Reviews of Sand Rivers Camp

"We had a great time at Sand Rivers. Hussein, our guide, gave us an expert's understanding of the sights and sounds at Nyerere Park.

We had a lot of fun with the staff and found the food to be especially good.

We had a hippo join us on the pool deck on his way to dinner.

The boat rides are extraordinary - a great addition to the line up of beautiful parks we visited." See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania

"Everything was perfect here, let's go bit by bit.

The location is amazing, the lodge is very well integrated with the surrounding nature. The main area is overlooking the banks of the Rufiji river, we were welcomed by a hippo sleeping just nearby the lunch area. You could see animals (giraffes, elephants) in the distance coming to drink. Lots of birds and crocodiles.

The room is amazing too, we were in room n.1 very close to the river bank. To be clear the room isn't properly "indoor" as it has no windows, just some walls and a roof, but animals might be coming in. However, we had no issues at all and it made us feel we were living the experience at its best. At night you could hear animal sounds (mostly birds and hippos), but it always felt super safe and we slept soundly every night. The room was serviced every day, including laundry and prepared for the night with the mosquito net around the bed.

The staff was lovely: everyone was really kind with us (we've also been lucky because we were basically alone in the camp that week), always ready to help and make us feel welcome. We chatted with all the staff and everyone was happy to share bits about Tanzanian culture and keen to listen to our culture too.

The food was sublime. Everything is home made, with local, fresh ingredients. We had few breakfasts while doing our activities, either by the river or one of the lakes. There were people from the camp waiting for us ready to make breakfast on the spot. Lunches and dinners were also great, I think we had some of the best meals we've ever had.

And everything we've said it's not the best part yet. Now, let's talk about Ernest, our guide. We absolutely loved him. From the very first moment he came to pick us up, he started teaching us about the wildlife and he did so throughout the whole stay. We had 5 days packed with activities, and Ernest made each one of them so special. From the river adventure to morning game drives, from walking safari to night game drives we learnt so much about this incredible nature and Ernest made sure we did our home works (he started quizzing us on what we learnt towards the end of the safari :D). We saw lots of animals, but as Sara, the camp's manager, well put it, we had to find the animals and not just see them, and this really made the difference.

TL;DR; We had the best time here and couldn't recommend this camp enough." See all these reviews: 6n in Tanzania; 3n in Zanzibar

"As previously advised, staying at Sand Rivers felt like a waste of time and money. Game drives were of limited duration (max 2.5 hours and only as the afternoon activity) and lacked variety due to the condition of the roads - the guide clearly didn’t expect to see much wildlife. Alternative activities (boat trip/bush walk/sitting in a hide) were pushed in preference to game drives. The boat trip is nice but it is only possible to go upstream and that is limited by the hydro-electric dam. The included fishing is amusing, but not of a standard you would pay for in the UK. Bush walks were nice but again short and I have done much better ones elsewhere. The time in the hide was cancelled due to unsafe trees, but at other camps you see wildlife from your room so effectively you have this experience without it being one of your activities. Following my complaint to both the camp manager and Expert Africa we were given a night’s fly camping which we enjoyed but that was still not up to standard.
I feel sorry about having to write this review (I could carry on with lots of detailed comments) because the staff were helpful and friendly, especially Hamza (camp manager). However, I think the staff were aware that they do not have the product that customers were paying for or expecting. The camp is effectively a nice, remote, country hotel but as such it cannot compete with country house hotels at much lower prices. As a safari camp it cannot offer much : there is relatively little game in the immediate vicinity of the camp and it isn’t possible to access other areas.
As previously advised I believe Nomad should not be selling this and that they should provide a very substantial refund." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania

"Sand Rivers offers a big contrast with our trip to Serengeti as it is a permanent camp, wooded and set on a massive river.

The massive cabin was thatched with one side open to the river. It provided the largest bed we have slept in, attractive furnishings and an en suite bathroom with a monkey box to prevent theft of cosmetics. We were the only guests and the last guests of the season and they were still keen to please.

We particularly enjoyed the river safari which made a lovely change after 2 weeks in vehicles and the night safari also made Selous special." See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania

"We have visited Sand Rivers twice and both experiences have been fantastic.

Our guide both times is the best we have had in all our many camp and lodge experiences.

The staff is super friendly and every effort is made to assure guests have a great time.

The rooms are unique in that they are open (mosquito netting around bed) with a view of the river and hippos frequently roaming nearby. It's so pleasant having early am coffee and watch the monkeys on nearby trees." See all these reviews: 14n in Tanzania

"Sand Rivers is a beautifully situated camp overlooking the river.

The accommodation is wonderful - though the completely open front might be a step too far for some people! We loved being able to lie in the enormous bed, encased in the mosquito net and watch the stars! However the open front and the rain did mean there were huge numbers of insects in the room - though our army of friendly geckos helped keep them under control!

