Nyerere National Park, formerly known as Selous Game Reserve, with an area of 55,000 square kilometers is the largest animal reserve in Africa and an absolute insider tip among Africa connoisseurs. Here there is still real wilderness, untouched bush and undisturbed animals. Unlike in the national park, you can also drive across country here, which is of course very attractive if, for example, you should spot a herd of lions under a distant tree. This possible "off-road experience" also contributes to the Selous's close-up African feeling.
The game reserve, which is larger than Switzerland and consists mostly of wild bush, is divided into two sectors by the west-east flowing Rufiji River. The northern half of the area is intended for tourism and photo safaris. South of the Rufiji, after a 15 km wide buffer zone, the Selous hunting area begins, which is not accessible for photo safaris.
The mighty Rufiji River, which floods large parts of the reserve during the rainy season, prevents humans from penetrating too far into the animal kingdom. Lion, wild dog, buffalo, impala, antelope and large herds of elephant among many other animals populate the park and are seen in large numbers mainly in the north of the Selous. At 600 kilometers long, the Rufiji River is the largest river in East Africa and, with its 177,000 square kilometers of river area, is largely in the game reserve. The Rufiji and its adjacent branches provide the main water supply for the northern photo safari area. Selous has a very diverse vegetation: there are over 2,000 different plant species and about 75 percent of the Selous is covered in Miombo forest landscape.
In addition to the original wilderness, the hiking and boat safaris run by camps offer another close-to-nature and unique experience during your stay in Selous. Each of the camps in the Selous that we recommend have their own open safari vehicles, very good guides, their own boats and armed rangers during the trek. The best time to travel to the Selous is June to October and is especially recommended for travelers who are already know other national parks in Tanzania, Kenya, Namibia or South Africa from previous trips. The Selous Game Reserve is a very special place for us, as there is no comparable place in Africa that embodies the original wilderness of Africa as much as Selous does.
