Mara River crossings peak August – September · limited northern camps remain
Tanzania · Choose Your Star
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NYERERE NATIONAL PARK FORMERLY THE SELOUS
A Park You Explore by Water
The Rufiji System — Four Ways In
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On the water
Rufiji Boat Safari
Drifting past hippo pods and enormous crocodiles with elephant coming down to drink. The single thing that sets Nyerere apart from every northern park.
Duration2 – 3 hrs
BestJun – Oct
EffortEasy
Untamed Reserve
The Only Park You Can Explore by Boat
30,893 square kilometres carved from the old Selous Game Reserve — and 45 minutes by air from Dar es Salaam.
In 2019 the northern section of the Selous Game Reserve was upgraded to national park status and renamed Nyerere National Park, after Tanzania's first president. Most people in the industry still say Selous, and both names refer to the same country.
What makes it unlike anywhere else in Tanzania is the Rufiji River and its chain of lakes. This is the only major Tanzanian park where you can do a proper boat safari — drifting within metres of hippo pods and enormous crocodiles, with elephant coming down the banks to drink and skimmers working the shallows.
In the north you watch animals from a vehicle. Here you can watch them from the water, or from your own two feet. It changes the register entirely.
Because the area spent decades as a hunting reserve rather than a photographic park, walking safaris are permitted far more widely than in the north, and fly-camping — walking out and sleeping under canvas on a sandbank — is genuinely available. For travellers who feel they've done enough game drives, this is the antidote.
The park is also the most accessible of the southern circuit: a 45-minute flight from Dar es Salaam, which makes it easy to combine with Zanzibar. Wild dog are present in good numbers, and the lake circuit in September produces some of the most reliable predator viewing in southern Tanzania.
Renamed
2019, from Selous Game Reserve
Area
30,893 km²
Status
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Main river
The Rufiji
Lake chain
Tagalala, Manze, Nzerakera and others
Signature activity
Boat safari
Wild dog
Significant population
Bird species
Over 440
Getting there
45 min flight from Dar es Salaam
Park fees
From $70 per adult per day
Walking & fly-camping
Widely permitted
Ideal stay
3 nights
Four Ways In
Boat, Foot, Vehicle, Canvas
Nyerere offers a wider range of ways to experience it than any other Tanzanian park.
Signature
Rufiji Boat Safari
Two or three hours on the river among hippo, crocodile and waterbirds, with elephant on the banks. The reason most people choose Nyerere over Ruaha.
Aug – Oct
The Lake Circuit
Five lakes linked by channels, drawing game as the dry season deepens. The most productive driving in the park, and superb for waterbirds throughout.
Jun – Oct
Walking Country
Decades as a hunting reserve mean walking is permitted far more widely here than in the north. Armed ranger, three hours, and complete quiet.
Jun – Sep
Fly-Camp Sandbanks
Walk out, sleep on a Rufiji sandbank under mosquito net and stars, walk back. One of very few places in Tanzania where this is still done properly.
The Wildlife
Water Changes What You See
Hippo and crocodile in numbers, a real wild dog population, and elephant recovering strongly from the poaching years.
30,893
km² of park
440+
Bird species
5
Major lakes
45
Min flight from Dar
Nyerere lost a devastating proportion of its elephants to poaching between 2009 and 2014, and the population is still rebuilding. Numbers today are far healthier and anti-poaching has improved markedly, but you'll see fewer elephant than in Ruaha or Tarangire. Set expectations accordingly — the boat, the walking and the wild dog are the reasons to come.
Realistic Sighting Odds — Dry Season
Hippo
Near certain
Crocodile
Near certain
Giraffe
Very likely
Lion
Likely
Wild dog
Real chance
Also Frequently Seen
ElephantBuffaloGreater kuduSable antelopeNyalaImpalaAfrican skimmerFish eagle
Experiences
Ways to Meet Nyerere
The widest activity range of any Tanzanian park — and the only one where a boat is a real option.
◇
Rufiji Boat Safari
The activity that defines the park. Hippo pods at eye level, crocodiles sliding off sandbanks, and elephant crossing the channels at dusk.
✦
Lake Circuit Game Drive
Driving the chain of lakes as the water drops and game concentrates. The most productive predator viewing in the park, particularly late in the season.
◈
Walking Safari
With an armed ranger through miombo and riverine bush. Tracking, plant lore and the specific alertness that comes from being on foot.
▲
Fly-Camping
Walk out with a light camp, sleep on a sandbank under nets and stars, walk back at dawn. Genuinely rare, and unforgettable.
◆
Wild Dog Tracking
Nyerere holds one of Africa's most significant wild dog populations. Denning season concentrates packs and gives the best odds of the year.
✧
Hot Springs & Stiegler's Gorge
Natural hot springs near Lake Tagalala and the dramatic Stiegler's Gorge, where the Rufiji narrows through a hundred-metre chasm.
Timing
A Long Dry Season, and a Wet One to Avoid
Nyerere is low, hot and humid. The dry months are excellent and the wet months are genuinely difficult.
