Full view
View all photos (517)517
Room & Suite (63)
Dining (42)
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
#5 of 23 Specialty lodging in Selous Game Reserve
Location
4.9
Cleanliness
5.0
Service
4.9
Value
4.7
Travelers' Choice
Siwandu is delightfully situated within an open palm forest on the shores of Lake Nzerakera, a massive lake adjoining the Great Rufiji River. All safari tents are widely spaced along the lake shore ensuring maximum privacy and wonderful views. Blending in superbly with its natural surroundings in what is considered the prime wildlife area of the Nyere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve), with incredible game viewing including the rare African Wild Dog. Offering a range of activities from 4WD game drives, dawn game walks and boating cruises.
Read more
Suggest edits to improve what we show.Improve this listing
Property amenities
Free internet
Pool
Free breakfast
Free airport transportation
Gift shop
Outdoor fireplace
Private check-in / check-out
Laundry service
Outdoor pool
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Special diet menus
Airport transportation
Outdoor furniture
Ironing service
Show more
Room features
Private balcony
Safe
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Lake View
Romantic
Languages Spoken
English
Location
Full view
Contact
Lake Nzerakera Tanzania
Getting there
Rental CarsSee all Selous Game Reserve rental cars
436Reviews13Q+A88Room tips
Reviews
Traveler rating
- 401
- 27
- 6
- 2
- 0
Time of year
Traveler type
Language
More
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
Sort by:
Most Recent
The camp has an amazing location on Lake Nzerakera, all the rooms have a great view of the lake. The room was very comfortable, the food was excellent, the staff were very warm, professional and attentive to our needs. Our guide Mohamed was extraordinary, making game drives really exciting. Boat safari was also a great experience, offering a different perspective. We spent 4 nights at Siwandu, and 2 afternoons we remained on our veranda, just relaxing and watching elephants, giraffes, impalas, baboons and many kind of birds pass by on the lake shore. The landscapes and wildlife of Nyerere Park are beautiful. I'm really grateful to the Siwandu team for making our stay unforgettable.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2022
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Location - Right in the protected National reserve of Selous now called Nyerere. Arriving by small safari plane with trees as far as we could see in all directions then warthogs and impala on the airport was an experience in itself. We then had a 90 min gave drive transfer and saw giraffes and monkeys in the first 10 minutes! You might have to go on ‘main’ road instead of tracks for a short while so keep a face mask to hand in case dust on road. Game Drives - Our guide John had exceptional knowledge and skills and was able to easily explain and answer all our questions. A very warm and professional gentleman. Very comfortable jeep with covered top. My husband had recovered from a prior big health scare but sadly had a bit of a setback on the travel before we got here. That coupled with malaria tablets reactions meant he was struggling quite a bit. John was brilliantly kind, practical and flexible with us coming up with revised plans which meant we were still able to have an amazing safari experience which we really appreciated. We saw elephants and baby elephants. Lots of giraffe family groups. Large herds of impala, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, hippos and more. We were extra lucky to see lions and wild dogs too. All thanks to John’s special skills. What we especially enjoyed was the overall beauty of the protected natural setting with the trees, lakes and all the wildlife. It was stunning. Scarf/fleece useful for early motioning & evening. Service - All the team were very professional, friendly and really tried to look after all guests in a warm way. We felt truly welcome. With the ill health challenges Manager Emile and Mau and Saudi especially went out of their way to help and reassure us. We really appreciated their support. Room - Tent was extremely comfortable and blended harmoniously into the beautiful setting by the lake with hippos. We saw herds of impala, a giraffe, monkeys and a civet right by our tent. Well designed for privacy and connection to nature. We were both so pleased to see the entire tent with bedroom, sitting areas, toilet and sinks were mosquito protected with screened ‘walls’ rather than just a bed tent. We used our old crag hoppers nosilife clothes and lemon