Lion Sands Game Reserve

I would not revisit this resort. For the price they charge, they put all their money and energy into the resort and not what really matters. Staff was friendly and helpful. Room was extremely cramped. Rating food 3 out of 5. Guide/tracking services 3-4 out of five. Lodge is large and attractive, but I’m not there to spend my time in their lounge. We had NO view from our room. Patio chairs are uncomfortable Adirondack chairs with NO cushions. Also, chairs for dining were incredibly uncomfortable. I would not return.

Our Sabi Sands experience at Lion Sands River Lodge was superb and we really cannot fault it! We saw all of the Big 5 and many more beautiful animals over the course of our 3 night stay and the 5 game drives that we did. Thanks must go to Gus our driver and Noel the amazing tracker who led us in particular to lions, leopards and rhinos. The lodge is run by a fantastic dedicated team who all go out of their way to look after you and are all really “on it”. Special thanks to Lucky who hosted us in the relaxed restaurant at every meal time and Sandra our housekeeper. We treated ourselves to a massage which was also excellent. The food was delicious, good quality and healthy. It truly is a very special place and we highly recommend it for the best safari experience.

We stayed at River Lodge, Lion Sands Game Reserve for my wife’s 60th birthday safari. Wow, what an experience, from the arrival at Skukuza airport to our departure by track/road to White River! Truly a magical place, with exceptional rooms, facilities, food and drink but above all else was all the staff who made it such a magical week. We went on 8 game drives with our Guide Rector and Tracker Amu, along with some great people we met and enjoyed their company in our vehicle which only seated 6 people plus Guide and Tracker. Each game drive lasted approx. 3 hours with coffee stops in the morning and sundowners in the evening both out in the bush. We saw and learned so much thanks to Rector and Amu from insects, plants, birds and of course the animals but also astronomy! The food and drink on offer was superb and we were lucky enough to experience two barbecue evenings during or stay which were both great events to attend. It was truly a memorable week and the best way to experience safari in South Africa.

One of the most unique, wonderful and memorable places we've ever stayed. From booking through to departure the team were friendly and helpful, the lodge is beautiful with a fantastic view of the river, the food is tasty, the drinks are free flowing, and the game drives were phenomenal. Absolutely recommend a visit to River Sands! Jess (our guide) and Andries (our tracker) were enthusiastic, passionate and phenomenally talented, they led us to multiple big five sightings and created many magical moments in the bush. While sightings can't be guaranteed, Jess and Andries did everything they could to ensure the odds were favourable, all while looking after us wonderfully. The Sabi Sands location means minimal other jeeps, and the ability to move into other nearby private concessions, which we did twice to view lions. We couldn't believe how close we were able to get to the animals, and how many times we saw the big five! The whole team at River Lodge were a delight, they made an effort to know us personally, and anything we needed was happily provided. Cliff, our butler, always greeted us with a smile and looked after us well. During a private boma dinner (an incredible experience) he had the specific wines we'd each been favouring on standby already - it's small details like this that make the difference. The food and drink was generous and delicious throughout our stay. We requested room 19 (a river suite) in the hope of good sightings from our plunge pool - within the first hour of arriving we'd seen a leopard, by the end of our four nights we'd seen three of the big five from our room (elephant & buffalo too), along with plenty of other animals. The room itself was also gorgeous, with plenty of thoughtful details, and fantastic views from the bathroom and outdoor shower. The pool was quite shaded throughout the day, this wasn't an issue for us but might be for some people, I think other rooms may get more sun but being the furthest room from the main lodge the animal viewing was excellent and that's what we most cared about. We would return to River Lodge in a heartbeat, thank you to the whole team for our incredible trip.

This was an absolutely brilliant experience at Lion Sands Game Reserve. The facilities and all the staff were excellent. The highlights were all of the drives through the reserves and the many animals we saw at close range. A wonderful trip to South Africa which we hope to repeat.