Selous game reserve safari : Selous game reserve Tanzania located in the Miombo woodlands and placed in a distance of about 130 to 500 kilometers south west of Dar-es-salaam. In northwest, Selous Game Reserve borders Mikumi National Park, Udzungwa Mountains National Park, and Kilombero Game Control Area in the west. 50,000 square km make up the UNESCO World Heritage site Selous National Park. The park’s land is divided into several tenure and plant zones. There is a flat, undulating terrain with alluvial troughs, protruding inselbergs, thickets, and closed forests in the centre of Selous Game Reserve. There are hills, forests, and rugged terrain in the south. The Mbarika Mountains rise to a height of 1,300 metres in the southwest. The west of Selous Game Reserve is made up of moist lowlands between mountains and forests. When it rains, the river Rufiji floods the tree meadows in the east and north.
Safari activities in Selous game reserve.
Game viewing.
One of the most popular safari activities offered is game viewing in Selous Game Reserve, which is home to a variety of animal species, including the largest population of the endangered African wild dog, which may be seen there. From the luxury of your 4X4 vehicle, you can observe a variety of creatures, including sable antelopes, warthogs, and leopards, spotted hyenas, crocodiles, brindled gnu, Nyasaland gnu, greater kudus, giraffes, waterbucks, bushbucks, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, elands, African wild dogs, and many more. Since many animals visit the Rufiji River’s banks to drink water, it’s an excellent location to watch wildlife.
Bird watching.
One of Tanzania’s greatest safari destinations for bird watching is Selous Game Reserve. The islands, channels, sandbanks of the Rufiji River, and lagoons within this wildlife reserve are home to around 440 different kinds of birds. The fact that migrating bird species go to the Selous Game Reserve from Europe and northern Africa means that the reserve receives these species around April. African wattled lapwing, white-fronted bee-eater, Pel’s fishing owl, African spoonbill, common-white headed vulture, pearl-spotted owlet, white-headed Lapwing, Bohm’s bee-eater, yellow-billed stork, thick-billed cuckoo, white-backed night heron, carmine bee-eater, rock pratincole, giant kingfishers, spur-winged plovers, and many more bird species can be seen during a bird watching safari in the Selous Game Reserve.
Walking safaris.
Walking safaris offer a wonderful way to fully explore the Selous Game Reserve. They take place along the beautiful Rufiji River, tracing its path through the riverine forests and along the sandbanks. A knowledgeable, armed safari guide leads groups of no more than six persons on walking safaris. Along with hippos, crocodiles, and other creatures playing in the River Rufiji, you may witness lions, giraffes, waterbucks, elephants, and other wildlife during this safari.
Boat safaris.
One of the rare safari locations in Tanzania where tourists can view animals from the sea is the Selous Game Reserve. To enable tourists to view wildlife from the water, Selous River Camp arranges boat cruises on the Rufiji River and Lake Tagalala. There are boat safaris that last an entire day as well as shorter ones. There’s a twice-daily two-hour short boat safari from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Boat cruises that last an entire day, from 10 am to 6 pm, are a fantastic chance to witness wildlife such as lions, giraffes, impalas, waterbucks, and crocodiles.
Fishing safaris.
The most suitable location to go on a fishing safari is the Selous Game Reserve. Fishing safaris offer the opportunity to catch a variety of fish species in the Rufiji River, which flows through the reserve. Fish such as Heterobrancus catfish, Marmyrus longirostris, Oreochromis Urolepis elephant fish, and Rufiji tilapia are among the many species of fish that can be caught on fishing safaris. Boat cruises are provided by fishing safaris in order to reach the fishing locations.
Cultural tours.
Mloka town, located downstream from Selous River camp and close to the park, is a must-see destination for any safari in the Selous Game Reserve. While on a cultural tour, visitors can engage in various safari activities such as visiting markets, meeting locals, and elementary schools to gain insight into the local way of life and culture. The length of a cultural vacation can vary based on the goals and available time of the traveler.
How to get to Selous game reserve.
Travellers visiting the park for a safari can afford to travel by road, air, or rail to get to the Selous Game Reserve. Travelling 240 miles through Kibiti and Mloka to reach to Mtemere gate, which is close to Selous Game Reserve, from Dar es Salaam takes approximately 6 hours. The journey to Selous Game Reserve by train takes four to five hours. You can access the park from Matambwe, where the rail makes a stop. Every day, chartered flights from Arusha and Dar es Salaam arrive at the Selous Game Reserve via air. These flights are provided by domestic carriers including as Coastal Aviation, Air Tanzania, Precision Air, Regional Air, ZanAir, Safari Air Link, and ZanAir. The Mtemere airport serves the Selous wildlife reserve. Flights to the game reserve land here.
Where to stay in Selous game reserve.
Numerous accommodations of varying status have been established within the Selous Game Reserve to provide accommodation to tourists. These accommodation establishments include Sand River Selous, Jimbiza Lodge, Selous Kulinda camp, Selous Mbega camp, Africa safari camp, Selous Ngalawa camp, Selous river camp, The Retreat, Roho ya Selous, Selous Serena camp, Mivumo River Lodge, and numerous others.
