Selous Impala was set up by old East Africa hand Gillie Zanacchi as a retreat where he could take his friends to enjoy the animals and the bush. The camp is set in Borassus palms and Tamarind trees and provides superb comfort,wonderful wildife and dining under the stars beside the rippling Rufiji river.
Selous Impala has just eight luxury tents, including 2 family tents, set on high wooden decking with magnificent views of the river and of the forest beyond. The colonial period furniture enhances the atmosphere of exploration and adventure. Each tent at Selous Impala has a dressing room, an en-suite bathroom, and its own verandah overlooking the Rufiji. The tents are spread over a large area, ensuring maximum privacy.
Maasai askaris (guards) guide visitors to and from their tents at night, or if there are animals around. Within the large and comfortable thatched low-slung main building there is a relaxed open plan area with a shaded dining room and lounge area and plenty of planters' chairs and sofas so that guests can scan the river and banks for game. They might even have to share their table with a curious elephant! There is also a large veranda, where dinners can be enjoyed under the stars. The bar is reached by a walkway and overlooks the river - a perfect spot for a pre-dinner drink.
Selous Impala has a sheltered cooling swimming pool; just the thing after returning from a game drive in the heat of the day, or to enjoy a sundowner and bathe in the evening.
Activities:
The large meandering Rufiji with its network of channels, connecting lakes and lagoons offers visitors the opportunity to go on safari by boat and experience the spectacular concentration of wildlife on the river from an unusual perspective, especially during the dry season when animals congregate. Game drives and walking excursions are also very rewarding, as is birdwatching - there are over 300 species of birds in the Selous and these are amazingly visible especially while out walking or boating.
One of the specialities of Selous Impala is game fishing. Some of the best tiger fishing in Africa can be found on the Rufiji River, which is virtually untouched by commercial or sport fishing, so the waters are full of fish. Tiger fish are powerful relatives of the Piranha and can bite through 30 pound wire trace. They can grow to a size of 15 kilos, 5-10 being the average caught. Cat fish are the most commonly hooked and landed fish here. The average catch size of one of these is 6 to 15 kilos, though they can grow to 50 kilos…
Fly camping is available at extra cost.
The camp was refurbished in 2011.
