GUIDE ON MIVUMO RIVER LODGE IN TANZANIA

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Serena Mivumo River Lodge is a spectacularly opulent ground of luxury chalets overlooking the majestic Rufiji River in one of the world’s largest remaining wildlife habitats, Nyerere National Park (Selous), South East Tanzania. In Selous, which covers one seventeenth of the whole of Tanzania and is four times larger than Serengeti, more isolated, less accessible and therefore less frequented by tourists, you have the paradox of enjoying the ultimate of civilized comfort and personal service in the epitome of unspoiled wilderness.

Recalling the opulent African safari lifestyle of the old colonials, a Serena Mivumo River Lodge safari offers you the lavish luxury enjoyed by such iconic personages as Denys Finch Hatton and Karen Blixen of “Out of Africa” fame. It is an ideal place to spend an AfricanMecca safari honeymoon or anniversary on tour in Tanzania.



Here, on the banks of the Rufiji, explorer, hunter, and conservationist Frederick Courtney Selous was killed in World War 1, at the age of 64, having rejoined the British army to oppose German forces which outnumbered his by five to one. The Nyerere Park (Selous), now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was named in his honor.

It contains a wide range of habitats: rivers, lakes, grasslands, floodplains and forest with a flora and fauna still not fully recorded, but at least 350 bird species and thousands of plants, including fantastic giant baobab trees. The reserve shelters one of the largest population of elephants in the world, together with thousands of lions, hippos, crocodiles, buffalo, antelopes, zebra and significant numbers of leopard, black rhino and African wild dog (Lycaon pictus).

Accommodation At Mivumo River Lodge

A 45 minute flight from Dar Es Salaam, takes you to Stiegler’s Airstrip in Nyerere National Park (Selous) where you will be met and taken on a half-hour en-route game drive to the elegantly classical reception buildings of Serena Mivumo River Lodge, with lavishly furnished lounge, bar and library as well as an open-sided dining room giving onto an extensive sun deck with a river-view pool (read more on where to stay in Selous).

Widely spaced along the hill side and lower down by the river, 12 palatial timbered chalets with thatched roofs and sprung decks on which are individual plunge pools and outdoor showers, offer legendary African tour richesse, with chandeliers, antique furnishings, rich natural cream rugs and matching linens, dark leather sofas, rattan chairs, air conditioning and huge snug beds alongside bedside lamps on each side.



En-suite Edwardian bathrooms feature dark black and white marble washstand with decorative gilt garlands mirror, a magnificent hip detached bath and modern flush toilet. Bathrobes and slippers are provided together with toiletries and bottled drinking water. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the authentic colonial safari ambience during your trip to Selous. Boardwalks give access to the central lodge and restaurant.

Mivumo River Lodge is not suitable for children under 6 years of age or for disabled guests on vacation in Tanzania with AfricanMecca. Children’s meals, extra beds, and entertainments can be booked in advance. Additional services include laundry, valeting and shoe-shining, Wi-Fi internet, baby-sitting, massage and room service. From reception, you can obtain a hairdryer, safe and 24-hour medical attention.

Safari At Mivumo River Lodge

What makes a Selous trip really special is its special status as a Game Reserve, which permits a wider range of activities than a National Park. Boating excursions and fishing are permitted, allowing you to become closely acquainted with hippos and crocodiles as your guide uses his lifetime river navigation skills. Fighting tiger fish can be cooked and enjoyed by the angler, and the fantastic world of water birds and fish-eating raptors is all around.



Because of its special relationship with indigenous people, Serena Mivumo River Lodge offers a program of cultural activities as well as follow-up evening talks on flora and fauna encountered on relaxed guided safari walks. There are also unmissable game-driving safaris twice daily. Your expert Selous guide will meet you early in the morning to catch nocturnal and early riser creatures such as leopards returning to their lairs or lions from their nightly kills, and herds of elephant, giraffe, zebra and antelopes heading to the river banks.

With shaded roof, 4 x 4 drive and on-board refreshments, you can also stay out from late afternoon to early evening to see many rarities including Red Colobus Monkeys and possibly Crested mangabeys, but certainly African hunting dogs almost extinct elsewhere as well as topi, grysbok and sable antelope (read more on best time to visit Selous). An AfricanMecca holiday in Selous, Tanzania gives you an unrivaled glimpse of wilderness as it once was and may never be again.

Dining At Mivumo River Lodge

Dining at Serena Mivumo River Lodge is tailored to individual preferences with generous buffet style breakfast and lunch which can also be taken, by picnic meal arrangement via AfricanMecca, in the bush (read more on tour activities in Selous). The day begins with tea or coffee brought to your own deck.

Breakfast comprises cereals, breads, jam preserves, fruit, cheeses, juices and cooked eggs, or full English breakfast if you have returned from an early morning game drive or walk with a good appetite. Lunch offers a selection of hot and cold dishes, soups, salads, vegetarian platters, poultry, meat and fish. Most ingredients are locally sourced from farms just outside the reserve in accordance with the lodge’s policy of encouraging local community development.



An international choice of fine wines, spirits and beers complements a selection of fresh juices, tisanes, Tanzanian teas and coffees. As is traditional for African travel, sundowners can be taken by the river or around the campfire where amazing skies are reflected in the placid river forming unforgettable color combinations as daylight gives way to diamond-studded night, punctuated with rippling water and the mysterious sounds of the bush.

Table- d'hôte dinner is served in the restaurant as the reserve stipulates that guests on Tanzanian photo safari must return to the lodge by 6.30-7.00 p.m. The four course menu features a welcome choice salad, soup, main course, dessert, cheese-board and coffee/chai - tea.

Related Pages

1. Nyerere (Selous) Safari Park Guide	2. Best Time & Weather To Visit Nyerere (Selous)
3. Nyerere (Selous) Map	4. Safari Lodges, Camps & Hotels In Nyerere (Selous)