Set on a wide curve of the mighty Rufiji River, Sand Rivers Selous was originally built by Richard Bonham in 1984 who used this area of the Selous for his famous portered walking safaris, when the area was all but unknown. The lodge is both expedition base, and safari retreat; offering five tents, two suites and one house. There is also a central dining and bar area and swimming pool.

Sand Rivers Selous is the base for some of Tanzania's best safari guides who are there to take you out for daily adventures; boating on the Rufiji, weaving past hippopotamus and crocodile; driving on the trail of lion or wild dog; an elephant bush walk; a night sleeping out under the stars, or fishing in solitude, barefoot on a river rock.

One of Sand Rivers most coveted trip is the Selous Walking Safari - a four day wilderness walk in the seriously remote parts of the park. Explore the remotest corners of the area over a set period, with fly-camps moving every night. Walk through magical and diverse landscapes, seeing things not always visible from a vehicle. Each day is designed to be different, and to offer unrivalled exposure to the area. Walks are concentrated around the early morning and late afternoons, with opportunities for fishing, and relaxing in the middle of the day.

Location:

The luxurious Rufiji River Camp stands at the heart of the Selous National Reserve. The reserve lies in south-east Tanzania, south of Mikumi National Park. Fom Dar es Salaam, the flight takes around 45 minute’s  or 7-8 hours by road via the Kibiti-Mkongo road (which is only partially surfaced) or 8-9 hours via the Morogoro-Matombo-Kisaki road, which enters the northern section of the reserve (4WD required)

Accommodation

Accommodation at Sand Rivers Selous is in spacious open-fronted cottages made of stone and thatch, and raised up on the banks of the Rufiji with amazing views out across the river. There are five standard rooms, and two suites, and now we have the new one-bedroom private house - The Rhino House, The suites and the standard rooms all have spacious, open, en-suite bathrooms, with flush toilets and powerful showers.

THE SUITES - TAGALALA AND KIPALALA

There are two Suites at Sand Rivers, and although separate from the standard rooms, they are within walking distance of the main mess/dining area and large swimming pool. Whilst all meals are eaten in the main mess, the suites have their own private lounge area, and plunge pools set into the main deck.The bedrooms, with large and comfortable beds, are open fronted and the en-suite bathrooms are bush-deluxe.

THE RHINO HOUSE

The Rhino House is a new private and exclusive one-bedroom 'house', located near to the main lodge. Its the perfect private hideaway; meals are served in guests own dining area, and they have their own small pool for an afternoon of chilling out, with the fully stocked bar close by.
The bedroom is deeply romantic, and has a wide open front looking down over the river and open woodlands. Its perched up on a hillside, providing the ultimate view.
As well as this guests, have their own private car and guide to take them out for game drives when they wish

Dining and bars

Sand Rivers Selous has a central bar and dining area and also operates a mobile camp, which is used to stage meals in the bush.

Conference and event facilities

Sand Rivers Selous does not offer specific conference facilities but will be happy to quote for small meetings and social gatherings.

Weddings and honeymoons

This Tanzania tented camp makes an ideal Tanzania honeymoon destination. Pristine, undiscovered and the last of the great safari frontiers, it offers a multitude of unique experiences ranging from river safaris to wilderness picnics. 

Child-friendly

The lodge is happy to accept children of 8 and over at Sand Rivers Selous. Only children of 12 and over can participate in walking and fly-camping activities.

What to see and do

The Selous is unique among Tanzania’s game areas because it is a game reserve, and not a national park. This means that a wider range of activities are permitted such as; luxury boating, walking and camping safaris. More controversially, large parts of the south of the reserve (90% of the total) are reserved for professional game hunting.
Sand Rivers Selous offers skilled and knowledgeable guides who lead the game drives, boat trips, walking excursions and fly camping. Fly fishing is also offered.
The choice of things to do and see at Sand Rivers Selous includes:
Spectacular game drives around the stunning Selous ecosystem 
Boating safaris down the Rufiji River
A full safari breakfast, cooked in the bush
Bush dinners overlooking the river
Atmospheric ‘Sundowners’ in the wilderness

The boating safari

Utterly unique, the Rufiji River game-viewing experience promises abundant sightings of hippos (both in and out of the water), basking crocodiles and elephants. It also offers the rare chance of seeing a lion come down to the river and drink.  Offering a profusion of water birds, the river is typically lined with thousands of African skimmers and is one of the few places in Africa where one can spot the rare Pel’s fishing owl. In the dense Borassus palms that line the banks, huge numbers of African palm swifts whirl, while the dense tree cover offers sanctuary to black and white colobus monkeys, vultures and African fish eagles.

Typical Tanzania safari experiences at Sand Rivers Selous include: safari game drives in especially adapted 4WD safari vehicles (with professionally trained Tanzania safari guides), safari bush breakfasts, lunches and dinners; cocktails around the tented camp safari campfire and guided safari walks through the reserve. Sand Rivers Selous also offers East African Safari ornithological tours, cultural performances and visits to the local Maasai people of Tanzania. In the Selous, a particular feature of the East African Safari tented camp experience are the boat safaris down the Rufiji River, offering a unique opportunity to see elephants, lions, and the entire East African Safari wildlife cast at very close quarters.