How to Get to Selous from Dar Es Salaam 

Dar es Salaam is the gateway to the southern safari circuit of Tanzania, and Selous is part of the southern circuit. Selous, at over 50 000 sq km is UNESCO proclaimed, and the world’s biggest national park. It is a beautiful game reserve that has many interesting sights and activities to offer and you should definitely pay it a visit while you’re in Tanzania. Here are a few reasons why you should visit Selous:

• Selous has many water activities available, which will give you a break from the water-deprived north! You can boat and fish at water bodies at Selous while enjoying spectacular views of the hippos, birds and even crocodiles around you! There are some species of wildlife that exist only around water, which can be found in Selous. The Rufiji River is an excellent place for both, boating and fishing.

• Selous isn’t crowded! Most tourists visit the big names of the Northern circuit, while the southern circuit stays underpopulated and less crowded! However, that can serve as an advantage to you because you’ll be able to peacefully check out everything this amazing place has to offer, especially the Selous Game Reserve, where you can spot African buffaloes, elephants, lions, leopards, as well as giraffes and wildebeest. Black rhinos can also be spotted on rare occasions!

• It’s a great place to spot giraffes and lions! You’ll find common sightings of both these animals, in their untouched habitat! Another great aspect of Selous is that you get to experience nature in its true form because its natural resources are largely untamed and untouched.

As transportation is constantly improving across the country, you can now access Selous from the northern circuit (Arusha) as well as Zanzibar!

Here are a few ways to get to Selous from Dar Es Salaam:

• Fly to Selous from Dar Es Salaam

All flights to Selous, whether from Arusha or Zanzibar, go through Dar Es Salaam. Therefore, flying from Dar Es Salaam is one way to reach Selous. The flight takes about 2-3.5 hours, depending on your landing strip. There are many landing strips available in Selous and you can choose to land on any of them, depending on where exactly you want to go. Some of the strips include Beho Beho, Kiba, Matambwe, Mbuyu, Mtemere, Siwandu, Stieglers, and Sumbazi. The distance also depends on which strip you want to land on.

• Fly from the Serengeti and Arusha

The flight from Serengeti which is routed through Arusha takes about 4 hours.

Fly from Zanzibar

• The flight from Zanzibar to Selous takes about 1 hour only, with its routing through

• Via Road Safari

The road trip from Dar Es Salaam to Selous is slow due to poor road conditions and requires a suitable car. However, it can become interesting if you make a stayover at Mikumi National Park, which is almost on the way. The road trip covers a distance of about 300-400 kilometers, depending on where exactly you want to go and it takes about 5 to 8 hours!

So, what are you waiting for? Fly to Selous now and enjoy your stay at the Selous Game Reserve. For more details, you can also check out the Expert Guide on Selous Game Reserve!