The Selous Game Reserve is the largest protected wildlife area in Africa . A UN World Heritage site, this pristine, uninhabited area is larger than Switzerland.

Only in the Serengeti will visitors see a greater concentration of wildlife. Yet Selous boasts of Tanzania’s largest population of elephant as well as large numbers of buffalo, hippo and wild dog.

Other species commonly seen are lion, bushbuck, impala, giraffe, eland, baboon, zebra and greater kudu.

The topography of the park varies from rolling savannah woodland, grassland plains and rocky outcrops cut by the Rufiji River and its tributaries, the Kilombero and Luwegu, which together cover the greatest catchment area in East Africa .

The Rufiji, which flows from north to south, provides the life-blood of the Selous and sailing or rafting down the river is a superb method of seeing game, especially during the dry season between June and October.

Crocodiles, hippo and an array of grazing antelope can be seen.

The waters of the Kilombero Game Controlled Area are home to the ferocious tiger fish and vandu catfish, the latter equipped with a primitive set of lungs which allows it to migrate from one landlocked pool to another.