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  This was the real thing  - Mpingo! Staying at the Mpingo lodge was the best experience on our trip to Tanzania. I highly recommend a stay here. The lodge is family-run with Grace handling reservations and... read more logistics, Ken providing transportation and Rose making delicious meals. And then there’s Aminata – who opened a window onto the world of local village life.

Mpingo is located just outside of Neyrere Park, overlooking the magnificent Rufiji River. At a fraction of the cost of the over-the-top fancy lodges inside the Park, it was comfortable, pleasant and relaxed. Rather than the French cuisine we got elsewhere, Rose introduced us to authentic Tanzanian dishes. Jeep and boat safari excursions into the Park are offered. But what is unique about this place is the opportunity learn about the lives of Tanzanian farmers and fishermen. The itinerary may vary with each excursion, but it is possible to hang out for an afternoon in a village of mud-and-wattle huts, help make and share a meal of ugali, visit a garden on the river bank, watch women beading jewelry or weaving mats, meet children in a school, visit the local maternity ward and so much more.

Aminata is knowledgeable, interesting and so much fun. We traded our favorite music on Spotify. She taught us about medicinal plants on a bush walk. She helped me buy beautiful Tanzanian cloth. Most importantly, she translated between us and villagers so we could really get to know people.

I will not forget the days I spent at Mpingo.

  Great time in Mpingo  - Even before we arrived we had great contact and Rose helped us, because there was some trouble with the bus company. When arriving at Mpingo Lodge, we were heartily welcomed... read more and immediately felt at home. The "tent" is very nice with attached bathroom and we had enough room with three people. The beds are comfortable and everything was very clean. The food was excellent and it was a pleasure to have it in the open, spacious dining room and sit at the fire afterwards at night. The place is very quite and the whole staff is very friendly and helpful. We had a great Game Drive with Aminata, saw a lot of animals and learned many things about nature from her. The second day we did the Bushwoman Walk with Aminata again, which we highly recommend. It was a very interesting, funny morning. Also the Sunset Boat Trip we enjoyed a lot. We saw crocodiles, hippos, monkeys and birds and enjoyed the sunset on the sandbank. We had a great time and highly recommend staying there. Especially because it is a Lodge run by women which you notice immediately.

  Rose and Aminata are AMAZING!  - Staying at Mpingo Lodge Selous was the highlight of my Tanzanian journey. Rose, Aminata and the rest of the team were incredibly kind, generous and accommodating to anything and everything... read more I needed help with. From Rose's incredible help with catching the local bus from Dar es Salaam to Selous (what an adventure!), to Aminata's extensive knowledge of wildlife and her beautiful connection with nature.
An all women-led place to hang out at was a rare and inspiring find - I would totally recommended heading down South to witness what these two women have created - you won't regret it!!

  Amazing safari adventures!  - Our tour agent booked us with Mpingo while on a tour of Tanzania with my husband and kids. It was simply an amazing experience!
We have never been to... read more a lodge that is run by African women, so we were utterly impressed. When we arrived two charming ladies came to greet us - Rosy and Aminatta and they led us to the lounge which overlooks the river. The views were majestic! The only sounds we could hear are those of the hippos and birds nearby

The family-sized suite was spacious and right by the river!

Rosy is made us excellent food, my kids loved the fresh fruit and desserts.

The highlight of our stay was definitely the safari. We went on a drive in to the park with Aminata as our guide, she knew so much about the animals and we got upclose pictures of the elephants and lions. On the sunset boat ride on the first day we saw hippos and we had a mini riverside picnic.

At night, there was a big fire by the river and on our last day the ladies organized a traditional dance.
We cant recommend this place enough! Thank you, ladies, for such great memories!!

  Unforgettable experience!  - My girlfriend and I stayed at Mpingo and we had an absolutely amazing time. Aminatta and Rosy were friendly, attentive, and always ready to help with anything we needed.
The... read more lodge is beautiful, and our room overlooked the river. The food was delicious and we loved that the portions were huge!
One of the highlights of our stay was the safari drive. Aminatta was amazing and made sure we saw a wide range of animals. We went on a boat safari at sunset which was beautiful, and we got to take so many great photos.
Our stay at Mpingo was perfect, thank you ladies for the memorable experience in Tanzania!

