Accommodation in the Selous Game Reserve : Selous game reserve is located in the southern part of Tanzania along the southern Tanzania safari circuit
SAND RIVERS SELOUS
Location: Situated on the broad bend of the vast Rufiji River, Sand Rivers is situated in the northern region of the Selous Game Reserve.
Accommodation: Eight bush deluxe en suite rooms at Sand Rivers have large sofas and plunge pools. Each open-air house made of timber and thatch is broad and sun-drenched at the front, looking out over the river, and soft and dark at the back, providing a necessary haven from the heat. Perched on a hillside, The Rhino House offers the ideal cover for those seeking extra privacy.
It’s a hideaway home for two that offers complete enjoyment in the bush day and night, complete with a plunge pool, dining en suite, and many other facilities. Furthermore, under the Sand Rivers lies Kiba Point, which serves as an excellent starting point for a private safari in the Selous.
Other than the family or friends you’ve brought along and the employees of your own lodge, this little 8-bed camp (with 4 rooms) is reserved exclusively for you. With your own safari guide, four-wheel-drive cars, and boats at your disposal, it’s the ultimate safari house party and your home away from home.
You may go on game drives, barefoot fishing from a rock, and river excursions at your leisure. Huge verandahs, spreading beds, plunge pools, indoor and outdoor showers, and expansive vistas may all be found in each cottage bedroom. With its expansive expanse of couches, library, dining room, and bar, the thatched and timber mess area offers a view of the infinity pool and the serene nature beyond.
Facilities & Services: Sand Rivers is a small but exquisitely designed restaurant with a commanding setting, a pool that overlooks the river, delicious food, and attentive, “at your whim” service. Additional amenities include game drives, barefoot river rock fishing in isolation, sleeping outside beneath the stars, boat safaris on the Rufiji River, and guided walking safaris.
MWAGUSI SAFARI CAMP
Location: Approximately 35 kilometers from the main park gate, 16 km from the Msembe airport, and 120 km, or three hours’ drive, from Iringa town, Mwagusi Safari Camp is situated along the banks of the Mwagusi River in Ruaha National Park.
Accommodation: The 13 spacious guest tents, or bandas, at Mwagusi Safari Camp are built primarily of natural materials like grass thatch, timber, drift wood, stones, and reeds that blend in perfectly with the surrounding environment. Each tent has an ensuite bathroom with a flushing toilet, solar-heated hot water, shower, sink, shelving, dressing table, and mirror; there is also a trunk for storage; the beds are comfortable with high-density mattresses; and there are bedside tables and chairs for reading at night. The large covered verandah is the ideal spot to unwind and observe the passing wildlife.
Facilities and Services: Every day, food is freshly prepared in the camp, utilizing regional produce that is sourced from the closest town market and local farms. Delectable dinners in the evening are enhanced by a romantic candlelight setting beneath the canopy of African stars. Walking safaris and game drives are among the activities.
LAKE MANZE TENTED CAMP
Location: Situated on the banks of Lake Manze within the Selous Game Reserve, Lake Manze is approximately an hour’s drive from Siwandu airport. There is a road leading up to the camp. During both the dry and wet seasons, the Lake Manze region offers some of the best opportunities for observing wildlife in the Selous.
Accommodations: The camp is made up of twelve tents that are arranged around the lake’s edges and shaded by surrounding greenery. The “Meru-style” canvas tents are roomy and equipped with twin or double beds. They have mesh windows and a double-zip locking system. Every tent features a separate verandah, a bathroom with a flush toilet, and a skylight shower with hot and cold water behind it.
Facilities and Services: You can eat outside with a campfire at night under the stars or inside under the covered eating area during the day. Other activities include boat safaris, game drives, fishing in the lake’s tranquil waters, and early-morning walking safaris with armed rangers.
BEHO BEHO CAMP
Location: Situated on the lower slopes of Namikwera Hill, Beho Beho is the first camp in the northern sector of the Selous wildlife reserve. It offers panoramic views across the Rufiji River flood plain and overlooks Kipalala Hill. Less than 5 miles separates you from Frederick Courteney Selous’s burial, and it’s only a kilometer to the Beho Beho airport. The main northern gate of Matambwe is approximately 70 km away, or two hours’ drive, while the western gate of Mtemere is 110 km away, or three hours’ drive.
Accommodation: Beho Beho was the first camp to be set up in the Selous. It consists of eight large, bright bandas, or cottages, that are made of native stone and palm leaf. The front of each of the bandas is completely open to a large verandah that offers breathtaking views of the African bush. Huge, comfortable chairs, a king-sized double bed with a mosquito net, a Zanzibari day bed, a writing desk, and cozy furniture for the verandah are all included in each individual banda.
There’s also a separate dressing room that opens into a large bathroom with twin washbasins, a high-flush toilet, and an expansive outdoor shower where guests can take a shower while watching big games. Charlotte Rhys toiletries, body lotion, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, soaps, a hair dryer, and bathrobes are provided in the restrooms. Additional features include solar-powered hot water, a personal security safe, a ceiling fan, and generator-powered 240v, 50hz electricity.
