Reviews of Selous Impala Camp
(96%) From 257 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Excellent viewing at Selous Impala Camp
Selous Impala Camp is slightly more up-market than Mdonya (we actually preferred the intimacy & informality of Mdonya!) with a beautifully laid out dining area (crisp linen & very attentive waiters). The rooms were very comfortable & furnished to a high standard & we enjoyed being able to take a swim in the delicious pool after the mornings activites. It was great to see different habitat as Selous is based more around the large lakes and waters of the Rufiji River, so we saw different types of game & birdlife etc.
Once again, the guides & drivers were of a very high standard & extrememly knowledgeable & friendly. We found them very easy to get along with & Mpogo was like a magician - if we happened to mention something, he seemed able to whisk us off to the exact place were said animal was then spotted! Amazing! We did a couple of boat safari's with Abdula, which we combined with fishing. This was particularly enjoyable on the second one whereby we both managed a really good catch & the chef prepared samples of our tiger fish & cat fish & served us on our own personal table with our own fire, tucked away under the stars.
We also did a couple of walking safaris which gave us a different kind of perspective to the habitat and area we were in. We were able to get very close to a family of warthogs, who appear much larger when you are on the ground rather than in a jeep! The only negative point we can think of & it's hardly worth noting, is that the fishing equipment on the boat was somewhat lacking! Didn't stop us from catching things though (but David was getting a bit grumpy at one point as there wasn't enough line on the reel & he lost a big bite!)
An excellent camp, great location
A fantastic strat to the trip, the camp is excellent and very well maintained.
The private tents are very comfortable and and set in a wonderful location right on the river. That really is the great thing about this camp, the location right on the river and the option of going on river safari's.
The staff were all extremely welcoming and the guides were also very good and enthusiastic.
Selous Impala Camp review
We were very impressed with the quality of the accomodation and food and levels of service at Impala. Barbara and Andrea run a tight ship and are excellent hosts.
The guides are first rate and very determined to give you as many good sightings as possible.
Best of land and river
A splendid location on the river gives fantastic views from the communal areas and the individual stilted tents. The big bonus of the camp is to be able to offer game drives and boat excursions. The drives around the lagoons and the river were always interesting with plenty of activity.
Elephant ,lion ,giraffe and wild dog on land , with hippo ,crocs and abundant birdlife by boat. Barbara , Andrea and the staff were most attentive and thanks to Ally and Makumbo for the spotting on the game drives and Damon on the boat. Lunches were excellent , the diners not quite as good as some of the flavour combinations were somewhat unusual.
Perfect samily safari at Selous Impala Camp
This was a perfect place to take a family, beautifully located on the river, tastefully constructed but not over the top. As the camp is unfenced, we particularly appreciated having adjoining family tents, giving the children an added sense of security. Our guide Gerard was first-class, knowledgable, patient with the children and extremely professional in the face of two unexpectedly close encounters on foot in the camp: an elephant did a "fake charge" at us as we turned the corner to board the boat, and a hippo crossed in front of our daughter as she returned from the pool. In both cases, he was perfectly calm and dealt with the situation. Nobody, and neither animal, was harmed! My only suggestion might be for the managers to stress early on that such encounters are not rare but common at this camp, and the hippo and elephant concerned are regular visitors.
The safaris were excellent and varied, with the great advantage of being able to go out on the river as well as the jeep (we found a pride of 17 lions at one point, and the birdlife in February was amazing). The tents were exactly what we were hoping for: simple, but elegant and with a sense of being close to nature (that hippo munching grass by the tent in the morning again...!). The camp lay-out was very nice, though I would have added a few more chairs around the camp fire as there was sometimes not enough space for us to sit there. The managers did not seem as knowledgable about the bush, or as keen to chat around the camp fire, as others in some camps we have visited. The food was very good, with plenty of fresh ingredients and spices.
Selous Impala Camp review
Barbara was very good and helpful and the guiding was very good
Read more about the whole safariImpala. Memorable The boat safari a 'must do'
The welcome and kindness shown on our arrival by staff and Barbara the manager were a treat. Through a slight misunderstanding that we had asked to be loacted and seperate and away from the centre of the camp they then immediately repositioned us in a lovely well located lodge with views of the river.
This camp was more up-market than Kwihala, in the Ruaha, from which we had come but not so luxurious as to 'spoil' for us the impact of the surrounding country. Sevice simply could not be faulted and we were even sung to in Swahili on evening by David our personal waiter whose smile never left his face for a moment.
The drives were excellent with a first class guide, Charles . The highlights of which were a pride of four lionesses and five cubs at close range playing like domestic cats in front of an English fire; a large herd of buffalo; a trio of two young males elephants sheperding their baby brother and the three of them swimming accross the river a matter of yards from us; hippos in abundance including one lady launching herself into the water at close range; crocodiles who would impress any good dentist; abundant water birdlife; impala and more lovely giraffe than I have ever seen. Really excellent viewing and guiding. Faultless. And whilst there were more vehicles than in the Ruaha not so many as to cause concern or 'overcrowding'.
The food was very good, faultlessly presented and varied choosing your evening menu after an excellent light lunch.
It is hot all the day with none of the cool evenings of Ruaha, but the fans in the room were a blessing .
All in all I would recommend this Lodge to anyone and most particulaly because of the boat safari wich I have never had before but which gives such a different view of the country and its animals.
Thank you to Ellie and Expert Africa in tacking this onto the Kwihala experience.
Selous Impala Camp review
Met on arrival, by guide a driver. Drinks and wet towels
Hussein had excellent english - instant game drive en route to camp. These 2 were our private guides throughout. Barbara ( Italian Manager) on hand for our arrival at camp. Very welcoming. 8 raised tents overlooking the Rufiji. Very Spacious with a large electriv fan. Double sinks and separate shower toilet. Very poor lighting for night reading. Guides and drivers on water and land excellent.
Food good for the location. 3 courses would be enough for dinner. Not enough salads - probably due to location.
Game viewing was excellent. Drives probably should be 1/2- 1 hour shorter.
Selous Impala Camp review
A very beautiful camp, with an unbelievable location on the river bank - eating to the sound of hippos in the river was amazing! The tent was stunning and felt genuinely luxurious. The food and service were both outstanding, our waiter Mohammed was unbelievably helpful and friendly.
The variety of safari was nice and we really enjoyed the boat safari and fishing (we got a few very big cat fish). The jeep safari was very different to Ruaha, with the land much drier and animals lesser in number. We did, however, see wildebeest, wild dogs, hyenas and vultures feeding on a hippo carcass. We very NEARLY saw a leopard on our last day - we found its kill (impala) in a tree but we couldn't find the leopard.
The only minor quibble is that the camp managers, whilst very nice, are obviously instructed to talk with you each time you are in the lodge - it felt like we had to give constant feedback.
We have always believed that acting responsibly is the only way to approach tourism and we're one of
the few companies to hold AITO's original coveted 5-star status for responsible tourism. It's a lead
that others are now following.
