Selous Game Reserve at about 50,000 square kilometers is the largest wildlife reserve in Africa, representing over 5% of Tanzania’s total land area. It is four times the size of the Serengeti and possesses a diverse landscape from hot volcanic springs, sporadic lakes, channels from the Great Ruaha and Rufiji rivers. The reserve gets its name from hunter-explorer Frederick Courtney Selous, a best selling novelist of Victorian England whose grave lies inside the reserve.

The Selous Game Reserve, at a massive 50,000 kilometres square, is wilderness on a huge scale - the largest in Africa.

This East African wilderness has been largely untouched by people and contains the world’s largest concentration of elephants, buffalo, crocodiles, hippos and wild dogs. In fact, this reserve contains about one third of all the wild dogs (often called painted dogs), in the world. Their need to roam vast areas and their formidable hunting skills have caused many to be shot by farmers, but here in the Selous they have boundless woodlands and savannah in which to roam. Other species to be found here include Nyasaland gnu, hartebeest, greater kudu, sable antelope, eland, reedbuck, bushbuck, waterbuck, warthog, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest and some of Tanzania’s last remaining black rhinos.
Also lion, leopard and the spotted hyena are in abundance.
In the dry season an ancient migration of elephants takes place between the Selous and Mozambique's Niassa Game Reserves. This is one of the largest natural trans-boundary eco-systems in Africa and at the last consensus it was estimated that 64,400 elephants roam the two parks, with 84% on the Tanzanian side. Selous also contains an amazing diversity of birds such as sunbirds, rollers, bee-eaters, kingfishers, storks, vultures, eagles and many more.

Selous was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982 due to its wildlife diversity and undisturbed natural habitat.

We will be staying at the Rufiji River Camp which provides all the comforts of a luxury safari camp. It lies on the banks of the mighty Rufiji River with beautiful sunset and river views. Due to the unique location of this camp, it is frequented by many animals coming to the river to drink providing great photo opportunities.

The camp has 20 luxury tents containing comfortable beds, private baths and a veranda for reading, writing or simply resting and enjoying the scenery. The camp also has a covered swimming pool which will be appreciated on a hot afternoon.