eucalyptus insect repellent and had no bites at all. The outside shower was spacious and had atmosphere however it just wasn’t my personal preference. Lighting was very subtle in the tent so we found our own small torches helpful at times. Food - We ate out under the stars every night with special help to identify them! Campfire drinks with the other guests to start. The Masai who walked us to our room each night and made us feel very safe also watched over dinner and we were lucky enough to see baby elephants they had spotted there silhouetted in the night. Food was of excellent quality and presentation. We enjoyed it all and felt the variety over our 5 nights was impressive. We also noticed whilst it was very tasty it was also focussed on excellent quality and healthy ingredients which was really appreciated. Lunchtimes were looking over the lovely lake with lots to see and hear. Light bush breakfast for the early bush drives and a great at camp full breakfast when we went out later in the day. Great quality wines. Facilities - Small pool in a nice setting. Your own viewing veranda at the front and rear of the tent. Some Wi-Fi at reception, we had no mobile reception. Walking safari option. Boat safari which we enjoyed for the different perspectives. Overall - This was our third African Safari as several years ago we visited South Africa and a few years ago Zambia. We have also experienced mini safaris in India, Sri Lanka and Borneo. We have really enjoyed all. Siwandu is our favourite though for the quality and warmth of all the team and the beauty of the natural environment there. Totally Recommend…
Read more
Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Every aspect of our trip at Siwandu was absolutely excellent, in every way. There was an abundance of wild animals to see, the food was plentiful and delicious, the staff were so welcoming and helpful and the accommodation was more than comfortable. It was like living in a kaleidoscope, with ever-changing highlights following on one another in quick succession. I would count Joseph, our guide, as one of the few genuine experts in his field that I have had the pleasure to meet and it was a rare privilege to share time with him in the bush. Emile, the camp manager, was always so cheerful and friendly and did everything in his power to make sure all our wants and needs were met during our time at the camp. Go to Siwandu, if you can.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Tania Steyn, Marketing at Siwandu
Responded 2 weeks ago
Dear AndrewwB7133PT, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive feedback about your experience at Siwandu here! We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed your time with us and we will make sure to share your feedback with our team, especially Joseph and Emile, who will be so proud. We appreciate your support. Looking forward to seeing you again soon.
Read more
This was an exceptional holiday experience - I just can't fault this superb safari lodge and it's hugely attentive staff. We have travelled extensively to 5 star hotels and I would consider myself fussy and it was truely brilliant. Nothing was too much trouble, the luxury tents were fantastic, with incredible views of the lake that was full of hippo and crocodile. The food was consistently delicious which is no mean feat in the remote environment, we were made to feel so welcome at all times and evenings were social with predinner drinks around a camp fire with the other guests and Camp Manager while looking out for passing hippo and elephant through the camp!! The game drives were well driven and our guide, Chris, was very knowledgeable and within our first 24hrs we had seen large elephant herds including an under one month old baby elephant, lion, wild dog pack, zebra, wildebeast, giraffe in large numbers, crocs, hippo, warthog, baboon, impala, eland, kudu, monkeys, a bush baby and plentiful bird species. Within 48hrs we added hyena, hartebeast, water buck, bush pigs and buffalo to the list. My children had never been to Africa before and this could not have been a better experience for them. Well done everyone at Siwandu!!!…
Read more
Date of stay: July 2022
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Tania Steyn, Marketing at Siwandu
Responded 2 weeks ago
Dear Frustrated-skier, We are so delighted to read about your family’s wonderful experience with us at Siwandu - thank you for taking the time to leave us this thoughtful review. We will share your feedback with the rest of the Siwandu team as well. We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you back at Siwandu again in the future!
