Overview

Stunning safari accommodation on Selous Nyerere boundary

This was the second camp to be opened by A Tent with a View. Known for its warm & homely ambience, this lovely lodge was one of just six safari camps in Selous when it opened its doors in 1999 for the new Millennium and the first totally solar-powered lodge in the reserve. The key to this lodge’s longevity and success is down to the daily involvement of David, Masoud and a dedicated young Tanzania management team that ensures it delivers a wonderfully personal experience year after year.

Sable Mountain, so named due to the Sable antelope the team regularly saw when building the camp, opened with just four stone cottages with traditional makuti thatched roofs, a great little bar with superb views towards the Uluguru mountains and a small restaurant and fire-pit. Today, the reserve has a new name, Nyerere National Park, and Sable has eight stone cottages and four beautiful tented rooms with open fronts and stunning views. The two suites, in particular, represent some of the best value rooms in Selous with huge wooden carved beds, desks, comfy armchairs and lovely stand-alone baths open to the elements. The elevated view from the suites is down a dry riverbed where elephant and wild dogs are regularly seen. The freshwater swimming pool forms part of an ingenious water-recycling system down to a waterhole where wildlife comes to drink. Nothing goes to waste here.

After cooling off in the pool after safari, head to the quirky “Land Rover’s Return” bar for a cold beer or cheeky G&T before heading down to a comfy hideout overlooking a waterhole. Foot safaris are also offered as a lodge activity at dawn with a late breakfast.

Situated on the north western Matambwe gate, guests often combine a stay at Sable with another camp on the other side of the park towards the eastern gate of Mtemere. The vastness of this park certainly merits a stay on both sides. Check out our featured lodges in Selous.

Game drives are offered from the lodge as well as foot safaris and boat safaris on Lake Tagalala, a stunning lake full of hippo, crocs, superb birdlife and lots of wildlife coming down to the lakeside to drink.

There are several scheduled flights a day from Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar in and out of Selous. The airstrip for Sable is Matambwe. Sable is the only lodge that can be accessed by the TAZARA train from Dar es Salaam which runs twice-weekly on a Tuesday & Friday and is remarkable punctual. Journey time is around 4 hours. However, word of warning, it can occasionally be delayed, sometimes as much as 2 days so proceed with caution. This is definitely for the adventurous but a lovely and scenic way into Selous (link to a blog)