Tanzania

Selela Forest Camp, Home from Home

Overview

The forest had always been the home to the local hunter’s camp and as such was a no go area. 4 years ago that changed with the hunters being told to move out and the forest gaining a protective status. Over the past 13 years the forest has changed greatly. The animal population had dropped dramatically and the forest was slowly being eaten away from wood gatherers and wood cutters. With some input from different organisations things are slowly changing. The villagers are beginning to respect the potential value of the forest and its wildlife. Wood gathering and cutting can now only happen with written permission from the village office.
The forest is slowly recuperating, and we hope to be a part of helping that process.

Location

40mins drive on the road to Lake Natron from the main Ngorongoro Road.
Two entrance roads service the forest. One comes from the west along the edge of the Rift valley escarpment (dry season road only) and the other from the East that drops down from the village of Selela.

The Forest:

A miniature Lake Manyara, the ground water forest covers approx 1100 hectares and forms a semi circle up against the Great Rift Valley wall with two open areas enclosed in the middle. Huge age old fig trees and amazing ‘Rhino rib’ trees are fed by the never ending supply of fresh ground water which seeps from the porous volcanic rock of the Rift Valley Wall. This ‘mini’ Lake Manyara forest is host to similar fauna, mammals and bird species as well as the variety of habitats supporting them. Surrounding the forest to the west are large open plains, as you approach the forest you have acacia woodland closely followed by the ground water forest with the Rift Valley wall as a back drop. To the east are the banana and rice plantations of the local village.  Resident animals include: Bush Buck, Water Buck, Impala, Dik Dik, Zebra. Giraffe, Elephant, Wart Hogs, Bush Pigs, Genets, Bush Babies, Vervet & Blue Monkeys, Baboons and very rarely Leopard. The most common birds species are the noisy hornbills with four species regularly seen. Forest birds including the turaco and the crested guinea foul are regulars with many other forest species up in the canopy and the valleys. This is a walkers paradise with ravines, rift escarpment and the forest for exploration. No cars are to be found in the forest!

Capacity

Up to 50 pax depending on sleeping arrangements.

Dates Open

Open all year round.

High Season

Jan/ May / June / Jul / Aug

Low Season

Feb/ Mar/ Apr / May / Sep / Oct / Nov / Dec

Transfer Time From Arusha

Approximately 2 & ½ hours by road.

Programmes

Schools / UniBreak/ Detours/ Mt.Kilimanjaro/ Expeditions/Family Adventures.

Accommodation Style

Tented Camp: A comfortable and basic tented camp situated on the forest edge. There are showers, toilets and basic kitchen area. The camp is ideal for community and conservation project work in the forest and at the Masai villages at the base of the Rift Valley Wall.

Activities & Day trips:

The forest is home to a number of mammal species, birds and the beauty that only a forest can provide with some awe inspiring trees and fauna, this intern affords good walking both to view animals and birds. A number of valleys on the escarpment make great exploration days as you go in search of the water source.

The rugged Great Rift Valley offers great mountain biking and the wall itself has a 500m ascent route that migratory elephants use that is a great day walk with stunning views. We also offer a multi-day walking program which starts from the forest camp and heads over the Rift Valley to the Losimigor mountain range. This can be anything from 2 days to a week. A mobile ‘fly camp’ is set up on route. Donkeys or car carry the camp. You walk through Maasai populated areas and then out into the open African bush with open plains and amazing sand rivers to explore.

Mt. Meru & Mt. Kilimanjaro- Ascents of the all the popular and not so popular routes are within easy access of Arusha.