Lion Sands River Lodge

4.9 /5
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Based on over 1000 Verified Reviews.

Overview

Lion Sands River Lodge is located in the renowned Sabi Sand Game Reserve. Sabi Sand borders the world-famous Kruger National Park; together, they form 2.7 million hectares of protected wilderness. Game roams freely between the reserves, creating one of Africa’s most bio-diverse wildlife populations.

Explore the area on morning and late afternoon game drives in the care of experienced rangers and trackers. Encounter the Big 5 as well as - if your luck is in - magnificent wild dog and cheetah. Leopards are the main attraction in the Sabi area, which boasts an unrivalled record for the regularity and quality of sightings.

Departing at sunrise for your first game drive makes the bountiful breakfast on return to the lodge very welcome. The best digestive aid is a guided nature walk, which provides a refreshingly intimate perspective on the bush. African afternoons are designed for utter relaxation: lounge at the pool, soak up the views of the Sabie River from your suite, or indulge your senses at the spa.

Highlights

  • In the private Sabi Sand Game Reserve
  • Expert rangers & experienced trackers
  • See the famous Sabi Sand leopards
  • Encounter the Big 5 & African raptors
  • Spacious suites & private viewing decks
  • Superior dining & service
  • Sublime spa treatments & relaxed atmosphere

Activities

  • Bird watching
  • Bush dining
  • Game drives
  • Guided walks
  • Local village visits
  • Picnics
  • Private game-drives
  • Specialist guides
  • Star gazing
  • Children's activities
  • Wine tasting
'The staff here are very professional and welcoming, from the lodge manager and ranger to your butler. I recommend leaving your door open at night with the screen closed so you can hear the hippos and nightjars from the comfort and safety of your beautiful suite.'
Liesel van Zyl

Liesel van Zyl

Product Manager

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Rooms

Luxury Room

A total of twenty suites make up the accommodation at Lion Sands River Lodge. All offer fantastic views over the Sabie River from private wooden decks. The air-conditioned suites also feature king-sized beds draped with white mosquito netting, and full en suite bathrooms with stand-alone bathtubs and showers. In addition to a mini-bar, every suite also has Wi-Fi connectivity. Four of the lodge's rooms, known as the River Suites, offer all the facilities of the Luxury Rooms, with the added advantages of private pools and outdoor showers.

Superior Luxury Room

The Superior Luxury Rooms are particularly spacious and offer all of the facilities of the Luxury Rooms, with the added advantage of an outdoor shower for star-lit ablutions with a view. Two of the six Superior Luxury Rooms are inter-leading and perfect for families with children older than 10 years. Like the Luxury Rooms, the bedrooms feature king-sized beds with draped mosquito nets, which may be made up as twin beds, and full en suite bathrooms with separate toilets.

Facilities

The communal areas at this lodge are exceptional, offering guests a comfortable lounge and bar with a charming fireplace. Relax in the open-air safari lounge, take a dip in one of the two swimming pools, or enjoy excellent birding from a secluded hide.

The magnificent River Deck is built out on the Sabie River and offers the perfect spot to sip a tall drink and unwind over pleasant conversation. For the ultimate in relaxation, select a wellness treatment from a range of spa therapies, to enjoy either in the privacy of your suite or at the Lalamuka Spa.

For guests who are avid photographers, the lodge offers a photographic studio where you can edit your safari snaps and even print your favourite images.

Dining

Enjoy uniquely African dishes with a gourmand twist from the lodge’s celebrated kitchen. Delicious delicacies include zebra and black cherry potjie, and crocodile kebabs with a lemon-butter and apricot sauce.

Dine in the intimate River Lounge and the authentic open-air boma, or allow the staff to prepare a secluded haven for you in wilderness to feast beneath the stars.

