10 Best Selous (Nyerere) Luxury Safari Lodges & Camps

By Philip Briggs

Nyerere National Park, covering 30,893km²/11,928mi² of southeast Tanzania, is East Africa’s largest protected area. Formerly known as the Selous Game Reserve, and still often called by that name, it is a fabulous wildlife-viewing destination. The park hosts four of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo, but no rhino) as well as the endangered African wild dog. Nyerere is one of those special places where game drives can be supplemented by walking safaris and boat trips. Indeed, its scenic centerpiece is the Rufiji River, which is Tanzania’s largest waterway and famed for its concentrations of hippos, crocs and waterbirds.

The accommodations below are not ranked in a specific quality order.

213 Nyerere Safaris

1. Selous Safari Lodge

Well-priced Selous Safari Lodge stands on the Rufiji River, downstream of where it exits Nyerere National Park

Nyerere’s top camps and lodges generally lie within the park boundaries, but there are exceptions, the most luxurious being Selous Safari Lodge. This relatively new lodge has an attractive setting on the north bank of the Rufiji. Its location, only 10km/6mi from the park’s Mtemere Gate, is convenient for game drives. The spacious guest rooms are attractively decorated, and their sense of solidity will reassure first-time African safari-goers who might feel nervous about sleeping under canvas. Because it lies outside Nyerere, Selous Safari Lodge is also very competitively priced compared to camps set inside the park.

47 Selous Safari Lodge Safaris

2. Rufiji River Camp

Rufiji River Camp is a classic tented camp offering views over the waterway for which it is named

Rufiji River Camp is one of the longest-serving and best-priced properties within the boundaries of Nyerere. It boasts an atmospheric location on a wildlife-rich stretch of the Rufiji River. The camp offers the choice of standard safari tents shaded by thatched roofs or larger tented suites with a private plunge pool. Whichever tent type you choose, all have a private balcony with river views, and access to the characterful two-story dining area and swimming pool.

Rufiji River Camp Safaris

3. Selous Impala Camp

Selous Impala Camp This stylish tented camp is named after the impala herds that forage on its riverside grounds

Stylish but rustic, Selous Impala Camp is an appealing tented lodge with a magical setting on the banks of the stately Rufiji. Relatively intimate, the camp has just nine units, including two catering to families. All units have stilted timber bases, thatched roofs and private balconies looking out to the river. The entire camp is solar-powered, and there’s a tempting swimming pool for hot summer afternoons. You can expect great in-house wildlife viewing here. Hippo, elephant and giraffe are regular visitors, and more than 100 bird species have been recorded immediately around camp.

Selous Impala Safaris

4. Roho ya Selous

Roho ya Selous (‘Heart of Selous’) is an intimate camp set in an area teeming with wildlife

Part of the reliably superb Asilia Africa group of exclusive bush properties, Roho ya Selous translates as ‘Heart of Selous’. It is an appropriate name for the camp, given its central location in an area renowned for excellent wildlife viewing. The setting, on a wooded promontory on Lake Nzerakera, is also very scenic and atmospheric. The eight luxury tents offer a winning combination of seclusion, spaciousness and style, while common amenities include a kidney-shaped swimming pool. Elephant, lion, wild dog, buffalo and giraffe are regularly seen on game drives in this part of the park, and boat trips on the lake are delightful.

Roho ya Selous Safaris

5. Laba Siwandu Camp

Laba Siwandu Camp Located on Lake Nzerakera, Siwandu combines luxury tented units with a captivating bush setting

It is difficult to imagine a more evocatively African setting than the one enjoyed by Siwandu on the palm-shaded shore of Lake Nzerakera. Hippos grunt all day long in the water, elephants regularly pass through to quench their thirst, and birds can be seen and heard everywhere. Although Siwandu comprises 13 tented units, these are split between two separate camps. Each camp has its own tree-house-style dining area and swimming pool, creating an intimate and exclusive feel. The large, stilted tents are spaced widely along the waterfront and come with fans, outdoor showers and private decks.

In addition to the usual game drives and walks, you can enjoy relaxing trips on a large pontoon boat, or arrange an overnight fly-camping excursion deep into the bush.

Laba Siwandu Safaris

6. Serena Mivumo River Lodge

Serena Mivumo River Lodge One of Nyerere’s remotest lodges, air-conditioned Mivumo has a scenic setting in Stiegler’s Gorge

The only Nyerere lodge run by the ever-reliable Serena Hotels, Mivumo River Lodge is something of a mixed bag. Undoubtedly its best feature is its location on the Rufiji River, at the eastern entrance to the scenic rockscapes of Stiegler’s Gorge (now partially submerged by a hydroelectric dam). Mivumo is also relatively small and very luxurious. The dozen stylish suites all have wooden floors, leather furnishings, king-size beds, indoor bathtubs, outdoor showers and air conditioning, which can be very welcome in this hot climate.

That said, game drives in the immediate area are not as reliably rewarding as those farther east. Despite this, Mivumo is a superb (and well-priced) option for those who want to sit in air-conditioned comfort and watch the wildlife come to them rather than going out on activities.

Serena Mivumo Safaris

7. Sand Rivers Safari Camp Nyerere

Sand Rivers Safari Camp Nyerere Sand Rivers is a luxury lodge with a remote and incredibly beautiful setting on the Rufiji River

As remote as it is luxurious, Sand Rivers (operated by the reliably superb Nomad Tanzania group) is one of the most appealing lodges anywhere in Tanzania. Set above a spectacular bend in the Rufiji, the camp offers fabulous views over the meandering riverbed, as well as superb in-house wildlife viewing. The open-fronted stone-and-thatch suites combine minimalist architecture with a tremendous sense of space and style. There’s also a wonderful swimming pool area shaded by an ancient baobab tree.

A winning feature of Sand Rivers is that the remote location, far from any other camps or entrance gates, means that you seldom see other vehicles on game drives, boat trips or other activities. Guiding standards are outstanding too.

8. Beho Beho

Enjoy Edwardian-style luxury and sweeping views over the plains at remote Beho Beho

Beho Beho is probably Sand Rivers’ closest rival for the accolade of Nyerere’s most luxurious lodge. Although it is the only Nyerere lodge set away from the rivers and lakes, it compensates by having a stunning hillside location that offers sweeping views across one of Africa’s wildest bush landscapes. The nine stone cottages feature classic safari decor that evokes the days of ‘Out of Africa’, complete with Zanzibari-style four-poster king-size beds and swirling walk-in netting. For total exclusivity, there is a private two-bedroom villa with its own swimming pool.

As with Sand Rivers, Beho Beho lies deep enough into Nyerere that the surrounding area sees very few day-trippers. The lodge also offers boat trips on the remote and pretty Lake Tagalala.

9. Lake Makubi Safari Camp

You’ll feel like you have Nyerere all to yourself at exclusive Lake Makubi Safari Camp

A relative newcomer to the Nyerere scene, tiny Lake Makubi Safari Camp comprises four luxury tents overlooking the remote and beautiful Lake Minyamiruba. It stands some distance west of the main safari circuit, so traffic in the area tends to be very low. Expect a real bush atmosphere, great wildlife viewing and the sense of having a slice of wild Africa all to yourself, with accommodations that are about as luxurious as it gets in a semi-mobile tented setting. Food, service and guiding are of the highest standard, too.

10. Nyamiruba Camp

Nyamiruba Camp Sleeping a maximum of four guests, this tiny camp offers an immersive bush experience

Opened in August 2022, Nyamiruba is the newest addition to a roster of offbeat camps operated by an innovative and well-established company called A Tent With a View. Effectively operating as a private camp, Nyamiruba takes exclusivity to thrillingly misanthropic extremes, since it consists of only two tents that sleep a maximum of four guests. It also has a wonderful location on the shore of Lake Nyamiruba, which is home to plenty of hippos and waterbirds, and regularly visited by elephant, buffalo and other wildlife. Nyamiruba is a low-footprint camp that is entirely solar-powered, with all meals cooked on a bush oven.