The Selous is one of the largest game reserves in Africa — over 50,000 square kilometres of southern Tanzania — and one of the least visited despite its size. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982, and unlike the northern circuit parks, most of the Selous sees very few tourists. The landscape combines miombo woodland, grassland, and the Rufiji River system, which draws enormous concentrations of wildlife.
The Rufiji is the real centrepiece of the Selous experience. Boat safaris on the river and its lakes offer a completely different way to watch animals — hippos, crocodiles, and waterbirds at close range, with the occasional elephant or buffalo on the bank. Walking safaris are permitted throughout much of the reserve, led by armed guides. Game drives are standard in the north around the Rufiji Hotel area, but the reserve is large enough that vehicle traffic is thin.
Wildlife includes large populations of elephant, buffalo, wild dog (the Selous holds one of Africa's largest wild dog populations), lion, leopard, hippo, and crocodile. The birdlife is exceptional.
Getting to the Selous requires either a flight from Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar — all the main camps have airstrips — or the TAZARA railway, which runs from Dar es Salaam to Kisaki at the reserve's northern edge three times a week.