General facilities

  • Child friendly
  • Restaurant
  • Wine cellar
  • Spa
  • Swimming Pool
  • Bar
  • Gym
  • Wi-fi available

Rates

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Special

Linger Longer

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R71 400 per person sharing
Save 25%
Description

Stay 4 nights and only pay for 3

All inclusions

Accommodation in a Luxury Room

Fully Inclusive

Valid for travel: 1 November 2023 - 29 February 2024 (excluding peak)

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Dates Board Price
2023-01-04 — 2023-12-19 Fully Inclusive Plus (All Meals, Selected Beverages, Selected Extras) $1,125
2023-12-20 — 2024-01-03 Fully Inclusive Plus (All Meals, Selected Beverages, Selected Extras) $1,410
2024-01-04 — 2024-12-19 Fully Inclusive Plus (All Meals, Selected Beverages, Selected Extras) $1,295
2024-12-20 — 2025-01-03 Fully Inclusive Plus (All Meals, Selected Beverages, Selected Extras) $1,620
2025-01-04 — 2025-04-30 Fully Inclusive Plus (All Meals, Selected Beverages, Selected Extras) $1,400

Our rates are per person sharing unless we note differently. Please treat all pricing as a guide only:

  • All rates are subject to availability and may change without notice.
  • Single supplements may apply.
  • Request a quote or speak to one of our African Safari Experts for the best, most current rates available.
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Traveller Reviews

Lion Sands River Lodge
AT

Ashley Tracy

Lions Sands River Lodge was terrific! The animals at the lodge were magical. Loved the time of year to visit! No bugs! Going on guided safari rides is the way to go! I can’t imagine seeing a tenth of what we saw without them. This is another thing th at I would love to do again! We were blown away by all the animals we saw - all of the Big 5!
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KW

Katherine White

We loved the Lion Sands River Lodge with their top-notch service and our fantastic guide and tracker Mitch and Abraham. The rooms were beautiful and the staff were amazing. Our night in the tree house was quite an experience and beautiful to be out t here in the wild. We also saw the Big 5 during our stay.
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TR

Tyson Rodriguez

Lion Sands River Lodge - we were absolutely speechless at the service, the game drives, the food, the staff, the knowledge, everything. We had the best guide/tracker combo. We had a private vehicle for almost the whole trip, and they catered each dri ve to what we had already seen, what we were looking to see, and what other trackers had spotted. They provided us the ability to see everything we wanted and more, up close and personal! There was one drive alone where we saw all of the big 5, plus several other animals we were interested in seeing! The lodge, as I'm sure you're aware, is excellent, and they took care of every detail for us. This was the most amazing experience of our lives.
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JT

Julie Taylor

The staff in the lodges and luxury tents were all so friendly and attentive and made our stays so enjoyable. The night in the treehouse in Sabi Sands with a picnic dinner, full moon and a cheetah sitting at the bottom of the tree house was absolutely magical. We are so thankful we used Go2Africa to book our first African experience and have no hesitation in recommending you to anyone wanting to visit Africa.
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JM

Julia Mitina

"Lions Sands River Lodge - that was fantastic!! The staff, rangers and trackers all are very professional and friendly."
JB

Jette Blankholm

"Lion Sands was amazing - loved the lodge, the people and the game drives."
TL

Tomas Lucena

We were mostly fascinated with the Sabi Sands and all the amazing wildlife that we found there! We saw the big five two times in four days, besides other incredibly interesting animals, and our ranger and tracker were fantastic. Besides, the Lion San ds River Lodge was everything we hoped for and more and the staff great!
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AB

Amy Booth

"We had an unforgettable experience at Lion Sands River Lodge and were blessed to see the Big 5."
KB

Ketan Bhindi

"Incredible! Our tracker, ranger and butler made our stay amazing."
PO

Phyllis Ohlemacher

All was perfect from the service to the room to the food. The "maxi-bar" was included and I loved the French Press. I had wondered if we would have decent coffee and we did. Our guide, Ale, She knew everything and was willing to share and in fact ended up being the best guide we had! Plus, important to us that they had the fitness center. I quickly found out that safari-ing is a lot of time sitting in a vehicle and then eating great meals and drinking great wines...ome day we hope to return.
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AM

Ann Musser

We had a wonderful trip. Everything about it was great. This was my sixth African safari and the best of all overall. That says a lot because each has been a fantastic experience. Both lodges were quite nice. Lion Sands Lodge was quite luxurious and we felt pampered the entire time. The staff at both lodges were friendly and very accommodating to the girls food preferences. The rangers and trackers at both lodges were excellent and resulted in our viewing some less seen animals.
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DW

