Reviews of Sand Rivers Camp

"Fantastic camp, immaculately managed by Michelle.

The location and rooms were stunning and the food was wonderful.

All the staff were very friendly and we had an excellent guide in Ernest." See all these reviews: 10n in Tanzania

"After our wonderful experience at Kigelia, we headed to Sand Rivers for the remainder of our trip. Combining Kigelia and Sand Rivers was a perfect combination because Sand Rivers offers different types of activities such as boat safaris, fishing, along with game drives. We were fortunate to stay in 2 suites that had private plunge pools. The rooms were gorgeous with fabulous views. Our son and daughter (15 and 12) thought these accommodations were 5 stars and the fanciest place they've ever stayed! Sand Rivers overlooks the river with tons of hippos and crocodiles. The hippos were fascinating creatures that watched us as we fished on the banks of the river. There were other small animal sightings around camp, including monkeys, civets, and a bush baby.

We saw similar animals on game drives in Selous including elephants, giraffes, lions, and many birds. And a few hyenas that were taking naps on the road. The terrain in Selous is very different from Ruaha, so the two safari locations provided contrast. Dayo, our guide, was so knowledgeable about Selous (his father was a Selous ranger and now he is a guide) and had an eye, especially for birds. He brings a well-used Birds of East Africa book with him on game drives but didn't need it most of the time as he was like a walking bird encyclopedia. He was a fantastic fisherman (we went fishing twice) and helped each of us catch at least one fish, which the chefs cooked up as an appetizer for dinner.

The food at Sand Rivers was just as wonderful as Kigelia. The vibe is a little different as this is a larger camp with a more permanent structure. Eric, the camp manager while Michelle was on holiday, was gracious and so interesting to have dinner with. The staff were all very friendly and provided great service to guests. We also had a great fly-camping experience that I will review separately. We overall loved Sand Rivers and really enjoyed the combination of the 2 Nomad properties." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania

"The location of Sand Rivers Camp is at a fantastic bend in the Rufiji river - and there is more to see than hippos although it is great to see them in this big river compared to shallower locations.

We visited mid-July 2019. Our guide Ernest was fantastic in his ability to spot wildlife and flora as well as his knowledge base. Our first 1/2 day guide (not Ernest) was not to our liking and the managers immediately accommodated our request for a change.

Would highly recommend this camp!" See all these reviews: 7n in Tanzania; 3n in Zanzibar

"A beautiful riverside setting and our room was one of the best we have ever stayed in. (We didn't mind sharing it with the frog in the wardrobe!!) A stunning view of the river with our own little outside deck where we had sundowners on our last evening.

The bar area was very attractive and we loved dining looking out over the water. The staff were very attentive and Michelle always did that bit extra to make us feel special.

We also considered ourselves fortunate to have Promise (not sure of spelling) as our safari guide. His knowledge of animals and birds is very comprehensive and we were impressed by his ability to spot something 30 metres away whilst driving over undulating terrain! And his command of English is excellent. We particularly enjoyed the boat trips and trip to the hot springs.

We would have liked a safe in our room. A really unusual swimming pool!" See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania; 4n in Zanzibar

"A really super Safari camp with the right mixture of wild life drives, boat trips and walks. Michelle and her team were very attentive and dined with us guests every night.

Our guides, Joel and John were really knowledgeable about all the flora and fauna, and we became great friends. Our excursion to the hot springs was fun and Joel videoed us with my iPad in the pools, much to our embarrassment when we showed it to our friends and family.

Bernie the chef produced really delicious meals washed down by good South African wines.

Only one suggestion. As the weather was very much hot (40 Celsius) and humid, it would better to dine under the fans rather by the pool which we did a couple of times." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania

"A bit of luxury to enjoy. No restrictions on what we wanted to do, with our own guide throughout and Godfrey was delightful as well as being a very good spotter.

We did driving safaris, drive then bush walk, fished, boat safari and time to chill out in camp ,as well.

Michelle, the Manager, was very friendly and welcoming. She made sure everyone was okay, always on hand to ensure you were happy with everything." See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania

"Sand Rivers was a busy camp but extremely well run with a wonderful atmosphere.

It was evident that a lot of thought had been given about pairing people up for the safaris. Michelle and Julian were extremely good hosts and were sensitive to the changing dynamics of the group as characters came and went.

We saw wild dogs and, most unusually, a civet cat who stayed still long enough to be photographed.

Would definitely recommend." See all these reviews: 18n in Tanzania

"Sand Rivers is clearly a well established and slick, professional operation.

The rooms maybe are becoming just a tad tired but not to any significant extent.

Superb guiding (Edward) and such a pleasure to have the option of river safaris too. The trip to Stieglers Gorge is unforgettable with so many hippos and crocs, lions on the banks etc etc.

Having been to Beho Beho some years ago, Sand Rivers for me rates much higher." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania; 5n in Zanzibar

"See before.

[Ed: see below]" See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania

"This is a repeat visit to Sand Rivers for us, and every bit as good as expected.

Part of the attraction here is the Rufiji Gorge boat trip. Whilst we failed to see Pel's Fishing Owl (reserved for the honeymoon couple staying in camp!) we had some excellent osprey and Colobus monkey sightings.

The highlight was a fly-camp, sleeping (very well) under a net on a very comfortable bed roll, with the 'car-door slam' of hunting crocodiles in the nearby lagoon to remind you where you are (don't worry, the tents are well back from the shoreline)!" See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania