Secret Selous

The Selous is Africa’s largest game reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The real magic of the Selous lies in the variety each day on safari brings. Whether you’re exploring on a game drive in search of leopard lurking in the shady boughs of a fig tree, or out on foot tracking wildlife that’s ventured close to camp during the night, this reserve is full of surprises.

If it’s a walking adventure you’re after, then the Selous is the place to be. Walking is encouraged and the area itself makes for some of the best walking experiences in the world. The Selous is well-known for it’s “out-of-the-vehicle” experiences and is the go-to reserve for these kinds of activities in Tanzania.

The Rufiji River runs through the Selous and is one of the largest water systems in East Africa.

A boating safaris in the Selous is definitely something to do! Boating trips are at their best in the Selous; many different species of wildlife can be viewed from a closer, and unique, perspective.

When to go?

From June through to November – this is the time you want to be in the Selous! This is the long dry season, as time passes and the area get drier and drier, the wildlife becomes much more concentrated around water holes, rivers and lakes.

From November, short rains make an appearance and humidity in the Selous builds up until April which coincides with the long rains. These rains fall heavily throughout April and May causing many camps and airstrips in the area to close.

During the months from November to March, the area is hot and humid with intermittent rainfall but this doesn’t mean that wildlife viewing opportunities are dampened. Wildlife viewing is still highly rewarding during these months, the animals are still active and more than often there are fewer vehicles and boats in the reserve so you get more of a personal safari experience.

Birders will find these months of the year rewarding too, many migratory bird species make their way to the Selous. With more than 400 species recorded and a good number of the highly sought-after Pel’s fishing owl, birders will not be disappointed!