Dan Walsh

Lion Sands - This was hands down the best service I have ever had on vacation. The entire staff was warm, welcoming and always extremely helpful. Our butler Jabulani was absolutely amazing. The resort was also amazing and totally over-delivered on our expectations. The room was beautiful and each night they left us a very nice note on the bed for our honeymoon. The food was top notch, always served promptly and this goes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The grounds were another treat, so calm and relaxing I wanted to freeze time and drink iced tea on the couch all day. Our guide, Mike, was also fantastic. He came recommended and I’m glad we rode in his vehicle. He knew EVERYTHING there was to know about nature, the animals and the area that I must have asked 1,000 questions over 3 days. This was a trip I’ll never forget and if I were to ever return to Kruger I would make sure I book well in advance to stay at the River Lodge again. We stayed in the Chalkey Tree house one night and that was a night to remember. The accommodations at the tree house were fantastic, comfortable.
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CL

Clive Lubner

"Lion Sands was perfect. Our rangers were exceptional and we got a lovely welcome basket from Rob More whom we actually saw on the plane."
JC

James Cumming

"Lion Sands was out of this world."
MM

Melanie Maxwell

"Lion Sands River Lodge was wonderful - the service fantastic, our ranger and tracker brilliant and we were lucky enough to see the big five and more, including wild dogs (which apparently is rare)."
SZ

Sara Zabihi

The hotels were all top notch. No issues whatsoever on that front. The service and quality at each location was great. No qualms with referring any of these places moving forward. Lion sands was incredible and the game drives were awesome. I think th e 3 days was the perfect time to spend there
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JG

Julie Gatrell

"Lion Sands is such a beautiful accommodation, so relaxing and the safaris was amazing, saw so much."
PM

Pamela Mehra

"The Lions Sand Lodge and safari was the highlight of our trip. The lodge was beautiful and they made our safari experience unforgettable. We did see the big five, had amazing an room and great food. The staff was excellent."
AG

Ashley Ganz

"We had a wonderful time & would highly recommend!"
LL

Laurence Levy

Lion Sands is great. The rooms are lovely, and very comfortable. The staff were great. Our ranger and tracker were very knowledgeable and very friendly, and obliging. Our drives were fabulous. The food is very good and we had a lovely butler who reme mbered our likes and allergies. We saw a lot of game (the big five), but not an abundance. There had been a lot of rain, the bush was very thick and we couldn't go off-road until our last day.
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MS

Meredith Sharoky

We LOVED Lion Sands, and thought they did a great job with every detail of the experience. The accommodations, the food, the atmosphere and the staff were all top notch. The game viewing was amazing, and we really couldn't have asked for anything m ore out of the safari experience. We loved the little breaks on the game drives with snacks and drinks. We also had a breakfast out in the bush with elephants walking around -- was really beautiful! There were animals walking around right outside of our room, so even during the down time of the day, we could see more wildlife! I was so sad when our stay at Lion Sands was over because I thought it was one of the most special experiences of our life.
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JM

Joao Mata

The Lion Sands River Lodge you've proposed to us is simply magnificent. Always taking care of the tiniest detail for us to be satisfied. We were treated like kings. The game drives were simply out of this world. We never had been so close and inside Mother Nature, and the drivers/guides had very good knowledge of the environment (class A professionals). Two of the dinners we've had were awesome (one of them was outside the lodge, ... simple magnificent). Although we are not prepared yet to sleep outside in the jungle (for example in the tree houses) someday, I think, we will try them. There was also a great care in our security/safety that made us feel like "family".
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KT

Krista Thompson

I have been meaning to drop you a line to let you know how much we enjoyed our trip to your beautiful country. Everything went perfect. All connections went smoothly and our transfers that met us to get to our next destination were all on time and very nice people. Lions Sand River Lodge was the ultimate adventure. I would highly recommend all the places we visited and have recommended you to our friends. Thank you for a trip of a lifetime!
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DD

