Inside Tanzania’s new Roho ya Selous Safari Camp

wildest dreams

Asilia Africa’s newest tented camp is taking safari-goers on a truly off-the-beaten-track adventure. Opened in August, Roho ya Selous is the first luxury lodge to debut in the game-rich 46,000-square-km Selous Game Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the rarely explored southern region of Tanzania.

Despite its remote location, the solar-powered camp comes with plenty of luxuries, from a large swimming pool and open-air bar to a fireside dining room serving succulent steaks and fresh salads beneath a baobab tree. Spacious and extremely private, the eight contemporary stretch-canvas tents are filled with locally sourced decor: hand-carved wooden furniture lines reed walls, grass mats stretch across unpolished stone floors, and natural-fibre fabrics in muted blues and greens reflect the natural hues outside.

Roho ya Selous is strategically located on the edge of one of three lakes that feed into the Rufiji River, guaranteeing unrivalled wildlife sightings that might include enormous basking crocodiles, 50-strong pods of hippos, elephants, buffaloes, giraffe (especially around camp), lions and hyenas. Birders are in for a treat as well, with sightings of yellow-billed and marabou storks, grey and Goliath herons, and African fish eagles common sights around the Siwandu, Manze and Nzerekera rivers. Beyond daily game drives, guests can also explore this pristine reserve on walking safaris and boat rides.

Roho ya Selous