Nyerere National Park
Description: This untouched uninhabited area is home to the biggest herds of elephant and other wildlife to be found anywhere in the world. The large meandering Rufiji River with its network of channels, connecting lakes and lagoons offers visitors the unique opportunity to go on safari by boat and experience the spectacular concentration of wildlife from an unusual perspective, especially during the dry season when animals congregate.
Game drives and walking excursions are also very rewarding. There are elephant, hippos and rhino (although few now remain). This reserve contains about one third of all the wild dogs (often called painted dogs), in the world.
Location: Southern Tanzania, between Ruaha and Dar es Salaam, usually reached by flight from Arusha or Dar es Salaam. Works nicely with a visit to Ruaha National Park. Can be reached by vehicle from Dar es Salaam and Arusha with long drives. It is also possible to arrive by train from Dar es Salaam.
Things 2 Do: Game Drives, Boat Safaris, Walking Safaris, Fly Camping
Time: Given the distance, spend at least 3 nights. Best during the dry season.
Animals: All the usual: Elephant, Nyassa Wildebeest, Crawshays Zebra, Masai Giraffe, several different antelopes, African Buffalo, Lion, Leopard and primates (Reddish-green Vervet Monkey, Yellow Baboon, Tanzanian Sykes Monkey and Peters’s Angolan Colobus). Tanzania as a whole contains approximately 20% of the overall wild dog population, with Selous having the largest single population in Africa.
Accommodations
$$$$
Jimbiza Selous Lodge
Lake Manze
Rufiji River Camp
$$$$$
Beho Beho
Serena Mivumo River Lodge
The Retreat Selous
Sand Rivers Camp
Selous Impala Camp
Selous Safari Camp
Selous Wildlife Lodge
Selous Wilderness Camp
“We absolutely loved our experiences with Access 2 Tanzania. We booked our trip to Tanzania only a month before departure and were very happy to find out that November was the low season and that the lodging was still available. Karen was very responsive in getting the dates and bookings to us for review and took the time to talk to us over the phone a couple of times to ensure that we understood the details of our trip. The other highlight of our trip was the guides at Access 2 Tanzania. All of the guides that we had were great. However, our primary guide, Raymond, was the best guide that we have ever had on a trip anywhere and we have traveled a lot around the world. We felt incredibly safe while we were with Raymond. He was also very knowledgeable about Tanzania and the wildlife. He knew exactly where to take us to see the most wildlife and had an incredible eye for spotting the wildlife. He was able to spot wildlife that we could not see with binoculars using his own eyes.”