Nyerere Safari Lodges

Formerly the Selous Game Reserve, Nyerere National Park is the largest protected area in Africa. The Rufiji River runs through its centre, and boat safaris along this waterway produce encounters with hippo, crocodile, elephant and waterbirds at close range that no land-based safari format replicates.

At Oloi Shorua, we recommend a small collection of lodges along the park’s river and lake systems, each built around Nyerere’s combination of water-based and walking safari activity.

Why Nyerere Offers a Different Kind of Safari

Boat-based game viewing along the Rufiji River, alongside conventional game drives
A strong walking safari tradition at several camps
Genuinely low visitor numbers relative to the size of the reserve
A natural pairing with Ruaha as a dedicated southern Tanzania circuit

Luxury Safari Lodges in Nyerere

Sand Rivers — directly on the Rufiji riverbank, combining walking and boating
Beho Beho — set on a hillside, one of the longer-established camps in the region
Siwandu — set on the park’s lake system
Roho Ya Selous — on the same lake system, smaller in scale

Wildlife in Nyerere

Dense hippo and crocodile populations along the Rufiji
Substantial elephant and buffalo herds
Strong lion and African wild dog populations
Exceptional waterbird diversity along the river and lake systems

When to Visit Nyerere

The dry season between June and October offers the clearest game viewing and the best conditions for both boating and walking. The wetter months bring a lusher, quieter landscape, with some camps reducing activity during the heaviest rains.

Planning a Stay in Nyerere

Nyerere connects efficiently to Ruaha by light aircraft, and combining the two over a full week gives a genuinely complete southern Tanzania journey, distinct in character from the northern circuit.

Plan Your Nyerere Safari

If you are considering a safari that includes Nyerere, we would be pleased to help design a journey tailored to your interests.

Many journeys include:

You can also explore: