One of Tanzania's largest reserves (much larger than the Serengeti) Selous is far less visited than the parks in the north. It has a varied landscape, from mountains to valleys, rivers and lakes, so not only does this make for a wonderfully scenic safari, but it also means that there is a great variety of wildlife. There are thousands of elephants, buffalos and antelopes, huge numbers of hippos, wildebeest, giraffe, zebras, and even the endangered wild dogs are doing extremely well here.
Ending your holiday by flying to the spice island of Zanzibar, where you'll stay on the north east coast Matemwe in a small friendly hotel on a really lovely beach. You could make it yours with a Spice Tour, go snorkeling or diving, or you could just enjoy the sunshine and friendly people! By choosing this Selous adventure safari and beach holiday you will have a really varied and good quality African experience, for a truly superb price.
4x4 Vehicle Game Drives
Full and half day game drives are organized in open 4x4WD vehicles. Selous Game Reserve is a vast wilderness and there are many routes available to take. It is quite possible to spend 4 or 5 days on safari and not use the same route. We concentrate our game drives in the north-west sector of Selous Game Reserve, preferring to avoid the busier routes in the east.
We often stop for lunch at one of the many dry sand river beds and watch from the bank whilst elephants dig for water just feet away - a truly thrilling experience.
Walking Safaris
From the lodge, it is possible to venture out on foot, looking closer at the bird life and vegetation as well as experiencing the thrill of following big game and predators on foot. Alternatively, a short drive can quickly bring you to a dry river bed which is an ideal spot from where to start your foot safari.
Around the lodge, it is possible to follow game trails across the hills in search of buffalo and the rare Roosevelt's Sable antelope, or traverse dry riverbeds where elephant dig for water.
Whilst foot safaris are often not as prolific in game sightings as other safaris, it does allow you to get closer to the smaller, sometimes overlooked inhabitants of the reserve whilst still offering the potential of a face to face wild encounter to keep you on your toes! There are currently very few parks and reserves in Tanzania where foot safaris are permitted and Selous has the well deserved reputation of offering the finest walking safari experience in Tanzania.
Boat Safaris
Selous is justifiably renowned for its lakes and rivers; giant water courses which offer marvelous opportunities to explore the heart of the reserve. Sable Mountain Lodge operates a thrilling boat safari as part of a full day excursion that includes a game drive to Lake Tagalala.
Our boat safari offers great opportunities to observe hippos and crocodiles at close quarters and to marvel at the bird life around the lake.
The Tagalala region has awe-inspiring scenery, and the boat safari encircles the lake giving ample opportunity to observe the resident animal and birdlife as well as those visitors coming down to the lake to drink.
