Selous Game Reserve

The Selous Game Reserve is one of the largest faunal reserves of the world, located in the south of Tanzania. It was named after Englishman Sir Frederick Selous, a famous big game hunter and early conservationist, who died at Beho Beho in this territory in 1917 while fighting against the Germans during World War I. Scottish explorer and cartographer Keith Johnston also died at Beho Beho in 1879 while leading a RSGS expedition to the Great Lakes of Africa with Joseph Thomson. The Selous was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982 due to the diversity of its wildlife and undisturbed nature.

The reserve covers a total area of 50,000 km2 (19,000 sq mi) and has additional buffer zones. Within the reserve no permanent human habitation or permanent structures are permitted. All (human) entry and exit is carefully controlled by the Wildlife Division of the Tanzanian Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. Some of the typical animals of the miombo (for example African bush elephants, black rhinos, hippopotamus, lions, East African wild dogs, Cape buffaloes, Masai giraffes, Plains zebras, and crocodiles) can be found in this park in larger numbers than in any other African game reserve or national park.

One may choose to take a road trip from Dar es Salaam that involves taking a normal circuit route which would involve a trip to the Mikumi National Park heading through and entering the Matambwe gate.

The other way to get to Selous could be through the TAZARA (Tanzania Zambia Railway) railroad system. It starts from Dar es Salaam, diminishing off bush routes adventures guests at the rail stop in Matambwe.

This is alternative three for one to get to the Selous Game Reserve. There are a number of departure flights from Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Zanzibar and landing a different accommodation or even public access airstrips. Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) can is used as the entry point for the country.

The wildlife in the Selous is particularly interesting as it attracts both east and southern African wildlife, both resident and migratory, and over 440 known species of birds, which make it a ket destination on a Southern Tanzania safari. Lion are particularly strong here and there are large numbers of leopard.  The park is home to over 50% of the remaining endangered African wild dog, and also hosts very good populations of buffalo, giraffe, eland, hyena, sable, hippo, crocodile, kudu, baboon, wildebeest, zebra, impala, hartebeest, colobus and vervet monkeys along with over 450 species of bird

This park is not an all season park. The Selous being a classic dry season park. The best time to visit is during the months of July to October as there are many animals that gather in this park. For the season you visit, the game gradually improves. Game viewing is only very good throughout the year and in particular areas.

The Selous is home to three of the finest camps in Tanzania, a couple of which would stake their claim as the best in all of Africa.  Beho Beho and Sand Rivers are exceptional lodges that offer all the activities for which the Selous is famous, and host some excellent guiding teams.  Siwandu (formerly Selous Safari Camp) is a fabulous tented camp in arguably the best game area of the park at a price that makes it one of the best value camps in Africa.