In the Selous Game Reserve, it's all about the water and the life in and around it. If crocodiles give you the heebie geebies, maaaaybe, you'd better not… but if you think looking at wall-to-wall crocs on the sandy banks of lake after lake of fresh water is quite a sight, then by all means, visit Selous! If you like the idea of stepping into a boat for an afternoon on the lake looking at these crocs, endless hippos, elephant coming to drink and an absolute birding paradise, then by all means, visit Selous. And if a chilled bottle of wine on a deserted beach at sunset sounds like bliss and harmony, then by all means, visit Selous.
In Ruaha National Park, it's all about the rough, dry landscape teeming with animals resting in the shade of giant Baobab trees. Oh, the Baobab - Adansonia digitata: the upside-down tree that looks like its roots are reaching to the sky to drink in the heavens! If you have read Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince and felt inspired by the magical baobab tree, then by all means, visit Ruaha. If you like watching herd after herd of elephant gathering to drink in the riverbed, then by all means, visit Ruaha. If you don't mind taking a walk along the Ruaha river and coming across a pride of lion in the distance, eating a recent kill, then by all means visit Ruaha. If you are at all keen to see the elusive and rare Sable antelope or to sit with the most unafraid Kudu on the planet, then by all means, visit Ruaha. You will feel like you've entered Saint- Exupéry's magical kingdom.
Now, mind you, this was a BUSINESS trip. I was on a serious trek through these two remarkable lands to find the best way to experience them for Africa with Nella guests! (Aren't I self-less?). I saw 9 camps in 10 days and have come away feeling very good about bringing guests to some of them. Criteria, such as the position of the camp, the aesthetics of it, the comfort and safety of it, the efficiency and hospitality of the management, the quality of the guides, the surrounding areas, the activities offered were all scrutinized in a friendly and easy way. But mostly, I come away from a place with a feel. Is there a philosophy in this camp that goes beyond a money-making enterprise in the tourist industry? Is there a passion for the surroundings? Are the guides extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic? Is the management giving off the right "vibe"? Is the room or tent nice? Is the food very good? In order to come away with a feeling for all of this, I always spend at least one night in camp so that I can pick up on the "energy" of the place.
Selous is to Ruaha as water is to wood; they both have fantastic energy.
Evening boat rides in the Selous, with skilled boatmen seamlessly navigating us past crocodiles and hippo pods to gorgeous and secluded spots to watch the sun set were surely a highlight. A journey down the Rufigi river with a picnic breakfast in the early light, watching animals come to drink along the sandy banks was another.
Walking to a hot springs where you can soak in extremely hot, very hot or just plain hot pools flowing downstream and a game drive to see a pack of wild dogs with adolescent pups wasn't too bad either!
The light and landscape in East Africa is as much a protagonist for me as the animals. I thought I had seen some of my best sunsets ever in Selous and then I got to Ruaha. Upon arrival, we made our way over the dry landscape, seeing lion, elephant everywhere, and even a leopard crossing the road - all under the shadows of the most amazing African twilight. We saw prides of 20 lion; buffalo herds of 1000; antelope everywhere; herd after herd of elephant. With luck you can time a visit to the river when some elusive Sable antelope come to drink.
And, wow, the kudu! The male has the most beautiful horns of any antelope in my opinion and in Ruaha, he wants to show them off. The typically skittish and shy kudu are here as relaxed as can be. Three male kudu walking by in a line, each with horns more impressive than the other. No wonder great artists like Mike Ghaui and Rob Glen base themselves here.
Here is a list of some of my more exciting sightings:
Wild Dog! (First time for me and the end of a very unlucky streak of being oh so near but oh so far!)
Kudu (as above, absolutely unafraid)
Eland (big herds with babies)
Impala (October is foaling season and we saw hundreds and hundreds of baby impala. Some born within the hour!)
Lion (whiter colour and not the big black manes of the Serengeti and Mara lions.)
Zebra (a sub-species of the Burchell's or Common that actually looks like a combination of a Common and a Grevy's).
Elephant (digging holes in riverbeds to find water in Ruaha. Thus providing water for everyone else too.)
Bushbuck (usually very shy and in Ruaha not so shy)
Crocodiles (those of the Selous make up for quantity what they lack in size!)
Hippos (much more relaxed than those here at home in Naivasha…thankfully!)
Waterbuck (not the Defassa as we have here mostly but the Common. Very beautiful ones down there)
Giraffe (an AMAZING amount of Maasai giraffe that I think has something to do with it being the national animal of Tanzania and therefore not hunted at all.)
Wildebeest (lots and lots although much lighter and prettier than our Blu Gnus up here. Another sub-species.)
Oh, yes, and the birds…
Loads of:
Eagles, hawks, falcons, guineafowl, pelicans, storks, herons, egrets, kingfishers, bee-eaters, hornbills, turacos, parrots, rollers, shrikes, weavers, sunbirds, and waxbills.
And some firsts for me:
African Open-Billed Stork; Yellow-Billed Egret; Black Egret; Three-Banded Plover; Crested Guineafowl; Immature Palm-Nut Vulture; Dickinson's Kestrel; Yellow-Collared Lovebird; Grey Go-Away Bird; Purple Crested Turaco; Bohm's Bee-Eater; Spot-Flanked Barbet; Ashey Starling; Retz's Helmet Shrike; Arrow-Marked Babbler; Crested Barbet…
Not a birder? Come to East Africa and you will be!
All the best,
Nella
Internal Transformation through Oustanding Travel: Africa with Nella Ltd.
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