Selous Game Reserve

Only Greenland National Park at 972,000 square km (375,398 square mi), which is larger than England and France combined beats Selous. But before you get too excited over the statistics, although Selous is still arguably the biggest area of protected pristine wilderness left in Africa, most of it is off-limits to tourists. The reserve is bisected from west to east by Tanzania's biggest river, the Rufiji, and only the area north of the river is open to visitors. So, although it's teeming with game, it forms only about 5% of the total park.

The other 95% is mainly leased to hunting concessions. Hunting is still a very contentious issue and although both sides passionately argue a plausible case it's still hard for many people to accept that shooting some of Africa's most beautiful and precious animals just for fun is ethically acceptable. However, hunting is under fairly strict government control and half of each substantial hunting fee is put back into the management and conservation of the reserve. It's possible that without this money the Selous would not exist and rampant poaching would take over.

The visitor area of Selous north of the Rufiji River stretches for about 1,000 square km (386 square mi) and will provide you with great game viewing and bird-watching opportunities. This is still unspoiled Africa, where Tarzan himself might have swung through the trees or swum fearlessly through the crocodile-infested river. The fact that there are very few lodges adds to the area's exclusivity. These are along and beside the Rufiji River, which rises in Tanzania's highlands then flows 250 km (155 mi) to the Indian Ocean. The Rufiji boasts the highest water-catchment area in East Africa. A string of five small lakes—Lake Tagalala, Lake Manze, Lake Nzerekea, Lake Siwando, and Lake Mzizimia—interlinked by meandering waterways gives something of an Okavango Delta feel to the area and the birdlife—more than 400 recorded species—is prolific as are the huge crocodiles and lumbering hippos.

There are major advantages to visiting this park. First, although tourist numbers are now creeping up, there's no chance whatsoever that you'll be game viewing in the middle of a noisy bunch of vehicles. Because only a handful of tourists to Tanzania ever come to this lovely reserve, you'll see very few other visitors. Our advice is to get here quickly before the jungle telegraph spreads the news of its many attractions.

Another major draw is that much of your game viewing and bird-watching will be done from the water. Because Selous is a game reserve, not a national park, a larger range of activities are permitted, so you can walk, camp, and go on a boat safari. There's nothing quite like watching a herd of elephants showering, playing, and generally having fun as you sit in a boat in the middle of a lake or river. As you watch, lots of other game including buffalo and giraffe will also amble down to the banks to quench their thirst. If giraffes are your favorite animals, Selous will delight you because it is one of the few places in Africa where you can see big herds of up to 50.

Another Selous bonus, especially if you've been bouncing about in a game vehicle for days in other parks, is that you can walk in the Selous, not alone but with an armed ranger. Although the game can be skittish as it is not as habituated as in Serengeti or Ngorongoro, walking through the bush or beside a river is a rare opportunity to get up close with nature, and you never know what's around the next corner. Your lodge will organize a short three-hour walk, or if you want to camp out in the bush, an overnight safari.

In the past Selous had a major problem with rampant poaching, which decimated the elephant population and all but made the biggest herd of black rhino in the world extinct. In the 1980s the number of black rhino, previously estimated at 3,000, fell alarmingly to almost none. Today, thanks to the efforts of international and local conservation organizations, the black rhino has been pulled back from almost certain extinction to approximately 150 individuals, and together with other game numbers are increasing all the time. There are now approximately 65,000 elephants, 8,000 sable antelope, and an estimated 50,000 puku antelope, but you'll be lucky to see either sable or puku as they tend to stick to the thick bush or inaccessible areas of the park. What you almost certainly will see is the endangered African wild dog. Selous has up to 1,300 individuals in several wide-ranging packs: double that of any other African country. Three packs range north of the Rufiji so there's a good chance of spotting these "painted wolves," especially from June to August when they are denning and stay put for a few months.

Selous is a birder's mecca with more than 400 species. Along the river with its attendant baobab trees and borassus palms, expect to see different species of herons from the aptly named Greenback heron to the Malagasy squacco heron which winters here. Storks, skimmers, and little waders of all kinds fossick in the mud and shallow water, while at dusk you may get a glimpse of the rare ginger-color Pel's Fishing Owl, which screeches like a soul in torment. In summer, flocks of hundreds of brightly colored Carmine bee-eaters flash crimson along the banks where they nest in holes, and kingfishers of all kinds dart to and fro.

A Good Tip

Take the train down to Selous from Dar es Salaam. It's a 5½-hour comfortable scheduled train journey that travels through the Selous as well as past many rural villages. On the way back, you can fly directly to Zanzibar and skip Dar. Ask your lodge to make all arrangements or contact Tanzania Zambia Railways Authority 022/26-2191 for more information.

Park Essentials

If you are brave enough to go it alone in the park, you will need a 4x4 and very good driving skills. Don't even attempt to visit during the rainy season (March-May), as roads are impassable. Permits cost US$30 per person per day plus US$30 per vehicle. If you are camping, you will be required to hire an armed guard at US$15-US$20 per day. You can also hire a guide for about US$15-US$20 per day.