Lion Sands Game Reserve

We had an amazing stay at Lion Sands River Lodge. The location is absolutely stunning, overlooking a busy section of the river where wildlife was always passing through. The rooms were beautiful, spotless, and extremely comfortable — a perfect place to relax between game drives. A special shoutout to our field guide Gus and tracker Noel, who truly made the experience unforgettable with their expertise and enthusiasm. We can’t wait to visit again — a truly special place in the heart of the Sabi Sands!

Wonderful from start to finish . On arrival it was very hot and we were lucky to see at least 30 elephants in the river below the lodge - amazing . All staff were great but particular shout out to our guide and tracker Gus and Noel who really made the trip special. They were so knowledgeable - saw all the big 5 , nothing too much trouble and super engaging and fun . Thank you .

As close to a perfect experience as possible. We also went to two camps in Botswana, and this was our favorite by far. Don't let anyone (especially a travel agent) tell you that this is a lesser experience or not a real safari because it is on a private reserve. In our experience, this was much better than the Botswana camps that used government parks. We saw a wider variety of animals (all the big 5), we got incredibly close and did not have to deal with many jeeps from competing properties. Literally only two suggests: (1) offer more than one dessert at night; my wife missed chocolate, (2) offer conditioner, not just combined soap/conditioner.

This was my and my husband's first trip to South Africa and first safari, and wow! what a way to start. We can't wait to return. From the moment we were meet at the airport until the time we departed it was just an awesome experience. While out on safari, our guide Jason and our tracker Abraham were exceptional. Yes, we saw the Big 5, but we saw and learnt so much more about this beautiful part of the world. While at the lodge, our butler Given was amazing - attentive to our every need. It was amazing to just sit the large balcony area overlooking the river and watch the wildlife pass by. Our room was superb - large, very comfortable and clean - with wonderful views over the surrounds. We did an overnight stay in treehouse - this just took the whole experience to another level, and I would highly recommend you add it to your stay. A big thank you to all at River Lodge Lion sands for making our introduction to safaris in Africa so amazing. We cannot wait to return.

Absolutely unforgettable stay. The lodge itself is stunning - so luxurious, and everybody is so friendly and caters for your every need. Everything from the itinerary, staff, food and amenities were 10/10. The game drives were outstanding and we saw the Big Five all within 20 minutes! Special thanks to our Guide (Raymond), Tracker (Amu), Butler (Eurence), Housekeeper (Sindile) and Intern Guide (Jess), who are all amazing at what they do. Thank you Lion Sands for making our bucket list holiday a dream come true! :)