Season
What's Happening
Consider
Verdict
Jun – AugDry season
Comfortable temperatures, thinning vegetation and steadily improving game viewing. Ideal for walking and fly-camping.
The most popular window — book camps well ahead.
Excellent
Sep – OctPeak dry
Lakes shrink and game concentrates hard along the water. The strongest predator activity and the best boat safaris of the year.
Hot and humid by October, particularly midday.
Best game viewing
Nov – DecShort rains
Short afternoon storms green the park and migrant birds arrive. Boats still run well and rates soften.
Game begins dispersing away from the river.
Good value
Jan – MayWet season
Heavy rain, high humidity and lush growth. Superb birding and dramatic skies for photographers.
Most camps close March to May. Roads flood and walking is limited.
Largely closed
Where to Stay
On the River, or on a Lake
The best camps sit directly on the Rufiji or on the lake chain, with boats launching from the doorstep.
Luxury
Riverfront Lodges
Permanent lodges on the Rufiji with pools, decks over the water and boats moored below. Hippo grunting through the night is part of the package.
From $580 per person / night
Our Recommendation
Lakeside Tented Camps
Canvas on the lake chain, small guest numbers and excellent walking guides. The best balance of comfort, access and atmosphere in the park.
From $390 per person / night
Value
Northern Sector Camps
Simpler camps near Mtemere gate, reachable by road from Dar. Considerably cheaper and still on the river, with boats available.
From $210 per person / night
Journeys
Safaris Featuring Nyerere
The easiest southern park to reach, and the most natural pairing with Zanzibar.
Southern Classic
7-Day Southern Circuit: Ruaha & Nyerere
Tanzania's two great southern parks by light aircraft, with boat safaris on the Rufiji and walking in Ruaha.
Enquire →
Short Escape
4-Day Nyerere Boat & Walking
Three nights on the Rufiji with daily boat safaris, a walking safari and the lake circuit. Easy from Dar or Zanzibar.
Enquire →
Bush & Beach
10-Day Southern Tanzania & Zanzibar
Ruaha and Nyerere followed by four nights on the Indian Ocean. The quiet alternative to the northern circuit.
Enquire →
Adventure
6-Day Fly-Camping Expedition
Walking between light camps on the Rufiji sandbanks. Minimal vehicles, maximum wilderness, for the genuinely adventurous.
Enquire →Keep Exploring
Other Tanzanian Destinations
Most journeys combine two or three. Tell us which pull at you and we will build the route.
Serengeti
The Great Migration
Ngorongoro
The Eighth Wonder
Tarangire
Land of Giants
Lake Manyara
Tree-Climbing Lions
Kilimanjaro
Roof of Africa
Arusha & Mt Meru
The Gateway
Mkomazi
Rhino Sanctuary
Ruaha
The Hidden Giant
Mahale
Chimp Kingdom
Gombe
Goodall's Forest
Zanzibar
Stone Town & Beaches
Pemba
The Green Island
Before You Go
Nyerere Questions, Answered Plainly
Effectively yes. In 2019 the northern, photographic section of the Selous Game Reserve was gazetted as Nyerere National Park. The southern portion remains a game reserve under the Selous name. Most operators, pilots and guides still say Selous in conversation, so you'll hear both — they refer to the same country you'll be visiting.
It's the only major Tanzanian park where boating is a core activity rather than a novelty. You sit at water level among hippo pods, pass crocodiles on sandbanks within a few metres, and watch elephant come down to drink from an angle no vehicle can give you. It also gets you close to waterbirds — skimmers, fish eagles, herons — in a way driving never does.
Nyerere is easier to reach, has the boat safaris, permits more walking and is greener. Ruaha has considerably better big-cat density, more elephant and a wilder feel. If you can only do one and you want game viewing, choose Ruaha. If you want variety of activity, or you're combining with Zanzibar, choose Nyerere. Seven days does both properly.
Nearly. The Selous ecosystem lost a catastrophic share of its elephants to industrial-scale poaching between roughly 2009 and 2014 — one of the worst declines recorded anywhere in Africa. Anti-poaching has improved substantially since and numbers are recovering, but you will see fewer elephant here than in Ruaha or Tarangire. It's worth knowing before you arrive.
Yes, when run properly. You sleep in a light tent or under a net on a sandbank, with an armed ranger and guide on watch and a fire through the night. Camps are sited deliberately in open ground with clear sightlines. It requires a certain temperament rather than any particular fitness, and the people who do it almost always describe it as the highlight of the trip.
March to May. The long rains flood roads, most camps close entirely, walking becomes impractical and the humidity is punishing. If those are your only available dates, go north instead — the crater and Tarangire handle the wet season far better than the southern circuit does.
Plan Your Nyerere Safari
Get Off the Vehicle and Onto the Water
Nyerere pairs easily with Zanzibar and is only 45 minutes from Dar. Tell us your dates and we'll build the routing. No cost, no commitment.
