Southern Tanzania, Part 2: Safari Camps

Our first camp visit in Tanzania was Jongomero Camp (Selous Safari Camp) in the Ruaha National Park and was delightful. The staff greets you with a song, damp wash cloth and a cool drink after your long drive. The camp is 4-star with excellent food, comfortable tents and great guides.

Following a two night stay at Jongomero we spent our last night in Ruaha at the Mdonya Old River Camp (Adventure Camps). The camp has 11 tents, cot-type beds and the amenities are basic. It reminded me of a “”man’s hunting camp”” however it was comfortable, the food is good and we had some of our best game viewing from this camp. During the night we had a number of animals coming into the camp. Tents are placed on a cement slab with running water and toilet otherwise the camp does not have any permanent structures. I rate this camp a 3-star.

The following day we flew to the Selous Game Reserve, Africa’s largest protected area uninhabited by man. The heart of the reserve is made up of many lakes, lagoons and the Rufiji River. Even through this area has a large area of water the area doesn’t have the insects that Ruaha has.

Our first camp in the Selous was Lake Manze Camp (Adventure Camps), situated on the banks of the lake. You hear hippo’s 24 hours a day and the elephant come into camp for their morning or evening swim. We enjoyed this camp and rated it 3.5-stars. Accommodations are more comfortable than our last Adventure camp, food is excellent and the staff very friendly and very service oriented.

Next was Selous Impala Camp (Adventure Camps) located on the river. A 4-star camp with superb boating and land game drives. This is by far the nicest camp Adventures Camps has. The tents are placed on stilts and the entire dining and public area is above the river, providing a beautiful view of the area.

We ended our stay in the Selous for two nights at the Selous Safari Camp (Selous Safari Camps) and saved the best for last! Safaris are conducted via boat and/or Land Rover. This is a 5-star camp with huge tents with verandahs in the front and back for viewing wildlife coming down to the water to drink. You could easily stay on your verandah all day and have a safari of your own. Food is 5-star with excellent service and attention to detail. The birds around the water are unbelievable.