The communal areas are very attractive and comfortable and we enjoyed excellent meals - some at our own table and some with other guests and staff, including a very enjoyable Swahili BBQ. The swimming pool looked very inviting.

The staff were all wonderful, including the man who did our laundry perfectly, the chef, waiter and driver who 'appeared ' to cook our breakfast in the bush, and Hamsa, Bernadette and Sarah who kept everything running very smoothly and were good company.

Ernest, our guide, was excellent and took us on memorable drives and boat trips to lots of different areas of the reserve.
He was a bird enthusiast too so was the perfect companion for us." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania

"This was our second Nomad camp on this visit and very different to Kigelia .

SRC is one of the best we have visited over many years. Our accommodation was the size of a small house and excellent. We loved the view from our open room over the river watching crocs and hippos. The waterfall shower was great!

The staff are all very friendly and helpful, nothing too much trouble giving us a fantastic evening for our 50th wedding anniversary. Special mention of camp manager Bernadette and our guide Pay who gave us some new and interesting safari experiences." See all these reviews: 10n in Tanzania

"Sand Rivers Camp was luxurious and incredibly beautifully located on the Rufiji River. The setting overlooking the river with the hippos talking in the background was relaxing and a nice conclusion to a busy 10 days of previous safari adventures.

We requested less safari focus on the pursuit of big cats to more diverse viewing and activities. The accommodations were none short of spectacular with a gorgeous view of the river and outdoor living. The staff was superb and another opportunity for community dinners was a wonderful touch to get to know the staff, and the few additional guests, and lucky for us to dine with the founder of the camp and his son for two days. They shared many wonderful stories and contributed to the relaxing conversational tone of the evening.

We participated in a walking safari which was superb with a ranger/guide and our guide. The ranger/guide was fascinating to watch as he lead the way into the bush listening and keenly watching our surroundings for things of interest and potential dangers...he was spot on hearing a bird call alerting the lone buffalo of our proximity. We diverted our path and all was good!

Our guide was personable and exciting, however, his experience of fewer years was evident in the approach during drives sometimes chasing an animal or tossing a stick in the air to elicit a movement. This impacted our respect and trust in the guide, particularly regarding safety. While we were never put in danger, the concern existed that choices could be made with less than favorable results. The boating safari was very nice, but it was somewhat anxiety-producing due to the crocodile-infested waters and tenuous hippo behavior. Fishing was experienced with the catch of the day being three crocodiles!

The food and service were wonderful and the best hibiscus iced tea ever made was enjoyed! Sarah was most personable, kind-spirited, and interested in learning about the guests and how to best meet their desires.

All in all...a wonderful ending to a fabulous two weeks!" See all these reviews: 13n in Tanzania

"Well run camp in beautiful location.

We enjoyed all the activities. There was a good variety of game drives, walking and boating.

However we would have found it helpful to have a written description of the activities on offer when we arrived so we could have planned our stay better. For example, we were unaware that the hide/platform did not have any shade and had to abandon our visit there." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania

"The purpose of my trip was to return to Sand Rivers after 20 years. It was where my late wife and I honeymooned and planned to return on our 20th wedding anniversary. It’s a lovely camp in a wonderful location. The room was wonderful.

The camp was just at the end of the season and preparing to close. There was only one other couple there when I arrived and I even had the whole camp to myself for one night when they left and before another guest came in.

My guide was Johnny by sheer chance. It was the same Johnny who also guided my wife and I in Katavi back in 2018.

Days mostly consisted of long early morning game drives with breakfast in the bush and late afternoon drives with a sundowner in search of elusive predators. The area is very remote and you won’t really bump into any other vehicles unless they are from the same camp. The scenery is spectacular at this time of the year (my previous visit was in October 2003 when it was parched dry).

I did a morning river cruise which broke the monotony of banging around in a vehicle and gave a fresh view of the wilderness I was in. With plenty of crocodiles, hippos and birds to see. You can no longer travel as far up the river as the rapids as there is now a big dam with a hydroelectric generation plant currently being installed.

A night drive also gave a new slant on what was becoming familiar territory after 5 days. We finally caught up with the small local pack of wild dogs that Johnny had seen on the way to meeting me on my transfer day. First time I have seen dogs on a night drive, unfortunately they were gone in the morning. Possibly due to the lions calling in the night.

Food was of the high standard you would expect from a lodge of Sand River’s standing. With plenty of wine to accompany. Staff were very attentive and are always looking for ways to improve in the already excellent service.

The room was immaculate with a large comfortable bed and an open view of the river. I had bats visit me every morning to clean up the insects while I was having a wash." See all these reviews: 14n in Tanzania