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The Last True Wilderness
Southern Tanzania: The Selous, Katavi and Mahale Mountains

By James R. Berkeley, Destinations & Adventures International

“I had seen a herd of elephant traveling through dense native forest…

pacing along as if they had an appointment at the end of the world.”

Out of Africa - Isak Dinesen (1885-1962)

Southern Tanzania may be the last true wildlife wilderness in Africa. Following is a traveler’s log from a very rewarding trip to three virtually undiscovered areas – the Selous nature preserve, Katavi National Park and the Mahale Mountains.

The Selous  

We departed Dar es Salaam on a one-hour flight to the Selous, Africa’s largest and perhaps most wild game reserve. Large herds of elephant, buffalo, sable and roan antelope, and exotic bird life, make this a very exciting game park. We were accompanied by armed rangers and professional guides as we looked forward to the thrill of the stalk and the serenity of the wilderness. Morning and afternoon walks were taken from the lodge, as well as game drives in specially designed open safari vehicles. 

River safaris were also offered along the Rufiji River and Lake Tagalala.  Drifting down the river, listening to the sounds of bird life, surrounded by hippos and crocodiles slipping into the water as you glide by, is the adventure of a lifetime. A visit to Steiglers Gorge is a wonderful day trip from the lodge. We're told those interested can try their luck at fishing for tigerfish, catfish and tilapia.

Accommodations at Sand Rivers Lodge are available in luxury cottages, built in rustic style and using only local materials, with stunning views over the Rufiji River. Each cottage has an en-suite bathroom, electric lighting and its own private verandah, a perfect place to relax between game viewing activities. The main area of the lodge includes a large open bar, lounge and dining area, plus a small curio shop. The swimming pool is set in the shade of a baobab tree on the banks of the river and offers the perfect spot for cooling off during the heat of the day.

Katavi National Park

This morning we departed by charter flight for Katavi National Park, located in southwestern Tanzania. After touching down at Lake Chada, we took a game drive en route to our camp situated in one of the most unspoiled wildlife sanctuaries in Tanzania.

Katavi National Park supports great herds of buffalo (up to 1,500 strong), topi, and other antelope that wander the miombo woodlands. Lions and elephants make their home here and there are huge concentrations of water birds on Lake Chada and Lake Katavi. Puku and southern reedbuck are also found here, along with storks in dramatic muddles, sable and roan antelope. It’s hard to imagine what cannot be found here.

Accommodations at Katavi were provided at Chada Camp in luxury tents, and delightfully charming camp crews prepare delicious meals and caters, unobtrusively, to our every need.

At Katavi we spent time discovering the secrets of this untouched land with its great floodplains fringed by a landscape of acacia woodland. Meandering rivers burst with hippo and crocodile, and all around is a paradise for wildfowl. There are heart-pounding bush walks and exciting game drives. A night away from the main camp can be spent in a lightweight fly camp under the African stars. This is truly an untouched world with very few other human beings for hundreds of miles

Mahale Mountains

Mahale Mountains

We took a short morning flight across the unbroken wilderness of southwestern Tanzania to the Mahale Mountains.

On arrival at the Mahale airstrip we boarded a 40-foot wooden dhow for a gentle voyage on the sparkling blue waters of Lake Tanganyika, past the forest, mountains, and lakeshore of Mahale Mountains National Park. An hour and half later we arriveed on the beach in front of a luxury tented accommodation, Greystoke Camp.

The camp stands on its own deep, sandy beach, with palms, acacias and Abyssinica trees as shade. The canvas and mahogany tents are made in a tropical-ottoman design, well suited to the dry heat of the lake. All sleeping tents are mosquito-proofed, and have private shower and toilet tents standing under nearby palms. There was a larger mess and bar tent, also a small library and museum tent where we could read up on what we were seeing.

The camp provideed dug-out canoes for intrepid birders, a fishing boat and tackle for anglers, a speedboat for the quick and a cruise boat called Zoe, for slow sundowner types. The snorkeling is excellent and the lake is clean, clear and safe to swim in. The food was fresh, often lake fish exotically prepared (sashimi is a specialty) and the service was charming and unobtrusive. Camp life was very relaxed. 

The Mahale Mountains rise 5,000 feet from the eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika, capturing the clouds and creating their own microclimate. The world's longest and least explored lake, Lake Tanganyika offers a 450-mile stretch of clear, gin-blue water running down the very heart of Africa. Isolated for the last 6 million years, the lake has fascinated generations of explorers –   Livingstone, Stanley, Burton and Speke. Undiscovered species of fish still lurk in its mile-deep waters and rare, unnamed butterflies flit through the forests on its shores.

The rampant tropical rain forest that covers the slopes of the mountains is home to the largest group of free-living chimpanzees in the world. The chimps have been habituated to human contact over a period of 25 years by a Japanese research team. They can be approached to within a few feet as they feed, groom and wrestle across the forest floor. Each chimp has been named, its family ties identified and its individual behavior studied.

Unlike the chimps of Gombe, however, Group M as these chimps are referred to have never been fed and their diet remains rigidly traditional. Thus, although mangoes, introduced by past settlers are abundant, the chimps don’t eat them. In addition, the chimps will occasionally pass through camp and don’t touch a thing! 

Plans are left informal and flexible at Greystoke Camp. Mornings are usually spent in the forest, tracking and sitting amongst the 80-strong group of wild-living chimpanzees who inhabit the tropical forest that lies directly behind the camp. Afternoons are spent lakeside with options including snorkeling, fishing or sun worshipping on the soft sands of the shore. Days and nights are accented by delicious buffets, sundowner boat rides and candlelit dinners.

In addition to the chimps, the Mahale Forest has eight other species of primate, as well as bushbucks, warthogs, buffalo, civets and genet cats. Palmnut vultures, fish eagles and giant goliath herons are common sights.

As with all safaris, this adventure too drew to a close. We bid farewell to our hosts and departed on the boat back to the airstrip for our charter flight to Dar es Salaam…leaving Southern Tanzania with many wonderful and exciting memories.