Dar es Salaam to Selous airstrips: Mtemere, Matambwe, Siwandu, Beho Beho, Kiba, Sumbazi, Stiegler’s Gorge
At over 50 000 sq km, Selous is Africa’s largest National Park. This untamed wilderness, teeming with wildlife following nature’s rhythm is siutated south west of Dar es Salaam.
The Selous is served by a number of airstrips: Mtemere, Matambwe, Siwandu, Beho Beho, Kiba, Sumbazi, and Stiegler’s Gorge being the most frequently used.
Flights to the Selous follow a drop off and pick-up schedule: the plane flies a route according to passengers’ needs. The airstrip closest to the camp / lodge you have chosen will be known by the airline; indeed, when your accommodation reservation confirmation documents are received by you, they should indicate which airstrip you should be using.
So, on deprature from Dar, you may or may not drop-off and pick-up other passengers en route to your drop-off location. For this reason flight times are estimates. The most frequentlt used airstrip ie: the one servicing the most lodges in the Selous, is Mtemere. Mtemere lies about 112 miles or close to 180 km from Dar es Salaam making the flight time less than about 45 minutes.
The flight into the Selous is a fun and adventurous one: it’s an air safari the whole way. Your aircaraft will land on either grass or gravel strips with the pilot passing overhead the airstrip before setting down to check that it is clear of animals.
Flyinh ino the bush at it’s best!
