Location: Nyerere National Park (former Selous Game Reserve), Tanzania.
Overview
Rufiji River Camp sits in an enviable location high up on the banks of the Great Rufiji River. The camp was redesigned in 2009 to compliment the perfect location and built by local craftsmen where the combination of makuti palm roofs with Selous sourced paving stones, and farmed hard woods to create a beautiful and charming rooms where you get to enjoy the Nyerere National Park.
The remoteness of this camp provides guests with an off-the-beaten-track, immersive wildlife experience with some elements of life in the African Bush.
Sunsets here are spectacular, and chorused by hippos grunting and a plethora of bird song. All Rufiji guides locally trained and knowledgeable of the Nyerere area and drive 4 x4 4 open vehicles with a sunshade roof.
The guided walking safaris must be accompanied by an armed guard, and the boating safaris are in flat bottomed boats and perhaps the most relaxing way to game view, where you share the river with pods of hippo and floats of crocodiles giving you an opportunity to view birds nesting in the banks, monitor lizards and a number of water birds.
With no fence around the Rufiji River Camp, wildlife freely roams around the camp, as such your safari experience is unending. Security is provided by the Maasai guides, where guests must be escorted between the rooms and other areas of the camp and to cool off between safari activities enjoy the shaded swimming pool.
With the focus on the river views and wildlife, the restaurant and bar are built to reflect this, where the Al fresco dining lit by starlight or private dinners along the river bank as you wind the evening with coffee from the depth of a sofa in the upper-level coffee lounge.
The camp is accessible through Mtemere airstrip with daily flights from Arusha to Nyrerere National Park, and by road the camp is 250kms from Dar es Salaam through Kibiti a 6 hours’ drive. June and February are the best times to visit Nyerere National Park, and from June to end of October is the dry season.
The rains are heavy but short-lived bringing the wonderful clear skies after a down pour filling up the river which is supplemented by migrant species. As the camp is seasonal, it closes at the end of March through to the 1st of June.
As Tanzania’s main electricity do not extend into National Parks, the camp must run on generators to provide power and each room has installed solar heaters used to provide guests with hot running water. To reduce the impact on the surroundings, electricity is not provided hours a day.
Uniqueness of this Property
his boutique lodge is located on 25 acres of farm in the calm outskirts of the agricultural town of Karatu. It is a sensitively eco-friendly luxury lodge that in order to harmonize with the environment, has been very unobtrusively designed and positioned within the farm.
Having won several awards Luxury Country Lodge 2016, 2017, 2018, Certificate of Excellence Trip Advisory 2019.
Accommodation
A Total of 32 Rooms in 16 well-spaced cottages, with each Cottage having two Rooms, a comfortable lounge, en-suite bedrooms, all with a mini bar, coffee-making facility, air-conditioning, satellite television, Wi-Fi, a private balcony with sweeping views of the farm, the surrounding scenic landscape, and the most amazing sunsets. Tastefully decorated in a classic style with ceramic floors and furniture throughout, with a signature Acacia hospitality.
Amenities
The Amenities: with a well-stocked curio shop, an inviting Swimming Pool and it’s a bar area as well as a well-equipped Gym and a refreshing Spa. A little Business Centre and a forty seater conference room conveniently located near the public area equipped with all the standard facilities.
Activities
Farm Tour/Nature Walk, Cycling, Swimming, Birding, Access to Mini Gym, (at extra cost) Massage, Hiking/Nature Walk to Endoro Elephant Caves, Cultural Tribe Tour, Bush Lunch/Breakfast.