Reviews of Sandibe Safari Lodge
Wildlife sightings and reviews
78 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Sandibe Safari Lodge and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
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"Sandibe Safari Lodge review"
"Sandibe- First Class Service, Excellent Game"
"Fabulous!!"
Only minor disappointment was that because of water levels and v active hippos, mokoros were not possible. Had we understood that this might be an issue , we might have booked a camp deeper in the Delta, where mokoros are always available. We put this down to our lack of knowlwedge of the Delta even though we had done alot of reading. I suggest that ExpertAfrica makes sure potential clients understand this.
Basically Sandibe is not the right camp if you really want mokoro excursions. (which we did!!). We will just have to go back to the Delta one day !!." See all these reviews: 5n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
"Sandibe Safari Lodge review"
"the highlight of our trip to Botswana"
The twice daily game drives were amazing--we saw cheetah, lots of leopards, wild dogs, lions, zebra, elephant, giraffes and more. The fact that they're not in a national park means they can go off-road and get close to the animals, which is great for photography. We felt really pampered by & Beyond's service; camp manager Kate saw to our every need, including trying to help arrange a last minute change in our plans.
We especially enjoyed the night drives, something you also can't do in the national parks. We were there when there was very little moon, and we asked to be taken to somewhere open where we could see the stars. Our guide, Shaka, took us to the airstrip where we saw the night sky in all its African glory--one of the highlights of our trip! Shaka was a fabulous guide and had a great sense of humor. The food was uniformly excellent and we got to sample some local dishes such as papa and kudu.
Definitely a great experience that I would highly recommend to anyone considering a trip to Botswana." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 1n in South Africa
"Fabulous food and romantic cabins"
The game viewing was first rate, and our guide, Tsabo, and spotter, Bring, made sure to get us to the action. While watching a pride of lions, Tsabo noticed something moving in the far bush and off we drove. We came upon a leopard !! walking through the brush and finally climbing a tree to drape itself over a branch. Another sighting produced a mother cheetah and her two almost-grown sons.
By the end of our stay, we had seen elephants, giraffes, gnu, buffalo, leopard, lions, cheetah, warthogs, a myriad of bird species, zebra, kudu and even a monitor lizard. I told Tsabo that I would give him a crown if he could find an ostrich. A few twists and turns in the 4x4 vehicle, and we came upon a lone female ostrich. I owe you a crown, Tsabo." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe; 1n in South Africa
"Awsome game viewing!!!"
I visited 4 camps and I had some of the best game viewing here. There was a cold snap the first few days, so it was very cold early morning and late afternoon. (Tip: if you're going in the winter, bring a warm scarf or two!) However, that didn't deter us from some great game sightings. I got to see (usually fairly up close) lions, lion cubs, cheetahs, leopards, lots of elephant, giraffe, ostrich, hyena, hyena pups, warthogs, impala (and related species). One afternoon, we had a leopard walk right by our vehicle. I could have reached out and pet it had I not wanted to keep my right arm. The overall game viewing was great and quite diverse. I had an awesome time here.
The camp was very well kept up. My only complaint was the lack of hot water. Maybe I didn't keep it on long enough. At a later camp I found I had to leave the faucet on for a LONG time (4-5 minutes) before the hot water showed up. The staff took great care of me (and everyone) there. They went out of their way to make sure I was entertained since I was traveling solo. The rooms were average to above average. Now, this is in relation to other camps I visited while in Botswana. 'Average' is pretty nice and comfortable for being out in the middle of nowhere. I found the food to be pretty decent as well.
Overall, I was very happy with my experience there and would definitely recommend Sandibe to others. If you are interested, click here for pictures and short videos of my trip (from 4 different camps). Included are video reviews of my rooms at the various camps too. I hope this was helpful." See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana
"Sandibe - Land of the Leopard!"
Like all the camps we stayed in, there are no fences and the wildlife roams freely throughout the area. We shared our time in Sandibe with the resident Baboons, Vervet Monkeys, Bush Buck Antelope and Elephants who came through to feed on the trees.
Wildlife - we were extremely lucky during our stay to see 4 different Leopard on different Game Drives. Our first drive took us to an area where a Mother and Sub-Adult Male cub were known to be resting following a kill they had made the previous day. The kill was large, and so both animals had stayed in the area in order to take advantage of the amount of meat available, and we were able to photograph them both as they rested after eating.
The following afternoon we found a female leopard resting in a tree - the kind of sighting that you see photographs of in Guide Books and Brochures, but never expect to see yourself! We were able to get very close to the tree, and take some fantastic photographs of a "chilled out" leopard. And on the last afternoon we came round a corner of a track, just as a young male leopard crossed on it's way to hunt. Again, we followed the leopard, and observed as it tried on 3 separate occasions to hunt Impala. Sadly, the wind gave it's direction away on each occasion, and in the end it settled for a Ground Squirrel snack, before we left it for the evening.
We were also fortunate to see some of the nocturnal wildlife at Sandibe - including the African Wild Cat, Civet, Genet and a Hyena nicknamed "Fluffy" who was at the camp.
After 7 nights spent in other camps, and 6 previous safari trips to Africa, we arrived with a certain level of expectation - and sadly, in a couple of areas, Sandibe failed to deliver, which is why we have only rated our overall experience as "good"." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
After a more detailed enquiry, our travellers told us of problems with a wake-up call, a missed bush-lunch and a guide who for most of their stay was unenthusiastic and clearly working at well below his ability. After the lodges team heard the full story, they have promised to address the issues squarely and make sure that they never happen again.
"A Small but Charming Camp"
Our last night was special as they served us dinner on the deck of our tent illuminated by candlelight with champagne and overlooking the lagoon where we could hear the hippos making their distinctive noise. The previous night the staff had done traditional dancing and singing. Wonderful.
This camp was the only one where tables were set for four. To sit with more guests one had to request a specific set up which was cheerfully granted. This may be a camp of choice for honeymooners." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
"Thank you Sandibe!"
As far as the wildlife is concerned we have been particularly lucky: leopards, lions, wild dogs, elephants (even one very close in the camp), tsessebes, zebras, red lechwes, buffaloes (big hard), giraffes and so much more (not mentioning the birds).
The night drives are also a nice addition! We haven't felt too much that the concession is rather small: the landscapes and environment are very different from one place to another.
Thank you Sandibe!" See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
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