Rufiji River Camp

Rufiji River Camp

Stretched along a bluff overlooking the Rufiji River at the especially scenic eastern tip of the famed Selous Game Reserve in southeast Tanzania, the Rufiji River Camp delivered an outstanding variety of game viewing opportunities. First identified as a protected area over a century ago, Selous expanded over time to become the largest faunal reserve in Africa. In 1982, it was designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for its wildlife concentration and diversity and its undisturbed environment. The profusion of wildlife was obvious even as I made my way from the airstrip, turning the relatively short distance to the camp into an extended game drive.

Selous Impala Camp

Selous Impala Camp

 A two hour morning flight from Ruaha National Park on a Cessna 13-seat plane found us at the Mtemere airstrip, a half hour’s boat ride from Selous Impala Camp. Musa our guide for the duration of our stay, and a boat driver greeted us at the airstrip. After brief introductions and the customary jambo greeting in Swahili we walked to the small motor boat on the Rufiji River banks on which we made our way to camp.

Selous Safari Camp

Selous Safari Camp

Chomp, chomp, chomp … just before dawn on our first night at Selous Safari Camp we woke to persistent chewing so close it seemed to be next to our bed. Hesitant to disturb the chewing beast, we remained sitting and listening intently until the dark of the night morphed into a soft gray. Eventually we peeked out of the folds of our tent to see the profiles of several huge animals grazing contentedly. We continued listening as the sound of hippos feeding faded toward the still water of the nearby lake. Moments like these are the reason we travel long distances across land and sea in search of game viewing experiences.