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
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Jimbiza Selous Lodge
Lake Manze
Rufiji River Camp
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Beho Beho
Serena Mivumo River Lodge
The Retreat Selous
Sand Rivers Camp
Selous Impala Camp
Selous Safari Camp
Selous Wildlife Lodge
Selous Wilderness Camp
“Casey was great to work with. He always had the answers to our questions and got back to us quickly. He gave us lots of suggestions and tips things to think about that were very useful too. The pre-trip call with Casey was very helpful too. It helped ease whatever concerns we had and answered all our last-minute questions so we felt prepared for our trip. Some other things A2T helped with were details to use when filling out the Visa forms. With their info it was straightforward. They gave us guidance on exchanging money, asked what kind of soda we liked, took our dietary restrictions into account for the various camps we stayed at. All things big and small they helped us with.”