Beho Beho
Beho Beho sits high in the northern reaches of Nyerere National Park, its stone bandas arranged along a hillside dotted with ancient baobabs. The name means breeze, a reference to the cooling air that moves through this elevated site. Most camps in the park instead sit along the river or lakeshore. As a result, Beho Beho was the first camp ever sited in what was then the Selous Game Reserve, and it remains one of the most distinctive.
Design and Setting
Seven spacious bandas make up the camp, built from stone with thatched roofs and entirely open fronted, extending onto a private veranda. Tented curtains can close each banda for the night, or leave it open to the breeze. The communal lodge sits at the centre of camp, a large timber, stone and thatch structure, open sided to catch views across the valley toward a floodlit waterhole below.
The camp sits at the meeting point of five distinct ecosystems. Riverine, mountainous, open savannah, mixed woodland and water systems all converge here. Its head guide, a Zimbabwean professional, has won the Guides Association’s Guide of the Year award. Activities here run, by most accounts, at the highest level found anywhere in Nyerere.
Activities and Signature Experiences
Game drives, walking safaris and boat trips on Lake Tagalala all feature here. Visits to nearby World War One trenches and the grave of Frederick Courteney Selous, after whom the former reserve was named, add further interest. Beho Beho’s treehouse experience stands apart from anything else in the region. A two-hour walk with an armed guide leads to a platform built into a giant leadwood tree, with a four-poster bed and en-suite bathroom open to the stars.
The camp closes annually from late March through early June, in line with the long rains. Children aged twelve and older are welcome. Beho Beho runs, however, as a distinctly adult-feeling camp, particularly at meal times. For travellers wanting one of southern Tanzania’s most storied properties, paired with genuinely exceptional guiding, Beho Beho remains among the very best camps in the region.
Why Stay Here
- The first camp ever built in the former Selous Game Reserve, set in cool highlands rather than along the river
- Seven open-fronted stone bandas, with sweeping views across the valley and a floodlit waterhole
- A signature treehouse experience, reached on foot, built into an ancient leadwood tree
- Guiding led by a past Guide of the Year award winner, widely regarded among Africa’s best
- Visits to historic sites including WWI trenches and Frederick Selous’s grave
Accommodation
Seven stone bandas, open fronted with thatched roofs, each with king-sized beds, writing desks and a private veranda. A separate house, Bailey’s Banda, adds a lounge, sundeck and private plunge pool for exclusive booking.
Dining
Meals run on a full-board basis, including alcoholic and soft drinks, served in the open-sided communal lodge with sweeping valley views.
Experiences
Game drives, walking safaris and boat trips explore Nyerere’s varied terrain, alongside historic sites and the camp’s signature treehouse overnight experience.
Best For
Couples and experienced safari travellers wanting exceptional guiding, and honeymooners drawn to the treehouse’s romantic setting.