Selous Reserve bush camp safari, Tanzania
| country: | Tanzania |
| location: | Selous Game Reserve |
| departures: | This trip can be tailor made between June and March and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirement |
| price: | From US $2225 - US $2725 (6 days) excluding flights. Price is per person and depends on group size. Includes meals and accommodation as per itinerary and flight from Selous to Zanzibar. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
This safari is ideal for wildlife enthusiasts, photographers or families who wish to stay in an exclusive environment in a private camp in the heart of Selous Game Reserve. The trip starts with a visit in Dar es Salaam to the Bibi Jann centre – a grandmother to grandmother outreach programme and now a primary school, the enthusiasm of the children will be a highlight of your visit to Tanzania. Selous is a vast wilderness which offers a diverse range of safaris and you will enjoy a boat safari on the Rufiji River, walking safaris from your camp as well as leisurely game drives on an unrestricted time/km basis. Selous is famed for the Rufiji river and the lakes which make up the central features of the reserve but you will also experience savannah, forest and miombo woodland. All the big 5 are present although rhino are rarely seen, as well as a healthy population of wild dog. Fly on from Selous to Zanzibar, Pemba, Mafia, Dar es Salaam, Ruaha or Arusha.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Dar es Salaam: Arrival in Dar es Salaam, met and transfer to Mediterraneo Hotel, Kawe Beach. BB |
| Day 2: | Selous: Drive to Selous (approx 6 hours) with en route visit to Bibi Jann Day Care Centre in Mbagala. Overnight at Rufiji River Camp. FB |
| Day 3: | Selous: Morning boat safari on Rufiji River, then drive to private camp. Safari options include full day or morning and afternoon game drives and walking safaris. Overnight Private Campsite in heart of Selous. FB |
| Day 4: | Selous: Safari options include full day or morning and afternoon game drives and walking safaris. O/n Private Campsite in heart of Selous. FB |
| Day 5: | Selous: Safari options include full day or morning and afternoon game drives and walking safaris. O/n Private Campsite in heart of Selous. FB |
| Day 6: | Zanzibar: Fly to Zanzibar. |
BB= Bed & Breakfast, FB= Full board.
travelling with a local operator
This holiday is operated by a company based in the holiday destination and they will be able to provide expert local knowledge. They will be able to tailor make your holiday to suit your requirements not only concerning the dates of travel but also typically the standard of accommodation, and thus price. It is rare for local operators to be able to help with the booking of your flights.how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
Our wilderness camps are seasonal camps – i.e. we remove the entire camp when the peak seasons are over to allow minimum impact on the area. With just 6 tents in each camp we minimise the number of visitors we take on safari – most of our safaris are tailor made for 2-4 travellers with some small groups to a maximum of 12 people. Water is an obvious scarce resource in the bush so we encourage bucket shower use and explain ways to minimise water use in the bush at our camps. Our cooks are trained to minimise waste and wherever possible we use natural products and minimise use of packaged goods. Our guides are trained by one of the directors of the company, Sven Liebchen who is a professional safari guide, in all aspects of respect for the environment, flora and fauna and safari ‘etiquette’ including respecting the space of the animals, off road driving and ‘leave nothing but footsteps’ principles. Authentic Mikumi Camp is a seasonal wilderness camp which is removed during the low season and is designed to leave minimum imprint on the environment. The camp is owner/operated by a Dar es Salaam based company and run by Tanzanian staff. Community Most of our trips will include some aspect of social awareness as we support initiatives in several areas. We have selected a few from many possibilities based on first hand recognition of the direct benefits each project is making to the local communities. The Bibi Jann Centre is an inspiring example of how every little bit helps and the grass roots support for this primary school has changed the lives of many orphaned children and their grandmothers who exuberantly share their life experiences. Visitors bring old toys, clothes, books, school equipment and often end up sponsoring a bibi. We also campaign locally for donations whether financial or toys, etc. The developments at the school have all happened via sponsorship. As a Dar es Salaam based company we have Tanzanian directors of the company and provide on going training programmes for our office staff, mechanics, guides and camp staff whether this be on computer courses, field guide training, bush cooking courses or in hospitality management. In certain areas such as Rungwe, Usambaras, Ulugurus and Lake Niassa we use local guides to escort guests on hikes, canoe trips and village visits and all income from this goes directly into the local community tourism initiatives in each area. We buy locally grown produce for our all our camps. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |