Reviews of Siwandu

"The rooms were very nice and our view of the lake (and afternoon visits from an elephant) really set the scene nicely.

The food was hit-and-miss. Simple dishes were prepared well and tasted great but sometimes I wonder if the kitchen got a little too adventurous (moussaka on a particularly hot afternoon in Africa seemed an odd choice). The service was excellent.

The game viewing was great and fly-camping was one of the best experiences we had. Boat trips on the lake were a nice opportunity to see birds, crocs, and hippos up close." See all these reviews: 4n in Tanzania

"The accommodation and service at Selous Safari Camp was exceptional. Yes, the 'tent' did have canvas sides, however that was the only similarity with camping. These tents were contained within a timber roundal, and fitted out to the highest of standards.

The furniture, and decoration was excellent, the tent was incredibly spacious, the bathroom area with twin sinks was well equipped, and the outdoor shower was a delight (water heated by your own donkey boiler, and heated up to your personal timetable !). With a comfortable verandah overlooking the wildlife in front of the lake, Selous Safari camp was a real treat.

Night time visitors here were elephant and the grazing hippo from the lake munching away through the night. With a personal 'butler' who remained with us throughout our stay, bringing coffee/tea to the tent in the morning, and even joining the game drives to prepare lunch, service at Selous could not be faulted.

The bar and dining area, on stilts also overlooking the lake, was always well prepared and of good quality. Considering the level of service, the attention to detail, Selous was less personal and more business like. Not in anyway a fault, just different from the experience we had in Mdonya. The planned 'sundowners' watching the sun set over the lake at the end of the day was very pleasant however was a way for you to consume more drinks, as also occured throughout any game drive.

The landscape and wildlife of the Selous offered a variety to the Ruaha, often with savanah and acacia on large plains. Herds of wildebeast were more evident, as also zebra and giraffe. We came across a pride of 8 lion lounging under a tree, and further lion as well as hyena (fat bellied and exuding that real evil look) on several occasions.

Again the birdlife was excellent with our guides helping to spot distant eagle and vulture. With the gorgeous lilac breasted roller perching just above the landrover photo opportunities were frequent. The landrovers usually carried 6, so our family of 4 was joined by another couple. No problems with visibility as everyone had an outside seat on the staged seating of the landrover. Our driver was also our spotter and therefore of note to the guide plus driver at Mdonya.

Whilst viewing our pride of lions we were also joined by 2 other vehicles, no issue, and certainly unlike the experiences we had heard would exist in the more frequently visited parks (15+ vehicles around a single lion !), credit however to Selous Safari Camp and the drivers, we rarely met other vehicles other than on this occasion. Overall probably less variety of wildlife, although more of it when it was there.

We had a fabulous time on a fishing trip which just changed the pace of the day. With our daughter hauling out an 8.5Kg catfish within seconds of casting it made for another great experience. We all caught catfish of varying sizes, whilst watching the hippo and crocs, and birdlife on the river, which helped to provide for dinner for both us and the staff at the camp." See all these reviews: 15n in Tanzania