Walking Safari in Selous Game Reserve
Many of the safari camps in and around Selous Game Reserve offer their guests the opportunity to take part in a walking safari. Selous Riverside Camp on the banks of the Rufigi river are no different. The walks are relatively short lasting around 1-2 hours and covering no more than a mile or two. The terrain is usually fairly easy for most people and all the people on our walk wore trainers or similar comfortable shoes.
The walking safaris at Selous Riverside start early. We were woken up at 5.30am for a 6am start. Before boarding of safari vehicles there was just time for a quick cup of tea. As Selous Riverside is located outside the Selous National Park, we were also going to walk outside the park. Our walking safari was only 10-15 minutes away from camp and we pulled into a side road to park our vehicle.
There was fairly thick vegetation all round us but paths that had been cleared by passing elephants and hippo were clearly visible so we followed these. We were led by an armed ranger and a local guide. Once the short briefing had finished, we commenced on our walk. The ranger led the way and we all followed in single file with the tracker falling in behind.
Larger wildlife such as elephants and leopards are spotted on safari but its rare mainly due to the noise the walkers make. Insects, plants and birds are the focal point of this type of walking safari. The first item of interest we came across was a termite mound that stood at least 2 metres tall. The ranger explained that although the termite mound looked quite large, two-thirds of the system was underground. Quite impressive when you consider the size of the little creatures who built it.
The one inescapable sound was the almost deafening sound of cicadas which were all around us. Measuring between 1-2 inches, the cicada are similar to locusts and if you look closely, you’ll see them all over the trees. They go through a 17 year life cycle and are preyed upon by pretty much everything in the wild. There are a huge range of plants including the Sausage Tree which takes its name from the shape of its fruit. However, the fruit of a sausage tree can grow up to a metre long and weight in excess of 10kg.
During the walk, it was easy to imagine being in an English wood but the occasional tracks of hippo and elephant served as a reminder that we were in Africa. Once back at the safari vehicle, we were soon on our way to camp for breakfast before heading out on another day on safari in the Selous Game Reserve.