Selous National Park
Sir Selous was a British WWI soldier who died in combat. His burial site is under a Tamarind tree.
How to get to Selous
Selous is half a day’s drive from Dar es Salaam on a bumpy road but totally worth it.
Take a train to Selous. Travel on the Tanzania Zambia Railway from Dar es Salaam to the Matambwe railway. The train is faster than a road trip with some pretty countryside views.
A charter flight is the most convenient and expensive means. Fly from Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam to either Selous or Ruaha.
When to Visit Selous Game Reserve
Selous has a lot to offer no matter when you visit. June, July, and August are perfect for game drives, hiking, boating, and star gazing.
November, December, January, February, March, and April, offer some spectacular bird watching. Migratory birds from Europe and North Africa will be there.
Accommodation in Selous Game Reserve
- Sand River Selous
- Mbuyini Island Tented Camp
- Selous Mbuyu Safari Camp
- Richard Bonhams
- Rufiji River Camp
- Beho Beho
- Sand Rivers
- Lake Manze Camp
- Selous Safari Camp
- Selous Impala Camp
- The Retreat
- Serena Selous
- Siwandu Camp
- Amara Selous
The cost ranges from less than $200 to upwards of $550.
What to wear in Selous
Safaris involve lots of walking. You will need comfortable walking shoes. Hiking boots with heavy socks are great for safaris. Wear sandals for beach and poolside relaxation.
You will need more layers of clothing for the rainy season and fewer layers for the dry season. Carry long-sleeved shirts, full-length pants, a hat, a jacket, a beach dress, a sweater, and a light jacket. Consider sports bras instead of regular bras.
Shield your skin with sunscreen and bug repellant.
Selous Game Reserve Attractions
- Go on a boat safari down the Rufiji River. See the flora and fauna. The peaceful boat ride ends with a dreamlike sunset.
- Go for a walking excursion at Selous. An armed guide will accompany your party during the two-hour hike. You will see elephants, giraffes, and zebras. Look for smaller creatures like rhino beetles.
- Game drives at Selous Game Reserve are rewarding. You are bound to spot elephants, African wild dogs, lions, impalas, baboons, elands, greater kudus, and zebras.
- Mwaseni village hosts cultural tours. Visit local schools, shops, and homesteads. You can give the students school supplies. Find villagers fetching water, grinding flour, or gardening.
- The lakes in Selous have crocodiles, giraffes, zebras, hippos, and buffaloes on their shores. Predators like lions come to hunt.
- Grasslands are rich in wild dogs, rhinos, hyenas, buffaloes, and lions.
- Bird watching at Selous is superb. Visit the forests, rivers, lakes, and swamps to see the birds that live here. Migratory birds swarm starting from November to April.
- Selous has tropical and sub-tropical grasslands, Miombo woodlands, and savannah wooded grasslands. The Miombo trees shed their leaves to survive the dry season. The leaves are forage for elephants, antelopes, and hartebeests.
- The Rufiji is a massive river that feeds the lakes, channels, and swamps of Selous Game Reserve. River Rufiji draws birds and animals that come to drink its waters. River Rufiji also has extensive mangrove forests where it joins the ocean.
- River Rufiji is a WWI historical site. A German battleship called “Konigsberg” hid in the mangrove forests of the Rufiji during WWI while fighting British ships.
- Lake Tagalala supports a large population of hippos, crocodiles, and birds. Grazers come to drink at Lake Tagalala. Predators like lions and leopards come to hunt. Skeleton trees border the oxbow lake.
- Stiegler’s gorge measures 100m deep. Tanzania named it after German engineer who was measuring it when an elephant killed him.