Facilities and Services: The pool and terrace, with views of the Kipalala valley, are a great location to cool off. The open-sided lounges and eating spaces, cocktail bar, and “billiards room” create an elegant atmosphere for post-safari leisure. At Beho Beho, dining options extend beyond the formal dining room. There are bush breakfasts and brunches, picnic lunches, and dinners served “family style” around a large table where guests and guides mingle to discuss the day’s events.
Other options include dining outside under the stars, by the pool, on the “parade ground,” in the eagle’s nest, or even in the bush. Game drives, nature hikes through Beho Beho, boat safaris in Lake Tagalala, and trips to Maji Moto, the hot sulfur springs where you may swim in the deep natural pools, are among the available activities. Beho Beho is the perfect venue for small-scale residential conferences, seminars, and presentations. Additional amenities include internet access and laundry service.
SELOUS RIVERSIDE SAFARI CAMP
Location: The distance between Selous Riverside Safari Camp and Mtemere Gate, the airstrip, and the outside of the Selous Game Reserve is less than 10 kilometers, or 20 minutes by car. Nestled amidst a thick forest and situated by the Rufiji River, Selous Riverside Safari Camp offers a superb starting point for exploring and having fun in nature.
Accommodations: The ten spacious tented chalets at Selous Riverside Safari Camp, which overlooks the Rufiji River, are thoughtfully arranged to offer seclusion and blend in with the surrounding landscape. Five of the tents have twin beds, and the remaining five have a large double bed. All of the tents have private verandahs, mosquito nets, and en suite bathrooms with hot and cold running water.
Facilities and Services: The deck with a swimming pool and views of the Rufiji River, as well as the dining and seating areas, are all located in the main structure. Dinner can be served in the dining area or on the deck under the stars. A generator powers the camp’s lights, which are turned out at 22:00. On request, laundry services are offered. Game drives, guided walking safaris, boat safaris on the Rufiji River, and cultural trips to the nearby villages are among the activities.
RUFIJI RIVER CAMP
Location: Approximately 280 km or 6 hours by car from Dar es Salaam via Kibiti, the Rufiji River Camp is situated on the banks of the Rufiji River, inside the Selous Game Reserve, near the Mtemere entry gate and the airstrip; access via Morogoro, the Uluguru Mountains, and Matambwe Gate will take approximately 11 hours by road.
Accommodations: There are 14 tents at the camp, including 3 suites with 2 huge tents on a shared platform with a private plunge pool, perfect for families and friends, and 11 traditional individual tents with thatched roofs and private verandahs facing the river. Every tent features cozy mattresses covered by mosquito netting and an attached bathroom with solar-heated water for showering.
Facilities and Services: With views of the river and the setting sun, the main building has a library, a restaurant, and a pub that serves international cuisine and has a well-stocked bar. The camp is run entirely on solar power, with the addition of 220-volt electricity at the bar to charge video cameras. All areas of the camp, including the guest tents, have access to UHV-filtered drinking water. Between the mess area and reception in the camp is a covered swimming pool. In addition, there are wildlife drives, boat safaris, fly-camping double occupancy tents with folding cot beds, mattresses, sheets, blankets, and pillows, as well as separate toilet tents and bush showers. Walking safaris with armed rangers are also available.
SELOUS WILDERNESS CAMP
Location: Deep within the Selous Game Reserve, Selous Wilderness Camp is located near the palm-lined banks of the expansive Rufiji River. It is five hours’ drive from Dar es Salaam and thirty minutes from Mtemere Airstrip (which requires a road transfer and a spectacular boat journey over the Rufiji).
Accommodations: Situated 20 meters apart to guarantee seclusion and privacy, the camp has seven roomy en suite tents under a makuti thatch structure, all with views over the Rufiji River. There is one triple family tent, two honeymoon tents with a bath and an outdoor shower, two twin-bedded tents, and two double-bedded tents.
Services and Facilities: The camp features a swimming pool, a 24-hour power source (inverter, generator, and batteries), a mess area covered by a makuti thatch that has a combination of solid hardwood and leather seats, and battery charging stations. Game drives, boat safaris, and walking safaris with armed rangers are additional options.
SERENA MIVUMO RIVER LODGE
Location: Serena Mivumo River Lodge is located in the Selous Game Reserve, near Stiegler’s Gorge Airport, and has guest rooms spread out along the banks of the magnificent Rufiji River among the indigenous woodland to ensure seclusion and exclusivity.
Accommodation: The Lodge has 12 opulent air-conditioned rooms with high vaulted ceilings and picture windows, each housed in a thatched timbered chalet with a private viewing deck and plunge pool, a luxurious bedroom and lounge, an ensuite luxury bathroom with bathtub and alfresco showers, bathrobes and slippers, Wi-Fi, and satellite TV.
Facilities and Services: The main public space has an open-sided dining room raised on timber decks, a safari bar, a lounge, a library, and an infinity swimming pool with a sun deck, all with views of the Rufiji River and the hippos, elephants, and crocodiles on its banks. Other services include room service with snacks and drinks, laundry and valet services, safes and hairdryers (available at reception), 24-hour medical service, boat safaris, guided bush walks, sundowner river adventures, wilderness picnics, and health, beauty, and wellness facilities.
