Secluded, off the beaten track and with an abundance of wildlife, the Selous Game Reserve is one of our favourite safari destinations in Africa.

Located in southern Tanzania, the Selous Game Reserve is Africa's largest game reserve covering over 50,000 square kms which equates to 5% of Tanzania’s land.

It’s three times the size of Kruger National Park in South Africa, and twice the size of the Serengeti National Park, yet it remains one of Africa’s least known reserves and the numbers of visitors to Selous are much lower than Tanzania’s northern parks.

Selous is dominated by the Rufiji River which runs through vast areas of the reserve and sprawls out to endless lakes and deltas which fill and empty with the seasonal rains.

The rivers and lakes of Selous host some incredible game, including the largest crocodile and hippo populations in Africa, and along the banks of the Rufiji River you’ll find large herds of elephants, especially in the dry season (June to November).

The reserve also boasts good numbers of buffalo, giraffe, zebra, impala, eland, wildebeest, baboon, hyena, lion and leopard, plus over 50% of the remaining endangered African wild dog.

Selous is a dry season reserve and the game viewing is generally better the later in the season you travel. July to October is the best time of year for the greatest overall concentrations of animals, however game viewing is still very good in various areas of the reserve throughout the year.

One of the best things about African safari holidays in Selous Game Reserve is that you can choose whether you want to do a bush walk (accompanied by a skilled ranger), a game drive in a 4x4 vehicle, or a boat safari on the Rufiji River. We believe that the boating safaris really set this reserve apart from other Tanzanian parks.

We generally use two wonderful properties within the reserve. For our ‘boutique’ option our clients stay at the Selous Serena Camp, and for clients who have selected our ‘luxury’ option we use Siwandu which is a luxury tented camp in a remote location on the shores of Lake Nzerakera.

We can also book other accommodation in Selous and our specialists will match you to the most suitable accommodation for your requirements and sense of style.

Selous is an excellent option if you’d like to have an authentic East African safari experience followed by a few days relaxing on a beach as you can fly direct from Selous airstrip to the beautiful island of Zanzibar.

Our Selous & Zanzibar Holiday includes a few days in Selous Game Reserve plus a few days enjoying the sun, sea and sand of Zanzibar.

We’ll arrange your accommodation, domestic flights, private airport transfers, safari activities and the Selous Game Reserve permits and fees so you don’t need to worry about any of the logistics and instead you can focus your energy on having the holiday of a lifetime.

If you'd like to plan a holiday to Tanzania, call our Luxury Travel Specialists for a chat about your dream trip or fill out our no-obligation enquiry form.