Selous Impala Tented Camp — Hotel in Pwani Region

Impala Camp, as it is named nowadays, is an excellent option for visiting Nyerere National Park, which is the current name of the former Selous Game reserve. It is a small lodge, they have just a few permanent tents, which are large and very well equipped inside: quality bead clothing, complete toilet with shower, WC and 2 sinks, desk, terrace with river views, good lighting, etc. The water is heated by gas here, reliable and fast, although not so "romantic" as the otherwise widely used wood stoves.||They are located right at the shore of the Rufiji River, with hippos and crocs right in front. Location is deep inside the National Park boundaries, around 20 km from the Mloka Gate. This is a great advantage, since the majority of lodging is outside of the National Park, having to clear entry formalities every day and to drive longer distances to arrive to the core of the park and have more chances to see wildlife. Impala is probably the closest of the lodges which are located well inside the park. The last kms. from the main road to the lodge are however a small challenge for self drivers, especially in the rainy season when we were there. Because of both, the driving itself (deep, wet grooves) and finding the right way. A few more signposts would be of help. It is 20 minutes of driving from the main park road.||The design of the camp and constructions is not brilliant, however, the facilities are useful and well maintained. Service and meals are simply excellent, with personnel really going out of their way to ensure the well-being of their guests. Remarkable that washing of private clothes is included in their fees, which is very convenient for travellers. In our case, the security Masai personnel even cleaned our private vehicle (we were self driving a rented 4x4) when coming back from game drivings. Breakfasts and dinners on the terrace with magnificent views to sunsets on the wide Rufiji River will remain in our memories of this trip.||Although it is not related to Impala Camp itself, the bad news are that Nyerere Nat. Park nowadays, probably as a consequence of negligent management (poaching) in recent years and the construction of the big dam upriver (lots of traffic, more people around) has lost variety and quantity of wildlife. You are likely to see very little game, more or less in this order: impala, warthog, giraffe, followed (at a distance) by: waterbuck, some buffalo, kudu and gnu, very few elephants, some spotted hyena. All in all very scarce. Of course, you will see also a variety of birds, as well as the usual baboons and vervet monkeys. At the shore you will see hippos and crocs, easy to spot everywhere where they occur. It is very unlikely that you will see other species of big mammals. In a 4 day stay in December 2024 we were lucky enough to see 1 lioness (close to Beho Beho) as well as (and alone because of this we consider the trip worth it) a pack of 14 wild dogs (area of Lake Manze). In 4 days we saw just 2 zebras. Alone this says it all.||On top of this -again not related to Impala Camp at all- Tanzania's National Park pricing has become simply crazy in recent years, they are the most expensive in all Africa, charging horrendously high entrance fees per day, adding a plus if you stay overnight inside the national park (that's why most lodges are outside), adding a VAT, etc. A few days inside a Tanzanian national park are more expensive than an all inclusive week in a resort at the Caribbean,...

Quite the most outstanding experience ever. The camp, the people, the wildlife were just all beyond anything we could have imagined.||The camp is set on a river bank with views of it from both the tents (not really tents as you would know it) and the central dining/lounge area. Everything was beautifully fitted and finished but with complete sympathy to the surroundings. ||The tents were something else. We had linked tents so that our teenage boys were close but not in with us (genius). The size and finishing of the tent was exceptional. Felt totally relaxed but luxurious at the same time. Mornings meant being woken at your chosen time with a fresh pot of coffee/tea and then you could either breakfast on site or head off early with the sunrise and have a breakfast served up to you while on the reserve.||The food at the camp is remarkable. Really fresh, vibrant and healthy. My boys devoured everything including a lot of the green stuff they would have passed by at home. Simply recognition of how well prepared and presented it was. Don’t think we’ve been anywhere with better quality food.||The little bar was just lovely for a pre dinner drink (being serenaded by the hippos), and the pool was a lovely addition for a late afternoon refresh.||Our guides (you get 2) were incredible. Firstly they were just lovely people. They couldn’t do enough for you and were obsessed with trying to track down all of the wildlife you wanted to see. Their knowledge of everything from flora to wildlife was incredible. They took the time to explain the ins, outs and workings of everything. Their desire to impart their knowledge to you was superb. A massive thank you to Omary and Shabani - we miss you.||We also took the opportunity to go on a fly camp. Again this blew us away. It is camping in the reserve but on another level. We arrived as sun was setting to find two tents with full beds in, a dinner service set and a chef (from the camp) preparing an incredible meal. We then sat around the lake all night with our guides and a ranger just swapping stories listening to incredible wildlife. Although exposed to nature we felt so completely safe. Breakfast was the usual fantastic treat and we then had a walk through the reserve for a couple of hours with our guides and ranger. A truly memorable experience.||The real cherry for us though was the people. Whether it was those in camp, the Masi looking out for us, our guides or the chef everyone was so generous with their time and made us feel so welcome. The sign off we got when leaving from the whole camp says it all.||A very...

My wife and I were recently lucky enough to spend four wonderful days under the care of the team at Impala Camp. This was our first safari experience, so nothing to compare it to, but I honestly don't think the bar could have been set any higher. The setting is spectacular - located deep in the bush, overlooking the majestic Rufiji River, with just eight-well spaced tents flanking a beautifully open, elevated central dining area. I say tents, but that doesn't really do them justice. Elevated on stilts, with a clear view of the river, ours was ridiculously comfortable, spotlessly clean and plenty spacious - with an en-suite bathroom, ceiling fan, plenty of fresh drinking water and the occasional visit from a monkey or two on the hunt for tea and biscuits. Despite this comparative luxury, we still felt that buzz of sleeping out in the wild, particularly when waking to the sound of a bellowing hippo crashing into the water below! With animals free to come and go as they please, all guests are required to be escorted by a Maasai 'tent boy' when moving about the camp. Summoning them to our tent by walkie talkie felt a little 'old colonial' to begin with, but we soon got over that inherited sense of guilt as we traded newly (and badly) learned Swahili slang on the two-minute walk to the centre of camp. The Maasai were just one small part of team who bent over backwards to make our stay as comfortable and memorable as possible. Particular mention must be made here of the food, which was as abundant as it was delicious, with three generous meals a day to keep your energy levels up (the friendly and enthusiastic service helped with this, too). But the real jewel in the crown was Ezra, our wonderful and knowledgeable guide for the week, who had an obvious and genuine love of nature, and who seemed as invested in the quality of our experience as we were. Thanks to Ezra (and when taking to the river, Elephant spotter extraordinaire Abdullah), we saw and learned so much, spending our time with them in a perpetual state of awe. It's difficult to pick a highlight, but three moments that we will never tire of boring people with: spending an hour alone in the company of a sleepy pride of lions; sitting silently in our boat watching an elephant cross the river; and finally hearing Ezra whisper 'there, leopard' after hours of patient, baboon-assisted tracking. All-in-all a fabulous place, staffed by wonderful people, ably assisted by some jaw-dropping wildlife. 100%...