Vacation ideas

The Selous Game Reserve is the largest protected area in Africa. Selous Game Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and covers an area the size of Belgium. Running through Selous is the Rufiji River and it is along its banks that many of the safari camps of Selous are located. The river, lakes and lagoons are all focal points for safaris in Selous.

Most of the safari camps in and around Selous Game Reserve offer their guests of choices of three types of safari; game drives, boat safaris and walking safaris. Traditional game drives remain popular but boat and walking safaris are both excellent options.

Open safari vehicles are driven by an experienced guide who points out various animals that you almost certainly wouldn’t even notice. The guide will also give you the names of the colourful birds and other animals that you come across. Selous Game Reserve is home to the “Big Five” but this is wild Africa, not a zoo so there are no guarantees you will see leopard, lion, elephant, buffalo and rhino.

Unlike Europe where we have 4 distinct seasons, Selous has a wet and a dry season. Game view is at its best during the dry season which starts in June and lasts until November. The water holes have dried up so wildlife makes for the lakes and lagoons and there is also less foliage which mean that spotting game and birds is much easier. View larger predators is also better.

The wet season covers the rest of the year and although the early part of the wet season between December and February, game viewing can still be good but it can feel very humid. January to May is the best time to visit Selous for birdwatches although many lodges and camps are closed between March and May as the rains can make some roads impassable.

Selous Game Reserve also boast around a third of the African Wild Dog population. A significant percentage of the critically endangered Wild Dog population live in the Selous. Also known as “Painted Dogs”, they are social animals and hunt as a pack.

The lakes in Selous attract a wide range of birdlife with the majestic Fish Eagle being the favourite of many people. Its distinctive call can often be heard as its sits perched in the lake side trees or soaring in the blue skies. As well as storks, heron and other wading birds, the lakes are also home to crocodiles and Africa’s most dangerous animal, the hippo. Hippo can occasionally be seen out of the water during the day but they are usually in the water with just their heads visible above the surface.

Visitors really need a minimum of 3 nights to ensure they have the opportunity to see the magnificent wildlife that the Selous Game Reserve has to offer.