10 Best Luxury Safari Lodges and Camps in Selous (Nyerere)
The largest protected area in East Africa is Nyerere National Park, which covers 30,893 km²/11,928 mi² in southeast Tanzania. Formerly known as Selous Game Reserve and still sometimes referred to as such, it is an excellent wildlife-watching site that is home to four of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo, but no rhino) as well as the endangered African wild dog. Nyerere is one of those few parks where wildlife drives can be enhanced with walking safaris and boat excursions. Indeed, the Rufiji River, Tanzania’s greatest waterway, is well-known for its hippos, crocodiles, and waterbird colonies.
1. Selous Safari Lodge
The majority of Nyerere’s best camps and resorts are located within the park’s boundaries, with the Selous Safari Lodge being the most luxurious. This relatively new lodge offers a lovely setting on the north bank of the Rufiji, and its proximity to the park’s Mtemere Gate makes game drives accessible. The spacious guest rooms feature tasteful designs, providing a comforting sense of solidity for first-time African safari visitors who may feel uneasy about sleeping under canvas. Selous Safari Lodge offers a more affordable option compared to campgrounds within the park, as it sits outside of Nyerere.
2. Rufiji River Camp
Rufiji River Camp is one of the most established and reasonably priced properties in Nyerere. It has an ambient position on a wildlife-rich section of the Rufiji River and offers the option of modest safari tents with thatched roofs or larger tented suites with a private plunge pool. Whatever tent type you pick, each apartment has a private balcony with a river view and access to the charming two-story dining room and swimming pool.
3. Selous Impala Camp
Selous Impala Camp is a stylish yet rustic tented camp with a magnificent setting on the banks of the Rufiji River. It is quite small, with only nine units (two of which are family-friendly), all with stilted timber bases, thatched roofs, and private balconies overlooking the river. The entire camp is powered by solar energy, and there is a refreshing swimming pool for hot summer days. You may expect excellent in-house wildlife viewing. Hippo, elephant, and giraffe are frequent visitors, and over 100 bird species have been documented near the camp.
4. Roho ya Selous
Roho ya Selous, which means “Heart of Selous” and is part of the always excellent Asilia Africa network of exclusive bush estates, is aptly named considering its central location in a region known for its exceptional animal viewing. Additionally picturesque and evocative is the setting, which lies on a forested peninsula on Lake Nzerakera. A kidney-shaped swimming pool is one of the common amenities, and the eight luxury tents provide a winning blend of privacy, roominess, and design. In this area of the park, wildlife drives frequently feature elephants, lions, wild dogs, buffalo, and giraffes. Boat rides on the lake are also enjoyable.
5. Laba Siwandu Camp.
Siwandu’s experience on the palm-shaded beach of Lake Nzerakera is one of the most evocatively African settings one can imagine. Elephants frequently travel through to slake their first, hippos grunt in the water all day, and birds are audible and seen everywhere.
To create a feeling of exclusivity and intimacy, Siwandu divides its 13 tent units between two distinct camps, each featuring its own dining room and a swimming pool designed like a tree house. Large stilted tents with fans, outdoor baths, and private decks stand widely dispersed along the waterfront. You can plan an overnight fly-camping adventure deep into the bush or take leisurely boat cruises on a huge pontoon in addition to the typical wildlife drives and hikes.
6. Serena Mivumo River Lodge
Mivumo River Lodge, the sole Nyerere lodge operated by the dependable Serena Hotels, is a bit of a mixed bag. Its location on the Rufiji River, near the eastern entrance to the picturesque rockscapes of Stiegler’s Gorge (now partially submerged by a hydroelectric dam), is without a doubt its best feature. In addition to being quite small, Mivumo is extremely opulent.
A king-sized bed, leather furnishings, an indoor bathtub, an outdoor shower, and air conditioning are all features of the twelve chic suites, which can be quite helpful in this hot climate. However, game drives further east are more consistently rewarding than those in the local area.
In spite of this, Mivumo is an excellent (and reasonably priced) choice for people who wish to enjoy air conditioning while watching the wildlife come to them rather than going out on activities.
7. Sand Rivers Safari Camp Nyerere.
Sand Rivers, one of Tanzania’s most alluring lodges, combines luxury and remoteness. Run by the excellent Nomad Tanzania organization, it sits above a stunning Rufiji River bend, offering incredible animal viewing and breathtaking riverbed vistas.
The lodge features a fantastic swimming pool shaded by an old baobab tree, while its open-fronted stone-and-thatch apartments blend simplicity with space and beauty. Its isolated location, far from other camps and gates, ensures rare encounters with other vehicles during boat rides, game drives, or other activities. The guiding principles are exceptional.
8. Beho Beho
Beho Beho is likely Sand Rivers’ closest competitor for the title of Nyerere’s most opulent lodge. Although it is the only Nyerere resort located away from rivers and lakes, it compensates with a spectacular hillside setting that provides sweeping views of one of Africa’s wildest bush landscapes.
The nine stone huts’ traditional safari design echoes the days of ‘Out of Africa’, with Zanzibari-style four-poster king-size mattresses and whirling walk-in nets. For complete privacy, there is a secluded two-bedroom villa with its own swimming pool. Beho Beho, like Sand Rivers, is deep enough inside Nyerere to attract a few daytrippers. The lodge also provides boat trips on the secluded and beautiful Lake Tagalala.
9. Lake Makubi Safari Camp
Lake Makubi Safari Camp is a relative newcomer to the Nyerere scene, with four luxury tents facing the secluded and scenic Lake Minyamiruba. It is located some distance west of the major safari circuit; thus, traffic in the area is usually relatively light.
Expect a true bush atmosphere, excellent animal viewing, the feeling of having a piece of untamed Africa all to yourself, and accommodations that are as luxury as they come in a semi-mobile tented setting. The food, service, and guiding are also of the finest quality.
10. Nyamiruba Camp
