first luxury facility to be established in this part of the Selous. It offers accommodation in 8 permanent bandas constructed using stone and each cottage has a thatched roof to offer its guest a true African ambience.
Sand River Selous
The Luxury Sand River Camp is located on the banks of River Rufiji the lifeline of Selous Reserve. Guests here will enjoy an idyllic ambience from where they can base to explore this vast wilderness. All its rooms are built with stone and have a thatched roof. It offers a variety of accommodation options including 5 standard cottages, 2 suites and a honeymoon cottage (the Rhino House) It also has great options for a family safari in Tanzania.
Sable Mountain Lodge
This budget lodge is found just outside Matambwe Gate in the northern region of the Selous Game Reserve, it is a good base for safaris continuing to Mikumi as well as Morogoro as well as those arriving in the park by train. This intimate camp offers good hospitality and it offers 8 stone cottages, 3 tented bandas that are raised in high wooden platforms offering sweeping views of the neighboring area.
How Much Is A Selous Game Reserve Safari?
A safari to Selous costs between $500 and $1500 per day/night per person. Generally speaking the cost of a Selous Safari will greatly be determined by the type of accommodation you will be staying at, as well as the number of days you plan to spend on you Safari.
On an overall basis, the accommodation prices within the Selous begin at $400 for each person each night in budget facilities and may go as high as $1,500 for each person per night in the luxury facilities.
Best Selous Safari Tours
Located in southern Tanzania and far from the madding crowds, the Selous Game Reserve is Africa’s largest game reserve and one of our favourite wildlife viewing areas. This really is a hidden gem! The rivers and lakes of the Selous are the lifeblood of a park that hosts some fabulous game, including elephant, wild dog, buffalo, hippo, crocodile and fantastic prides of lion.
Not only a wonderful place for the seasoned safari enthusiast, the Selous also offers an amazing introduction to unspoilt Africa. Home to some of Africa’s best walking, boat safaris and fly camping trips, the Selous has the greatest diversity of safari activities of all the Tanzanian safari parks. The boating safaris in particular really set this reserve apart from other Tanzanian parks. The fact that the Selous is so much quieter (in visitor terms) than the majority of the rest of the country just adds to its attraction.