Tanzania | Selous Game Reserve

Selous is a beautiful sanctuary, relatively undisturbed by human impact, hosting amongst their community rare wild dogs, Elephants, Lions, Leopards, Rhinos and Crocs (not the heinous foot wear choice) but the Hippos are always my favourite - the evening is punctuated by the sound of hippo laughter - one of the best sounds in the world ever.

We flew in to Lake Manze Tented Camp, in a volkswagen beetle with wings, I said all I really wanted to see were my first wild giraffes. as we came in to land a herd galloped across the landing strip. Glad we landed all the same.

Selous is a relatively small reserve with beautiful Lake Manze at its heart. The evening lake safari gave me a number of the images in the collection - breathtaking sunsets, large groups of active hippos, Sea Eagles perched dramatically looking for their supper.

The evening meal in the camp was interupted as we had set up in the way of the matriarch Elephant, taking her family to the waters edge for an evening drink. They are, with out question, the most majestic of the creatures still walking the earth.

Our glamping experience was divine, old style canvas tent with brass bed, open air shower and toilet discretely tucked away at the back of the tent. The pathway to the main building fully open to the wildlife a local Maasai tribesman was to accompany us with each passage. He carried only a large stick with a bulbous end - when I enquired whether it would be adequate to protect me from a lion he replied “I would use it to slow you down so the lion wouldn’t take me madam”