Day One
We left our comfortable room at Macushla House in Nairobi early to catch our outbound flight. It’s a short 1.5hrs in the air from Nairobi to
Dar Es Salaam and upon landing we had pre-arranged a transfer to take us directly
to the local terminal for the afternoon flight to the Selous. However, feeling
a tad overexcited we opted instead for our own taxi chap (his name was Ali, he
was nice) to go and explore downtown Dar Es Salaam. Including a ten minute stop
for lunch, we had a wonderful time munching cashew nuts in the traffic and
panicking about whether we would make it back in time for our connecting flight.
The flight to the Selous is about one hour
twenty minutes and flying out of the city, deep into the heart of Tanzania you
begin to really understand how big and beautiful this country really is. The
landscape changes so dramatically; from lush green forests to dusty dry savannas until finally the water wilderness of the Rufiji river system is
below you and it takes your breath away. We barreled out of the plane in a semi calm
panic, happy to be back on solid ground and met our enthusiastic guide, Ernest,
from Sand Rivers Selous.
Sand Rivers is perched right on top of the
Rufiji river with some of the best views in the park! We both felt immediately
at home here and are still pining to return. After a quick shower and an
inappropriate amount of squealing we headed off with trusty Ernest on a bush walk
to stretch our legs and see what little treasures the Selous held. We didn’t
walk far, stopping and photographing each and every tree with total fascination
and the sun hit the undulating landscape in such a way that everything beyond
that moment and that place became totally irrelevant.
Day
Two
The next day we were up early – seize the
day and all that – and were whisked off into the bush. The lakes in this area are
rich with hippos, crocodiles and a variety of colourful birdlife. Masai giraffe
ambled about with zebra, impala, yellow baboons, elephants, leopard and lions
and after a dip in the hot spring we tucked into a delicious picnic breakfast
on the banks of Lake Tagallala. We had lunch at Beho Beho, which is an elegant
lodge built away from the river with sweeping views across the hills and valley
below, before continuing on to Lake Manze Camp on the shores of Lake Manze.
With so much water around we just had to do
a boat cruise! That afternoon we cruised through the tributaries
around Lake Manze looking at birds, crocodiles and other little critters before
emerging out onto the lake to watch the sun set to the sound of grunting hippos
and fish eagle calls.
Day
Three
Despite the gloomy weather, our incredibly
knowledgeable guide Sammy somehow coerced us into good spirits and took us for
a bush walk the following morning. It wasn’t far, but we learned more about the
Selous Eco-system on that single walk than we did on our entire trip. Shout out to Sammy! After our walk we
transferred to the near by Impala Camp (Lake Manze’s sister camp) where we were
met by a sweet Italian man named Faustus. The camp was so lovely and lunch was
served on the dining platform, making the most of the river view. Faustus also
accompanied us to our next stop - Siwandu Camp. Along the way Faust very
proudly informed us that the airline we were flying with was actually Italian
owned! “So, maybe might die,” he said. “But at least you have good pizza on
board.” Cue nervous laughter. PS. Coastal Aviation – I’m still waiting for said
promised pizza.
At the superbly romantic and secretive Siwandu
Camp we got back on the boat and headed off for a spot of fishing. The number
of crocodiles in the lake was just astonishing – it’s a wonder anything
survives here. But the catfish do, so after a few close encounters with the
scaly beasts we parked our camping chairs on the lake side and cast our fishing
rods. In the space of an hour we produced an almost-catfish and an unfortunate
terrapin (which we later spent an hour operating on and eventually released in
good spirits). Obviously this has nothing to do with our stunted fishing skills
- June is just the wrong time of year for it!
Day
Four
Finally a sleep in before our flight to
Ruaha! After a relaxing breakfast and emergency checking of work emails (we are
still getting on top of this “being on safari is not an excuse” stuff) we catch
our one hour, fifty minute flight to Ruaha which lands at the main airstrip in
the heart of the park. Saidi, from Kwihala camp greets us enthusiastically and
whisks us off into the unknown, via a pride of lions with cubs on a giraffe
kill of course. Arriving at Kwihala
camp, Sandy meets us with cool towels and a warm greeting. We fall in love with
Sandy almost instantly and we laugh and natter over a delicious light lunch in
their shady dining tent. After lunch, Lorenzo comes to meet us. Lorenzo is the
walking guide at Kwihala. He’s Italian, of course and he’s a hoot! Our walk
that afternoon takes us between the towering baobab trees, into the rocks and
out onto the golden grassland. Lorenzo is engaging, funny (in that offbeat
Italian way we love) and incredibly knowledgeable. We drink G&Ts, watch the sun set among
the giant baobabs and listen to a leopard calling near by. This is Africa.
Day
Five
Up nice and early we head off in search of Mdonyo
Old River Camp. It’s surprisingly chilly this morning, but luckily Kwihala
anticipates our naivety and packs extra blankets and hot water bottles in
the car. Brownie points! En route we find a serval hunting in the long grass,
some elephants, a male lion, lesser kudu and a troop of baboons. Mdonyo Old River
Camp is based, as the name suggests, right along an old river, between a
cascade of incredible trees and wildlife. We only stop for a coffee and a look
around but it is certainly a fantastic site! Saidi then deposits us on the side
of a beautiful dry riverbed for our “bonnet breakfast” where we witness our
first “crossing”, as pictured below. Nothing quite like the great wildebeest
migration to be sure, but the moment is entirely our own and the wilderness is
unlike any we have seen before!
We arrive at the simple but stylish Kigelia
Camp in time for lunch. The basic, bush friendly layout of this place is fused
perfectly into its surroundings and we spent a bizarre amount of time walking
around, touching things and gasping at the general beautifulness. That afternoon
we take a drive through the spectacular baobab forests that Ruaha is so famous
for and on the way back spot a caracal (huge excitement!). Drinks around the
fire and a delicious three course meal under the stars mean we head off to bed
with full tummies and happy hearts.
Day
Six
We are up before dawn to find our way to
the beautiful Ruaha river. Starting from a viewpoint, we walk down and along
the river. It’s only a short walk but all we need to stretch the legs and take
in the spectacular scenery before a picnic breakfast on the bank. After
breakfast we take a short drive down the river, enjoying incredible riverside
birdlife like fish eagles, herons, egrets, bee-eaters, kingfishers and ground
hornbills before catching our lunchtime flight to Zanzibar.
Learn more about safaris in Tanzania by visiting our website: www.african-experts.net or email us directly on info@african-experts.net