Read more
Safari adventure of a lifetime. We arrived by light aircraft onto the bush airstrip and were immediately welcomed into the family of Siwandu Camp. Our adventure started during the transfer. Joseph expertly located giraffe, snoozing lionesses, baboons, elephants and hippos. We even caught a fleeting glimpse of a leopard. The camp was stunning, exquisitely crafted from traditional materials by local craftsmen and women, with a focus on minimal impact to the environment. The perfect example of ‘leave no trace’ eco camp. The food was bountiful, beautifully presented, and delicious. We chatted about the day’s sightings around the campfire before chef introduced the evening’s menu. We ate dinner under the stars and hippos grazed nearby. Three-course bush breakfasts were set up by the water’s edge, and we feasted while watching crocs drifting past and hippos grunting and wallowing in the shallows. The small curio shop was filled with local crafts made by and supporting people with disabilities. Between game drives we dipped in the pool and watched giraffe passing by. Being in the middle of the bush, we were escorted at night and in the early morning by Masai tribesmen brandishing machetes. In the night-time, under the safety of canvas, we could hear the rustling of elephants close by and the occasional roar of a lioness ready to re-join her pack and start the night’s hunt. We moved on after 3 days, with happy hearts and unforgettable memories. Many thanks to the whole team for making our holiday the best ever.…
Read more
Date of stay: June 2022
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Tania Steyn, Marketing at Siwandu
Responded Jul 1, 2022
Thank you for your lovely review, we are so happy that you enjoyed your time with us! Thank you for visiting and we hope to see you back one day again.
Read more
This was our first safari, and, wow!, did Siwandu Camp deliver. First and foremost, our wildlife guide, Amos, was a gem. He was passionate, personable, and possessed detailed knowledge of the Nyerere National Park ecosystem. We are not early risers, but opted for early morning game drives so that we could spend more time seeing the park through Amos’s eyes. Back at the camp, we luxuriated in all that Siwandu Camp had to offer. From long conversations with the camp managers, to afternoon dips in the pool, to nightly campfires under the stars, to scrumptious meals overlooking Lake Nzerakera, we thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Special shout out to Mau, who served every drink and every meal with a smile. Finally, our tent was absolutely perfect. We felt comfortable and safe, and we slept soundly each night with the sounds of nature all around us.…
Read more
Date of stay: February 2022
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Tania Steyn, Marketing at Siwandu
Responded Mar 17, 2022
Thank you for sharing your feedback Danielle! We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us. We will share your lovely feedback with Amos too. We hope to see you back at our camps in the future again.
Read more
We visited Siwandu during a 3 week trip around East Africa. It was excellent in every aspect. Our "tent" was spacious, well-equipped and very comfortable. The food and drink were very good and all the people at Siwandu went out of their way to help us and make our experience as enjoyable as it could be. A special mention goes to the guides - Amos and Joseph - who were hugely knowledgeable and helped us to experience some amazing game drives, boat trips and walking safaris. We saw a huge array of wildlife during our 3 days - highlights being a pack of hunting dogs, baby elephants, mating lions, fantastic birds, gangs of vultures etc. etc. Brilliant - can not recommend this place highly enough!
Read more
Date of stay: February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Tania Steyn, Marketing at Siwandu
Responded Mar 17, 2022
Thank you for your lovely feedback! We are happy to hear that you enjoyed your stay with us. We will also share your feedback with Amos and Joseph and the rest of the team. We hope to see you back at our camps in the near future!
Read more
We spent 3 nights and loved every minute of it. Juan and team were great. Twice daily safari rides with John - we saw so many Giraffes and other animals; oh, and lions, did we see lions. The accommodations were excellent and very comfortable and safe. The food, prepared special for us and what a treat. Highly recommend this experience for anyone
Read more
Date of stay: October 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip: Any room is a great room with a view
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Juan Fourie, General Manager at Siwandu
Responded Nov 23, 2021
Dear psilbe13 It was a great pleasure hosting you at siwandu and we are delighted that you enjoyed your time with us. Nyerere National Park has a great variety of wildlife and we are delighted you had some great sightings. Hopefully we see you again to this special piece of Africa. Kind regards The Siwandu Team
Read more
+1
