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Selous Great Water Lodge: Traveller Reviews

9km from the Mtemere Park Gate, Tanzania (Formerly Big 5 Lodge)
Hotel amenities
Selous Great Water Lodge
4.5 of 5 stars 35 Reviews
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35 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveller rating
    25
    5
    1
    0
    4
Date Rating
Athens, Greece
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Feeling warmhearted and relaxed”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 December 2011
1
person found this review helpful

We stayed in this wonderful lodge for three days and had an amazing time. The staff was taking care of us in a very discreet but also relaxing way, the way that everything run smoothly without us noticing any effort at all. It is something quite rare that I appreciated a lot.

John, the owner, has been working for years in development organizations and you can have very interesting conversations with him. He was a great host, making sure that we felt alright and enjoyed our time.

The food was remarkable and absolutely delicious. Can't still believe how we've had such amazing dinners in the middle of nowhere. Someone else mentioned how great the roast duck was and I second that.

During the safaris, we were guided by Patrick, a very wise man to say the least, who was like a library of National Geographic magazines. Although he seemed to know everything about everything, he didn't bore us and definitely didn't act like a know-it-all guy. We liked him very much. And our jeep driver was very nice too and he stopped in villages on the way, helping us with shopping and communicating with locals.

I sincerely cannot recommend this place enough. You will always remember the feeling you get overlooking the river during sunset.

  • Stayed December 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask MattaSam about Selous Great Water Lodge
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Doha, Qatar
1 review
“Great safari experience!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 November 2011

My fiancee and I spent 3 days in this beautiful lodge, located on the shores of the Rufiji River and we would highly recommend it ! Delicious meals, great staff and a knowledgeable guide named Patrick.
The Owner John is very friendly and polite and organized our tour from Dar to Selous and back in a very professional manner, even though we did not have the pleasure to meet him in person, he took care of all our needs over the phone and through his nice staff, down at the lodge.
We hereby like to thank you John and your lovely team for having us and would be more than happy to return one day! Keep up the good work!

Regards,
Georgiana and Alex

  • Stayed November 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask georgi_kiwi about Selous Great Water Lodge
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
New York City, New York
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
“Terrific”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 20 October 2011
1
person found this review helpful

Fantastic location in the game reserve with great river views. Great meals. One night we came home from safari and had roast duck as good as plenty I've had in NYC. John is a fantastic host. One of my fellow travelers mentioned the first night he liked Captain Morgan. Well, by the time we came home, John had found what was probably the only bottle of it in east Africa. Here's a host that understands comfort even though you're sleeping far from civilization. Great place to stay.

Stayed September 2011, travelled solo
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Ask fredej01 about Selous Great Water Lodge
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
London, United Kingdom
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Fantastic Safari Location”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 29 September 2011
1
person found this review helpful

We had a fantastic few days at the lodge. The wildlife was stunning and the river safari with its amazing bird life and opportunity to see crocs and hippos at fairly close quarters was out of this world. My son loves wildlife and he would have happily stayed here all summer. Our guide Patrick did an amazing job - we learnt so much from him. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming and John, the owner, went out of his way to make sure we had a trip to remember. The cottage was very comfortable and had everything we needed. The view from the lodge over the Rufiji river is quite simply stunning. Do take your camera - the river sunsets are spectacular. We would definitely recommend this lodge, it was a very special experience.

  • Stayed July 2011, travelled with family
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Kathy A about Selous Great Water Lodge
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Helsinki
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Great place”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 August 2011
1
person found this review helpful

Great place at reasonable price. The management /owner John and his staff were very friendly. Food and service was exellent. The place was beautiful, peaceful and ecological. We enjouyed boat-, car- and walking safaris. Our quide Patrick was fantastic and he knew everything about animals, plants and people living in the villages.

We can recommend this place

Maarit and Henrik, Helsinki, Finland

  • Stayed August 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Henrik P about Selous Great Water Lodge
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC

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Additional Information about Selous Great Water Lodge

9km from the Mtemere Park Gate, Tanzania (Formerly Big 5 Lodge)
Price range (per night):* 21 AUD - 113 AUD

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