  Unforgettable impressions  - My son and I came together. We were greeted very warmly by 2 wonderful women Aminita and Rose. When we met, we were given very tasty food and accommodation in... read more an excellent bungalow. We were lucky that there was no one in the hotel when we visited, so we enjoyed the peace and wild nature with boat trips on the river and safaris in the national park. Aminita gave us wonderful and unforgettable, very interesting excursions. I would also like to express my deep gratitude to the driver Said, who brought us by car from Dar Es Salaam. We spent two days and one night there. During this time we received a lot of unforgettable impressions that will last a lifetime. Sergei and Vladimir

  Exceptional Hospitality Amidst The Stunning Rufiji River Landscape  - Foremost we chose Mpingo Lodge Selous because we found it interesting and worth supporting that it is a women-rum company. But that's by far not the only reason why it... read more was the right decision. Here is a summary of our experiences:

We stayed four nights and were thoroughly impressed by the hospitality of the whole team. Starting with the friendly driver, who got us everywhere safely and quickly; the excellent cook Rose, who surprised us with an abundance of delicious three course menus all the time -- really the food is exceptional there. And so is her sense of humor.
Our tour guide Aminata is extremely knowledgeable and in touch with nature, thanks to her we learned many surprising details about the people as well as the flora and fauna of the Rufiji River. She is also very funny and we laughed a lot together; the captain, who guided us safely through the river and brought us close to numerous crocodiles and hippos, also did a great job. And of course not forgetting Grace, who manages the booking process and all the associated questions. I did not see her in person, but had a very friendly and productive e-mail contact with her. She kept an eye on all the details of our stay so that we felt safe and well looked after at all times.

The location of the camp is very beautiful. It is set in the jungle above the river, so you have a good view of the spectacular sunsets, in which the colors of the African bush seem otherworldly for me as an European. And the camp was perfect for our needs. We found it great to be in the middle of nature and still felt safe. We value a high standard regarding modern equipment, eco-friendliness, comfort (mattresses!) and cleanliness. We are not interested in colonial style interior and a distant service mentality. We like genuine friendliness, eye-level interaction and joking with each other. To summarize, we wished for down-to-earth style with a luxury touch. That's exactly what we got at Mpingo Lodge Selous.

The Selous Game Reserve in the Rufiji River area itself is an interesting landscape shaped by the meandering river and its characteristics. At the Njerere National Park, you have the chance to see many of the animals that make East Africa such a popular destination: for example lions, wild dogs, elephants, wildebeests, buffalos, hippos, lots of monkeys, different kind of birds, warthogs, zebras and giraffes. Already on the way to the camp, a chameleon crossed the road, for which the driver carefully slowed down.

We would like to thank the whole team of Mpingo Lodge Selous very much for providing us with an experience that we will certainly not forget. Obviously it was important to you to make our first Safari an extraordinary experience and you absolutely succeeded. Your camp is a wonderful place with very warmhearted, caring and highly professional people. We wish you the best for your business and that many visitors are lucky enough to stay with you!

  Amazing safari experience in Tansania  - What an amazing experience, my family and I had at this lodge! The staff went above and beyond to make sure our stay was amazing! I loved that you can... read more just walk out of your suite and you have panoramic views of the river. The boat safari was amazing! It started at the lodge and we saw hippos, a variety of birds and we even had a picnic by the banks of the river. The ladies - Ami and Rosy are fantastic hosts and made my family feel at home.

  Incredible info and help for trip  - I sadly was not able to stay bc of change of plans but I have to do a huge compliment to Grace. When I first inquired about Mpingo Lodge Selous... read more she got back to me quickly answered all questions and gave great input and ideas . Then my plans changed and Grace continued to assist me and helped find someone in the area I was traveling to help me. She went above and beyond and I so hope one day I can stay at her place. Her kindness and knowledge was so wonderful. I can only imagine how fantastic it would be to be able to stay there - thank you Grace !

  3 amazing days we will never forget for a very fair price!  - At first we need to say we are a couple and travelled to Mpingo-Lodge by bus. Our estimated arrival time was 4 pm, but we arrived late at 7 pm.... read more Still Rose our host picked us up directly at the bus stop and from the first moment she was one of the most friendly people we ever met. It was the same thing for every person of the team from the lodge. They always did everything to fullfill all of our requests.

So what can we say about the accomodations. We stayed 3 nights in one of the beatiful canvas platform tents. The tent was very clean and had a lot of space. You got seperate bathroom with a shower and a toilet in the back of the tent. Also everything was very clean and cozy. The whole area of the lodge is fitted into the nature very well. They always used natural materials and tried to build with nature and not against it. We liked this alot.

The dinning was in a simply amazing location beneath a huge open african hut. While eating you had a wonderful view over Rufiji-River (10-15 m away). The food was typical local food from tanzania and we liked it alot. There was always more then enough to eat for both of us.

At the first day we did a trip to the nearby village with our guide Aminata. We went to the school and had a nice conversation with a teacher from the school and Aminata. We learned alot about the schooling system, the everyday life of tanzanian people and the history of the different tribes.
In the evening we did a beatiful boat safari on the river and Aminata told us everything about the animals and the nature of the river. At the end of the boat ride we got the opportunity to enjoy the amazing sunset above the river! One of the most beatiful views we ever saw.

