Beho Beho

Beho Beho was the first camp to be sited in The Selous Game Reserve (now Nyerere National Park), not on the banks, or the flood plains of the mighty Rufiji River, but in the cooler highlands so as to enjoy the 'cooling breezes' from which its name derives. Always designated as a 'private camp' it has fiercely protected its individuality and privileged location as one of the most 'magical' places it is possible to visit in safari Africa.

Beho Beho is not really a camp in the true sense of the word, as it has individual bandas or stone built, palm-leaf thatched cottages, rather than the tented accommodation one might more readily associate with a camp. But also it is not really a safari lodge as it has only eight bandas, four on one side of the main house and four on the other, one tends to think of a safari lodge in the terms of something quite a good bit larger. So we like to think of Beho Beho as being more of a home, a very private home situated in the middle of the African bush.

The entire family at Beho Beho are committed to one thing - your enjoyment of this very special place. From the moment you arrive in camp you are our honoured guest and our focus is upon you enjoying your stay with us. Beho Beho is slightly different from other safari camps in that we truly host your stay. Sometimes it feels to us like a  never ending house party, new arrivals are soon 'embraced' by the family and established guests, friendships are made whilst being 'awed' by the natural beauty of Nyerere National Park and around candlelit dinner tables under the stars. When it is time to leave there is no sadness for it has been fun – some guests even say ‘life changing’ and it is always possible to come back and rejoin the party - as many of our guests do.

The bandas are spacious and airy and have been designed to capture even the slightest breeze - at seven degrees south of the equator this is an important consideration - of course there are strategically placed wide-blade ceiling fans to assist nature if required. This feeling of spaciousness is accentuated by the fact that the main suite area has no front wall or windows, but is totally open on to the front verandah of each banda. For those a little nervous of sleeping with just a mosquito net between them and the 'great outdoors' there is an ingenious arrangement of a curtain made out of tenting material, complete with gauze windows, which can be drawn across at night and securely fastened. The verandah itself reveals what must be one of the most magnificent views in Africa - a wild, unspoilt, wilderness stretching out to the far horizon liberally sprinkled with a wide variety of ‘big game’!  

Bandas

The bandas have been designed as a comfortable home away from home for intrepid travellers and to be planned as a sophisticated haven where guests can relax in privacy in order to enjoy the 'holiday' part of their safari. So you will find huge comfy chairs big enough to curl up in, a truly 'king-sized', mosquito netted double bed, a Zanzibari day bed to while away the odd hour in the afternoon when it is too hot to go into the bush, a proper writing bureau (with post cards supplied), ‘Persian’ carpets and even a tripod mounted telescope for private game spotting.

A separate dressing room with ample space to unpack and store clothes and belongings, including a personal combination security safe, leads into a spacious fully equipped bathroom with twin wash hand basins, a high flush W.C. and a spacious open-air shower where it is possible to shower and view big game at the same time. The bathrooms are supplied with Charlotte Rhys toiletries, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, and soaps as well as a hair drier and his and hers bathrobes and slippers.

For the 2019-20 season plunge pools and individual sun bathing decks were constructed alongside each banda allowing guests to sunbathe privately and enjoy a cooling dip whilst enjoying uninterrupted game viewing.

Your Banda

Banda is an East African term for a permanent 'solid structure' erected to give protection from the elements and the animals, as opposed to the impermanence of a tent. Bandas were erected in or near the National Parks and could be rented from the park authorities on a kind of self-catering basis, where guests provided everything, even their own sleeping bags.

 The bandas at Beho Beho couldn't be more different! Yes they are solid structures built out of local stone and palm leaf thatch and do indeed provide shelter from the elements - but they are also a comfortable haven from which to enjoy the delights of the true African bush of Nyerere National Park.

Bailey's Banda

Privacy and Exclusivity – Bailey’s Banda, an ‘owner’s house’ or private 2-bedroom villa positioned on the hillside overlooking the main camp enjoys stunning views into the valley and the hippo pools which are certainly wild Africa at its very best. Bailey’s Banda is still part of the camp but enjoys its privacy and is the perfect hideaway for those who want to appreciate the bush without the ‘camaraderie’ of staying in a ‘house party-style’ camp like Beho Beho.

Safaris

Beho Beho, originally a hunting camp, was the first property to be sited in the reserve. It was placed at the very centre of wildlife activity and diversity, in the cooler hillside location near to a permanent water source providing a ‘magnet’ for thirsty animals. The hunters of times gone by obviously knew a thing or two about siting camps! Successive camps north of the Rufiji River were sited along the banks of the river giving close proximity to the many resident hippo and crocodiles.

From Beho Beho it is possible to explore a unique array of environmental biodiversity, from the riverine forests, miombo woodlands and plains to the fascinating lake regions of Tagalala and Mwanze. The speciality of the camp is to go on guided and guarded walking safaris, either early mornings or late afternoons avoiding the intense heat of the day when both animals and humans tend to look for suitable shade. The morning walks commence at 0630hrs and last from three to five hours including a stop for breakfast at a shady spot. Afternoon walks can also be very rewarding, leaving at 1630 hrs for about two hours to meet a vehicle well supplied with welcome 'sundowner' drinks, before the darkness comes and it is time to drive back to camp. Beho Beho is one of the few safari camps where it is possible to walk straight from the camp itself, with a variety of routes to hippo pools, First World War trenches, the grave of Frederick Courtney Selous, for who the reserve was named, and several easy or more demanding trails known only to our walking guides.

Beho Beho has a fleet of specially designed open - sided, but shaded safari cruisers used for game drives to farther flung areas in the reserve. These are not the pop-up roof type of enclosed safari cruiser found in the popular Northern Tanzania parks, at Beho Beho you really do get 'up close and personal' with the wildlife!

Beho Beho also has a number of boats stationed at Lake Tagalala, about 50 minutes drive away from the camp. This excursion, usually done in the morning, gives a very close encounter with the resident hippos and crocodiles as well as an amazing number of bird species, culminating in breakfast under a shady tree.

But it is not always necessary to leave the camp to witness excellent game viewing as there is always something 'happening' around Beho Beho. The camp appears to be on a crossroads of animal migratory routes, the animals seeming to appear totally unconcerned about the human habitation. It is not unusual to see elephant, buffalo, waterbuck, impala, giraffe, wild dog, wart hog, hippo, baboon or hyena to name just a few, wandering through the camp at any time of the day or night. The flood lit water hole in front of the camp also enjoys a lot of activity, especially in the dry season, and boasts lion, leopard, serval and genet cats with pleasing regularity – but sadly not to order!!!

The guiding is the most important part of your stay at Beho Beho. The guides are among some of the most experienced in this part of Africa who not only freely share their love and knowledge of the African bush, but also act as your hosts, sharing meals and experiences so that there is always someone there to answer your questions and to relate wildlife experiences. Whilst in some camps you are allocated a specific guide, at Beho Beho we do things slightly differently and you get to experience different guides, so you may walk with one, drive with another and go to Lake Tagalala with another, but as they are all part of the Beho Beho family you will know them already and delight (as we do) in their diversity.