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Sand Rivers Selous

Open-fronted rooms that really make you feel like you are completely in the wild.

Fall asleep listening to the sound of the hippo in the river below each night.

Reached by daily charter flights from Dar Es Salaam, Ruaha, Zanzibar and northern Tanzania.

Facilities at Sand Rivers Selous

Bar
Boutique Shop
Game Drives
Restaurant
Swimming Pool
WiFi

When to go to Sand Rivers Selous

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Best
Good
Not Ideal
Closed

The lodge has been built in a style that really allows guests to appreciate their beautiful surroundings. Every part of it is open at the front, merging the life of the river and the camp together. Whether you’re relaxing on the veranda of your room, enjoying a drink in the lounge, or cooling off in the swimming pool you’ll be surrounded by Kingfishers, Bee Eaters and countless other bird species and enjoying the steady grunting of the hippos on the river below you.

Each of the 8 bedrooms is vastly spacious allowing the cool night air to flow through during the heat of the summer. The cottages are on raised decks and are built of stone with thatch roofs and enormous beds in the middle of the room surrounded by billowing mosquito nets. Being completely open at the front the rooms allow you to wake up each morning to the sight of the river. Comfort is a priority here and the en-suite bathrooms have hot and cold running water, flush toilets and powerful showers to ensure you aren’t roughing it in the slightest. 3 of the cottages are slightly larger than the others, with a bigger living space and a small plunge pool each, these are the Hillside Suites.

Activities are varied and your guide will discuss with you each evening what you’d like to do the next day and you can plan together accordingly. As well as game drives the lodge’s location right on the riverbank means that their boat safaris are particularly popular, as are trips to Stieglers Gorge and the Hot Springs. One of the highlights of Sand Rivers is their Flycamping experience, where you’ll spend a night out really under the stars. It’s incredibly popular though so must be pre-booked and does cost an additional charge.

Sand Rivers Selous is located in the vast Selous Game Reserve, Africa’s largest game reserve. Covering an enormous 21,1000 sq miles the reserve is set in southern Tanzania and has countless rivers and lakes running through it that ensure fantastic wildlife year-round. The lodge itself is set right on the banks of the Rufiji River, where the river rounds a lazy bend and the lodge is set just above this on the escarpment. Sand Rivers Selous was in fact the first safari lodge to open in the Selous Game Reserve and as such they had the pick of locations within the reserve so guests can be very confident that they are in the best possible spot. 

Being a Nomad camp the guiding and service here is truly excellent and you can expect your candle-lit dinners each evening to be inventive and truly first rate. The chef does a particularly good fillet steak, the equal to which we haven’t yet come across in the bush. In our opinion though Sand Rivers is made so special, not by the excellent guiding and wildlife in the area, or even the delicious food, but by the actual rooms at the lodge themselves and the extent to which they bring you back to nature. Each of the cottages is completely open to the elements at the front so you hear the sounds of the bush and the rivers below incredibly clearly as you are drifting off to sleep. The rooms are raised up on the riverbanks so very safe and there is a mosquito net around the bed to keep the bugs away. Whilst it might not be the best choice for anyone with an insect phobia we can definitely say that for everyone else you will love the sounds of nature all around you during your stay.

8 Open-Fronted Thatched Cottages

Complimentary laundry provided

Charging facilities available in main areas and bedrooms. WiFi with limited bandwidth available. There is mobile phone coverage but please note that it is patchy and not guaranteed. 

Children over the age of 8 are welcome at Sand Rivers although the minimum age for bush walks and fly camping is 12. 

Game drives
Walking safaris
Boat safaris
Bush breakfasts and dinners
Fishing
Trip to the Hot Springs
Visits to Steiglers Gorge
Visit Lake Tagalala
Fly Camping (additional cost)
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