Boat Safari Selous Game Reserve / Nyerere National Park
Boat Safari In The Selous Game Reserve
The Selous Game Reserve is one of the very few places in Africa where it’s possible to view wildlife from the water, and after the dust and bumpy roads of a game drive, there’s nothing more relaxing that drifting along the river watching the wildlife.
Alfa Male Tours offer two types of boat safari, short 2-3 hour sunset or dawn boat trips along the Rufiji River outside the reserve (so no entry permit needed), or full day boat safaris which explore the Rufiji river as well as the lakes of the Selous.
Short Boat Safari (dawn or sunset)
This boat safari is idea for seeing Hippos, Crocodiles and plentiful different bird species (including commonly the African Fish Eagle, Malachite Kingfisher, Goliath Heron, African Skimmer and Boehm’s Bee-Eater… as well as many more). Monkeys (Blue Monkey, Savannah Baboon and Black and White Colobus Monkey) are often spotted in the trees along the banks of the river as well as Nile Monitor Lizards. We particularly recommend the sunset boat safari. The boat will stop off on a sandbank where you can stretch your legs and enjoy a cool drink.
Full Day Boat Safari
Starting at 10am, this boat safari is a more in-depth exploration up the vast Rufiji River and into the Selous Game Reserve’s lakes. On this boat safari, you can see everything you would normally see on a short boat safari, plus any other wildlife which is along the water’s edge at the time. It’s common to see giraffe, impala, waterbuck, kudu, warthog and – a highlight for those with good luck – elephants bathing or crossing the river. Your guide will stop the boat at the edge of one of the lakes so that you can enjoy a picnic lunch.
All of our safari packages include at least one boat safari. If you’re staying for more than three nights, or will have been on game drives before, we recommend including a full day boat safari as part of your itinerary.
Game Drive Safari
Night Game drives
For those wishing to encounter nocturnal animals such as porcupines, civet, cats and aardvarks a night game drive is a fantastic option.
Walking Safaris
Family Friendly
A unique opportunity is to experience a walking safari through the bush. These guided walks are accompanied by a watchman and a fully qualified armed guide. The pace is gentle and the emphasis is placed on ecology, tracking, dung identification, medicinal uses of trees and plants, birds and generally interpreting the bush. The possibility of seeing Lions or Wild dogs on foot is minimal, but Elephant sightings are common and to walk up relatively close to Elephants is an experience never to be forgotten.
Bird watching
The Mkata plains is a great place for birding Mikumi boasts with a respectful 400 species of birds with the most common ones being the black bellied bustards, guinea fowls, marabou storks, bateleur eagles, ox peckers, colorful lilac breasted rollers and yellow throated long claw.
Fly in Campang
Fly-Camping
For the adventurous traveller, the possibility of a one or two night fly-camp where guests will ‘rough it’ in the bush, accompanied by their own walking guide, is popular. The fly-camps have good-sized tents, a hot bucket shower and a toilet; yet retain a feeling of being very remote. Dinner is cooked on the open fire and enjoyed outside
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