Selous Game Reserve

Selous is Africa's largest protected wildlife area (followed by the Central Kalahari in Botswana), where Tanzania's greatest population of elephants wander in an area bigger than Switzerland.

Selous contains about one third of all African wild dogs, which are an endangered predator. Watching wild dogs hunt is fascinating - a luxury that Selous guests get to experience more often than anywhere else.

Fierce tiger fish and smooth slippery vandu catfish are caught in the rivers, offering keen fishermen something to look forward to. The vandu catfish is equipped with primitive lungs allowing it to cross land for short distance in an attempt to find water during the dry season.

The Selous is home to some of Africa's best boating safaris, while walking and fly camping trips are also popular, making the Selous the park in Tanzania with the greatest diversity of safari activities.

Beho Beho is situated in the northern sector of Selous Game Reserve, offering visitors an exclusive safari experience. It is known as one of the most unique and private camps in East Africa. Accommodation at Beho Beho is superb and offers rustic luxury in spacious stone and thatch cottages with private verandas offering spectacular views.

Amara Selous is a luxury tented lodge in the heart of the Selous wilderness in Southern Tanzania. It overlooks the rapids of the Great Ruaha River and its resident hippo. The camp provides guests with lavish comfort in the middle of the African bush and offers classic slow safaris in the wonderful ambience of Selous.

Selous Kinga Lodge is a proudly eco-friendly lodge, which has been unobtrusively designed and positioned on this privately owned piece of prime bushveld bordering teh Selous Game Reserve. This small luxury lodge has 8 contemporary African-style safari cottages and 2 ultra-luxury tented accommodations.

How to Get There

Safaris in Tanzania begin at Arusha, which is situated close to the northern safari locations.

Sun Safaris will fly guests to Kilimanjaro International Airport, which is the primary receiving airport in Tanzania. This airport is only a few kilometres away from Arusha airport, which is the safari node of the country and where most light air transfers take off from.

Once guests have landed at Kilimanjaro, they will connect with a road transfer that will take them to Arusha airport. Depending on timing of guests' itinerary, they might spend a night in Arusha before heading off on a scheduled flight to an airstrip or airport nearer their safari destination.

The Selous is a prime southern circuit destination and is located only a short flight from Dar es Salaam; otherwise, Arusha airport has daily flights to Selous. Guests will connect with a road transfer for the last leg from the airstrip to their lodge.

Selous Game Reserve Game Viewing and Activities

Selous Game Reserve has the largest number of elephants out of all the reserved wildlife areas in the country. The park offers a variety of environments ranging from hot volcanic springs, dense thickets, and open wooded grasslands. This diversity is also home a broad range of game, including buffalo, gnu, hartebeest, Greater kudu, sable, warthog and zebra. Also lion, hippo, spotted hyena and black rhino are spotted, while African wild dog and cheetah are sometimes seen.

Selous also boasts over 350 species of bird and reptiles such as crocodiles and various snakes and lizards. Walking is permitted (with an armed ranger). Selous is one of the more exclusive areas in Tanzania. Its size and location afford privacy and seclusion from the masses of tourists associated with the more well-known parks such as Ngorongoro and Serengeti.

The dry season is the best time for game viewing, while the rainy season provides ample bird watching opportunities; however, many of the roads are impassable after heavy rainfall. Lodges close between March and May.