Selous Impala Camp

an unusually good value option

Selous Impala Camp is located in the Selous area of southern Tanzania.

This property is independently owned by Italian Gillie Zanacchi, a lovely Italian fellow who is passionate about the Selous and runs his camp in a professional but pleasantly uncommercial way. The camp is not directly related to any other properties.

Set on the north bank of the Great Rufiji River, the camp is centred on an elevated open-sided main building, which steps down to a ground floor bar and campfire on the riverbank. To one side there is a nice swimming pool area.

The camp is very well located, providing access to both the core wildlife viewing areas and a particularly scenic stretch of the Rufiji River.

Selous Impala Camp is almost certainly the property in this reserve which we have used most over the years. With safari being so expensive, this camp has always done a great job of delivering a reasonably high quality experience, without being too pricey. It typically works out around 30-40% less expensive than the top camps.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Selous Impala Camp is in eight tented rooms, raised on platforms above the river.

Animals in camp

One aspect we particularly like about this Selous Impala Camp is the amount of wildlife that passes through, especially giraffes, elephants and hippos, although that does mean you have to be very careful when walking between buildings.

Activities

Selous Impala Camp provides the following guided activities, most of which are usually included in the price …

• Vehicle safari
• Motorboat safari
• Walking safari
• Bush meals
• Night vehicle safari : may not be permitted

The Selous tends to feature in relatively few trips to Tanzania, mainly because it is obliged to compete for nights with the fabulous safari areas of the Serengeti region and the nearby Ruaha. It tends to be used most at the extremes, as a short first-time safari extension to a beach vacation or as part of a longer safari for more experienced safari travellers.

The usual stay duration is 3-4 nights in one camp. Multiple camp combinations here are relatively rare.

Seasonality

The best time of year for safari in Selous is generally considered to be the Jul-Oct dry season, when the wildlife is concentrated along the river, although this is also the period when visitor numbers and prices both reach their peaks.

Getting there

Selous is most commonly accessed by light aircraft, which fly directly into dirt airstrips in the bush. In this case your safari vehicle and guide is provided by the camps in which you are staying.

Selous can also be visited by means of an overland safari, usually out of Dar es Salaam, in which case you would usually undertake your vehicle safari with your private vehicle and guide, whilst the lodge provides your motorboat safari and walking safari options.

popular in safari and beach combinations