On the second day we went to the nyrere nationalpark for a game drive. We saw every animal we hoped for even a big group of lions and 2 super cute baby elephants :). The lunch in the park was very nice too and we had a great view of a very huge baobab tree. It was a day we will never forget in our lifes.

Even after leaving Rose and Aminata helped us alot by giving us advice over whatsapp and organizing bus trips to other places. We are glad we met these 2 amazing and friendly people!!!

We can recommend Mpingo-Lodge-Selous to everyone who wants to have a authentic tansanian experience for a very fair price!

  The ultimate serenity and calmness in the jungle surrounded by friendly people and wonderful animals so don't miss this  - People attending to me were very friendly and welcoming
The food was exquisite and tasty and the service was very good and the cabin was clean and neat and security... read more very reliable
Wildlife just outside

  Mpingo Lodge in Selous..this was the true and authentic Tanzanian experience we came here for.
We could not have been happier with the warm welcome provided to us by Aminata,... read more Rose and their staff.

They all go above and beyond to make our stay comfortable.

The accommodations were great, and the food is excellent. Rose as the cook bring soul to the recipe (let’s see if I will be able to do the same with potato soup recipe I got from her;).

Aminata, I do admire her for a certain relationship with the natural world. The brain feels before it thinks, so maitaining the feeling of wonder in nature is important. Aminata took us for a journey where we sensed and appreciated nature’s everyday beauty.

Best of all Mpingo Lodge has a great view over the Rufiji River and is located not far from the main gate into Nyerere National Park. This makes the perfect place for before and after a safari in Selous!

Rose, Aminata..you made our stay unforgettable!
Asante sana More

  A serene eco- experience. During the boat trip with expert guide Aminata identified 26 bird species from a giant fish eagle to the smallest swallow tailed bee-eater, tens of crocodiles... read more and hundred hippo's. Peace, excellent food and exceptional hospitality of Rose and Aminata

  This lodge was the nicest surprise on our trip. From the first moment we arrived and had the view of the river and Rose and Aminata welcomed us, we felt... read more comfortable and at home. Rose and Aminata are probably the warmest (biggest power) women we met on our trip. They personally took care of us and made our stay unforgettable. We all took them into our hearts in the three too short days we were there. The whole lodge is beautiful and located directly on the river. Although it is about 30 minutes outside the park, but you drive through a village and get so culturally and otherwise something of the environment. The tents, as well as the cabins, are beautifully made and have a comfortable bed. They also have the nicest bathrooms we have had on our safari in the lodges. There is even hot water. Security in the camp is taken care of at all times (at night by a security guard). Rose provided us with great food at all times of the day and we always looked forward to eating. Aminata was our perfect tour guide and taught us a lot and brought us very close to the animals. A river safari is also possible directly from the lodge. In addition, both surprised us (by the fact that we booked directly through their website) with special attentions. We did not want to leave at all. So we... This lodge was the nicest surprise on our trip. From the first moment we arrived and had the view of the river and Rose and Aminata welcomed us, we felt comfortable and at home. Rose and Aminata are probably the warmest (biggest power) women we met on our trip. They personally took care of us and made our stay unforgettable. We all took them into our hearts in the three too short days we were there.
The whole lodge is beautiful and located directly on the river. Although it is about 30 minutes outside the park, but you drive through a village and get so culturally and otherwise something of the environment. The tents, as well as the cabins, are beautifully made and have a comfortable bed. They also have the nicest bathrooms we have had on our safari in the lodges. There is even hot water.
Security in the camp is taken care of at all times (at night by a security guard).
Rose provided us with great food at all times of the day and we always looked forward to eating. Aminata was our perfect tour guide and taught us a lot and brought us very close to the animals. A river safari is also possible directly from the lodge. In addition, both surprised us (by the fact that we booked directly through their website) with special attentions. We did not want to leave at all.
So we can highly recommend the lodge to everyone. I am very proud of the two women and very happy for them that they have built such a great lodge. Keep it up ladies!!!
Big hugs
Viviane, Melanie, Mike and Jonas More

  I can highly recommend this place Rose og Aminata is wonderful host in so many ways. It is women with good heart. Heart for everything around them We... read more will never forget this experience. We have a great boat-safari at Rufiji River We also visiting the local village The food was wonderful. The view to the river was magnificent. The dinner at the river was so wonderful and special ‍️We love the room/camp. +++ Everything was perfect

Thanks you so much Rose and Aminata for giving us this wonderful time. I’m hopefully coming back to you
Lots of love from Gitte

  We were received by friendly Rose who had prepared a warn lunch with Red Snapper fish. Excellent prepared and with no doubt the best meal we had during our stay... read more in Tanzania and Zanzibar. The lodge has a great view over the river Rufiji and is not far from the main gate into Selous National park. The fact that this place is build up be five women is very impressing. The best of all is the staff. They do whatever they can to make you comfortable. If you are planning a safai in Tanzania, this is the place to stay. More

  4 friends, on our first safari trip in Africa - and it won't be the last! The stay at Mpingo was a very positive experience, thanks to the wonderful hosts... read more with Aminata and Rose in the lead. Dinner and lunch with plentiful portions of tasty home-cooked food and South African wine made the meals a good time.

  My family and I did a safari in the south of Tanzania and had our first stop at the lodge from Rose and Emmi. They are both incredible hosts and... read more made us feel like home. The lodge is situated on the Rufiji River with an amazing view and you can even spot some hippos. They arranged for us a boat tour on the Rufiji River and a local walking tour which was very interesting and fun. I also have to mention that the food was amazing at the lodge!! Rose is an incredible cook :) The tents we slept in was very comfortable and a great experience.
I wish we could have stayed longer at your beautiful Lodge.
Hope to come back some day :)

best wishes from Melanie, Jasmin, Christine and Franz

  We - a family of six (2 adults, 4 children aged 7 to 16 yrs) - spent two nights in Mpingo Lodge while being on a safari tour through Southern... read more Tanzania. Our tour organizer Chabo Africa brought their own tents which was absolutely fine for us, but we also were invited by Rose and her team to have a look at the newly built lodges: They are really nice and well equipped - and offer a superb view over Rufiji River. This view simply is amazing!
The hall and the bar werde great, Rose was always at hand to offer drinks etc. Wash rooms and facilites were also of perfect standard for us.
Directly afer arriving at the lodge we went for a 2 hrs boating safari with Amy (Aminata) and had a first look at the water animals - just a perfect start. The next day was spent in Selous Game Reserve, which is just a some handsome 20 mins drive away.
On the second morning, Amy took us on a short walking safari and astonished us with her knowledge of plants and animal tracks and droppings. We even ended up cooking on a little open fire to have a typical African meal before returning to the lodge via the Rufiji River banks.
We can only recommend Mpingo Lodge to all who are looking for a perfect starting point to explore Selous and Rufiji River!

  Congratulations to Rose, Aminata (Amy), and all the staff, who made us feel right at home; pure kindness, very professional and well organized. The tents were clean, spacious and had... read more a private bathroom. From the tent and the open dining room, you have magnificent views of the Rufiji River and the sounds of hippos and birds. Food was also excellent. Amy took us on a boat ride before sunset and had our first impressive contact with hippos and crocodiles a few meters away from the boat. The next day, we walked early in the morning with Amy on the riverbank. Flora, fauna, people’s way of life and religious rites were at the menu of Amy’s captivating stories. Amy is one of the few women graduating as a Safari guide in a country where women’s condition is not comparable to that of European standards. She and her brother took us on game driving at the Selous Game Reserve. They made every effort to make the most of our first Safari experience in Tanzania, including an amazing encounter with mating lions, but also the sighting of many giraffes, birds, zebras, antelopes buffaloes, etc. We booked the lodge as part of a 2-week safari package with a specialized Safari agency, but Mpingo also runs safaris at rather competitive prices. The last night, we shared with all the staff a great moment of traditional Tanzanian songs and dances. Good vibrations! Our only regret is... Congratulations to Rose, Aminata (Amy), and all the staff, who made us feel right at home; pure kindness, very professional and well organized. The tents were clean, spacious and had a private bathroom. From the tent and the open dining room, you have magnificent views of the Rufiji River and the sounds of hippos and birds. Food was also excellent.
Amy took us on a boat ride before sunset and had our first impressive contact with hippos and crocodiles a few meters away from the boat. The next day, we walked early in the morning with Amy on the riverbank. Flora, fauna, people’s way of life and religious rites were at the menu of Amy’s captivating stories. Amy is one of the few women graduating as a Safari guide in a country where women’s condition is not comparable to that of European standards. She and her brother took us on game driving at the Selous Game Reserve. They made every effort to make the most of our first Safari experience in Tanzania, including an amazing encounter with mating lions, but also the sighting of many giraffes, birds, zebras, antelopes buffaloes, etc.
We booked the lodge as part of a 2-week safari package with a specialized Safari agency, but Mpingo also runs safaris at rather competitive prices.
The last night, we shared with all the staff a great moment of traditional Tanzanian songs and dances. Good vibrations!
Our only regret is not having booked longer. Without a doubt, Mpingo is the best lodge we had on our two-week safari in southern Tanzania.
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