There are not enough words or paragraphs to go into the level of detail needed to explain how incredible Siwandu is. From being picked up at the airstrip, all the way until drop off, not one detail was amiss. The crew at Siwandu think of literally everything to make your stay perfect. Safari: We loved having the more intimate experiences with all of the animals. We could stay as long as we wanted without needing to share the moments with other vehicles. We had the most incredible guide, Joe, who had an eye for animals to be reckoned with. He found EVERY SINGLE ANIMAL we asked to see, starting with 3 lions 6 minutes into our first safari. Rather than meeting at pick-up, Joe came to find us in the LandRover to find the lions he had already scoped out. Man were they awesome…so awesome that we found them quite a few times and spent solid alone time watching them nap, cuddle, pant and even lay on their backs with their feet in the air! The highlight though, was watching them guard and eat their fresh kill…and then drag their fresh buffalo meat to hide in the bushes. One of the lions actually walked directly next to our vehicle. Next up, I asked for elephants and boy was that delivered…hello family of 5 that we got to get about 3 feet away from….or move out of the way elephant traffic jam! I really don’t think there was one species we didn’t see that we expected to…we counted 25+ total (not including birds). Our other favorites were watching the zebras and giraffe which were basically everywhere. The breakfast while drinking a herd of 50 Buffalo was also pretty spectacular. While we didn’t see as many animals on the walk or boat safari, we loved the changed of scenery. Tent: Can you even call it that?! It was beyond luxurious…an outdoor shower with an area to view the hippos that were literally outside our tent/cabin…whatever you call it (or if you shower at night, under the best stargazing ever). An amazingly powerful fan kept us cool when temperatures got hottttt. Big netting encompassed the ENTIRE thing and we also had the most comfortable bed. We had 3 outdoor seating areas for our AM coffee and our mid-day wine! Did I say the hippos and baboons were pretty much a 5 meter walk away? The crew drew our shades, readied the bed and made sure our room was always presentable and ready for whatever time of day it was. We were beyond amazed at no matter the time of day, some new detail was uncovered to make our stay easy and relaxing. Thank you! Staff: again, holy moly. Upon our arrival we had a greeting party and that never stopped the entire stay. Everyone was so friendly and so wonderful. From Joe, our guide who was glorious, to chef Michael and Malim (and some others who arrived a few days into our stay) who make meals that If in the US would be Michelin star, to Alfonce who was incredible in his service as our butler/waiter, Fred bringing us coffee and always being the most incredible, Mtoro and Saidi were also so fun to talk to and also incredible. John and Alzon (spelling also thanks we loved the stories). It truly was a team effort that led to ZERO things not thought of to lead to the best, most comfortable and safe experience. I realize there are names we missed because it was such a team efforts there are so many people involved, just know we appreciated you all! We’ve traveled a lot, but never to the level where the staff knew our names or cared so much about our comfort levels and needs. Food. I said it above, but honestly think a review could be written alone for food itself. Actually, maybe a novel. We have zero food allergies or preferences so we let the team work their magic. In addition to magical creations, there was a surprise around each corner but we’d hate to ruin part of the fun…so just know the food is beyond delish! While choosing where you can stay in Africa is a huge decision, look no further as you’ll be coming to the right place. You will not regret it…in fact you’ll be so hooked, you’ll already be planning when to come back to experience it again.…
Read more
Date of stay: November 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Juan Fourie, General Manager at Siwandu
Responded Nov 5, 2021
Dear sarapR590MV Thank you for visiting Siwandu. It was a pleasure to host you and thank you for your lovely review, we have passed on your kind words to the team and all of them send there greetings, Hopefully we see you again some time soon in magical Africa. Kind regards Siwandu Team
Read more
The lodge is beautifully located on Lake Nzerekela with the spacious rooms well ventilated and set on viewing decks. The hospitality and food was great!! Wildlife viewing within and around the lodge was very good. The guides were very knowledgeable.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Response from Juan Fourie, General Manager at Siwandu
Responded Nov 5, 2021
Dear Nandini R Thank you for your review. It was a pleasure hosting you and we hope to see you again in the near future, The homemade condiment you shared with us were amazing !!! Kind regards
Read more
ALSO KNOWN AS
selous safari camp hotel selous game reserve
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Selous Safari Camp
LOCATION
TanzaniaLindi RegionSelous Game Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
13
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Siwandu
What are some of the property amenities at Siwandu?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
What food & drink options are available at Siwandu?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Siwandu?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Siwandu have airport transportation?
Yes, Siwandu offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Does Siwandu have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the lake view available here.