Selous is the largest game reserve in Africa. Established in 1922, it covers 5% of Tanzania’s total area. The southern area is a forbidden zone that is undeveloped, heavily forested, and contains a series of steep cliffs.
The Rufiji River bisects the Selous Game Reserve and has the largest catchment area of any river in East Africa. The river is an important feature of the reserve providing the opportunity to watch the diverse water-based wildlife. A broad range of wildlife can be found including elephants, hippos and rhinos as well as buffalo, antelope, giraffe, warthog, wildebeest, lion, leopard and cheetah. The diversity of bird life in Selous includes over 350 recorded species.
Things to do
Game drives
Game drives in Selous game reserve is the highlight activity in Selous game reserve, the reserve hosts numerous wildlife species such as giraffes, wildebeests, warthogs, elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, lions, leopards, hippos, spotted hyena, elands, African wild dog, leopards and many more. Game drives are done after morning breakfast and various kinds of game drives are offered in Selous game reserve such as morning game drive, afternoon game drive, full day game drive and self drive game drive.
Birding
Among the big bird population in the reserve there is migratory bird species which migrate from Europe and the northern region of Africa to Selous game reserve, on birding safari birds spotted include brown-breasted barbet, mangrove kingfishers, African skimmers, palm-nut vulture, freckled nightjars, grey-hooded kingfisher, waders, broad-billed roller, green billed coucal, long-tailed fiscal, red winged warbler, Boehm’s bee-eater, black Cuckoo-shrike, green-capped Eremomela, spotted-flanked barbet, Dickinson’s kestrel, red billed bulbul, red throated twinspot, white helmet shrikes, sterling’s barred warbler, Livingstone’s flycatcher, Arnot’s chat, spotted –flanked barbet, wattle-eyed flycatchers, red throated Twinspot, grey penduline tit, Layard’s black-headed weaver and many more.
Fishing trips
Selous game reserve offers excellent fishing experiences which are to warm your heart, Selous game reserve is dotted with numerous water bodies such as Rufji river, Lake Tagalala, Lake Mzizimia, Lake Siwandu, Lake Manze and Lake Nzelekela. These bodies host various species of fish which are caught as prizes on the fishing trips, fishing trips are done on a boat ride on the calm waters of these bodies. Famous fish species caught on fishing trips in Selous game reserve include the tiger fish, catfish, Rufji Tilapia, Oreochromis Urolepis Elephant fish, Marmyrus Longirostris and many more.
Cultural Tours to Mloka village
Your trip to Selous game reserve can never be really over and memorable without visiting the Mloka village on a cultural tour, Mloka village is situated down the River Selous and can be accessed by a short drive by car. Cultural tours in Mloka village are either a short or long experience depending on the preference of the tourists and while in this village you will be the local people, be entertained by local dance and drama, visiting local places like primary schools, local market and many more.
Walking safaris
Walking safaris in Selous game reserve is an exciting experience offering tourists an opportunity to come close to the animals living in the reserve such as giraffe, walking safaris are usually 2-3 hours long and they are done in groups 6 people in the accompaniment of an armed ranger guide to protect you from wild animals in case of any attack.
Boat safaris
Selous game reserve offers amazing boat safaris, the park consists of many water bodies which make boat safari experience possible and amazing due to their calm clear waters. Boat safaris on River Rufji, Lake Tagalala, Lake Mzizimia, Lake Siwandu, Lake Manze and Lake Nzelekela offer more than serene cool breeze and sailing on water, they offer sights of a huge population of animals such as a large pride of lions which come to water bodies to drink water.
