| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 89 | 73 | 0.93 |
| Feb | 90 | 74 | 0.97 |
| Mar | 90 | 75 | 1.28 |
| Apr | 88 | 75 | 4.08 |
| May | 85 | 73 | 6.80 |
| Jun | 83 | 70 | 2.73 |
| Jul | 82 | 68 | 1.95 |
| Aug | 82 | 68 | 1.76 |
| Sep | 83 | 69 | 1.35 |
| Oct | 85 | 71 | 3.37 |
| Nov | 87 | 73 | 2.92 |
| Dec | 89 | 74 | 2.30 |
I saw the streak of gold bolt through the grass. The lion leaped into the air, paws high, and took down the impala. It was over in minutes, but the thrill lasted for days.
Following a well-worn game trail in a mahogany forest, our guide in the lead, we stop short at the sound of tremendous crashing in the undergrowth. Two enormous bull elephants charge from around a massive tree, facing off with the guide at 20 yards. They have scented us in a thicket and are not happy about being startled from their grazing. We watch from a safe distance.
Shaking his arms and making a racket, the guide confidently booms, "Toka! Toka!" which means "push off" in Kiswahili. The front bull, now just 20 feet away, stops short and is almost knocked off his feet as the larger bull runs up on him from behind. Then they both turn and take off, disappearing as quickly as they had arrived.
Our guide, like his assistants, is armed, yet he never unslings his rifle, relying instead on courage and years of experience. He motions for us to continue down the trail, a grin unmistakable beneath the shade of his hat.
Philip Ashby left England for Tanzania in 1991 and has lived there ever since. Qualified to lead both walking and hunting safaris, Ashby is known for his knowledge of the Tanzanian bush and its inhabitants - especially game species. He continuously explores Tanzania's 50,000-square-km Selous Game Reserve, both as a professional guide leading adventurers and on his personal solo walks through the remote interior. An independent safari leader, Ashby also manages a seasonal camp in southern Loliondo in the Arusha Region of Northern Tanzania. Formerly, he served as a special projects manager for Tanzania Big Game Safaris and as field manager for the Friedkin Conservation Fund, setting up anti-poaching and game-population monitoring projects and educating local people in the benefits of sustainable resource utilization.
After clearing customs and immigration formalities in Dar es Salaam, an Abercrombie & Kent representative meets you and transfers to your hotel.
Kilimanjaro Hotel KempinskiAfter breakfast, return to the airport for a flight to the Selous and transfer to your safari lodge. In the shade of large tamarind and pod mahogany trees on a rocky peninsula overlooking the vast sweep of the Rufiji River, the exclusive Sand Rivers Lodge is set in the heart of one of the most beautiful and diverse parts of the Selous.
Sand Rivers Selous B L DTransfer by boat to your riverbank camp in the Selous Game Reserve, your home for the next five nights. At just more than 19,310 square miles, Selous is one of the largest areas set aside for wildlife preservation anywhere in the world. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the abundant diversity of wildlife here; elephant, hippopotamus, black rhinoceros, cheetah and giraffe are just a few of the species you are likely to spot. The northern area is scenically the most beautiful, dominated by the Rufiji River with its dense riverine forests, lakes and swamplands interlaced with a myriad of water channels.
Your Selous safari offers exciting walks through some of the most diverse and game rich habitats. Walk with your experienced guide and armed scout for four to five hours per day along routes that cover the riverbanks, Lake Tagallala, Steiglers Gorge and the Hot Springs, depending on the season and weather conditions.
Selous Walking Safari, Mobile Fly Camp B L DThis morning, head back to the lodge to arrive in time for lunch and a final safari adventure.
Sand Rivers Selous B L DAfter breakfast, board a scheduled flight to Dar es Salaam and transfer to your hotel, where a dayroom is reserved until it is time to board your international departure flight.
Kilimanjaro Hotel Kempinski (dayroom) B