Deborah Daly

We had such an extraordinary trip to this point that we were wondering how Sabi Sands could possibly top all that we had seen to this point. However, Lion Sands was such a special and luxurious time that we were absolutely blown away! The resort was an absolute dream, so beautiful and so comfortable. The team there were exceptionally professional, we were made so welcome and it was an exceptional place to view the Big 5! We were so very very fortunate to view the Big 5 in our first afternoon drive and each and every day beyond that provided us with the most amazing opportunity to see so many animals so close and so much more than we ever expected. Every day out on safari with Sly and our tracker was just amazing. We learnt so much about the animals and the region and had a great laugh with fantastic hospitality throughout. The sundowners were superb! One thing I do also want to say is that we weren’t aware before arriving the extent of the gourmet experience that we were to expect at Lion Sands. EVERY meal was EXCEPTIONAL!! I am an ex-hospitality professional mostly in 5 star hotels and I was AMAZED at the food and hospitality that we experienced throughout! Janine and the team are to be congratulated on the job that they do in such a marvellous location. Each meal was arranged to be different for the experience and the food – treehouse brunch out on the drive, outdoor bbqs, river side candle lit dinners all with fantastic food. Our thanks too for the lovely bottle of champagne that was awaiting our arrival from you and the Lion Sands team; what a lovely surprise!
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MAB

Mary Ann Bernard

"It was great! we really enjoyed our trip.... The lodge was very nice, the staff and/or service was excellent, and the food fantastic.... we really didn't want to leave...."
CM

Chris McAndrew

My personal highlight of the trip was our Safari at Lion Sands. I cannot say enough nice words about that property, and the only bad thing about it was that we couldn't stay forever. We managed to not only see the big 5 multiple different times, but also had the unique opportunity to see the baby Lions, Elephants, Hippos and baboons. It was surreal.
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JC

Johanna Chang

"We had an amazing time on the trip and are grateful that we had your expertise in booking critical segments of it. Lion Sands was a really beautiful reserve."
AR

Ariel Ritchin

Lion Sands lodge was unreal and our days were jam-packed. We were woken up each morning at 5:30 AM to go on our first game drive of the day, and saw the Big Five (lions, leopards, water buffalo, elephants and rhinos) after our first three drives. In terms of game-viewing, the two highlights (of our lives) were 1) sitting in a car 6 feet below a leopard and her cub as she chowed down on a bush buck in a tree, blood dripping down onto the front of our ranger's car and 2) taking an outdoor shower as a journey of 11 giraffes hopped right on by. The meals were AMAZING and we went on hippo drives and nature walks through the bush, where we were surprised with champagne! We were also surprised with a 'Happy Wedding Anivesssay" spread on our bed. Ashley, our awesome travel agent, told Lion Sands we were "madly in love" and that was one of the things they decided to do for us. We also had meals out in the bush, and spent a night in a ridiculous tree house while lions and hyenas hung out below. Ariel was scared. Cailey had no problem running down to search for a fallen toothbrush.
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JM

Jaclyn Madgy

I LOVED the Lion Sands Safari Resort. We had a wonderful room decorated with flowers, candles, and a pre-made bubble bath. It was very romantic. The food was delicious as well. Overall, the staff was great. At one point, I thought I got a tick b ite, but it was a false alarm. The manager and several workers on the property continued to check up on me throughout our stay. Our safari driver and tracker were amazing! They knew everything about the bush and the animals. They had a great sense of humor and were very modest regarding their talents. I was impressed with their knowledge and skills. They made me feel comfortable and I was able to enjoy this once in a lifetime experience. This was truly the best part of our trip!
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KS

Kelly Sporich

"I was very pleased as a vegetarian that I was treated like a 'normal' diner at Lion Sands. It was refreshing."
JC

Joyce Collier

We had a marvellous time! Everything worked out very well, from the transport to and from Joburg airport to Lion Sands (we had a driver named Vincent who was absolutely lovely) to the accommodations and welcoming reception at Lion Sands. The safari r ides were top notch, and we found our ranger (Kenneth) and tracker (Levy) to be incredibly knowledgeable, delightful to interact with, and fun. We saw MANY animals, and the experience was one of the best vacations we have ever had.
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TS

Terri Seargent

OMG!!!!! I am still dreaming about this place!! So unbelievably beautiful. The staff are outstanding!! The food was over the top awesome, the accommodations were spectacular and the 18 hours we spent on Safari are some of my greatest memories of my e ntire life! Nicole our guide was truly amazing, so full of knowledge and willingness to give us anything we asked for. We were with 2 other couples who made each hour even better. The pics and video I have already have circulated facebook and I have been asked to enter some of the photos into a contest. From Sunrises to sunsets, to Lions, elephants, leopards, giraffes, hyenas, buffalo, wildebeest and the many, many antelope types as well as the birds, trees bugs... everything... IT WAS A TRULY AMAZING EXPERIENCE!!!!
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MW

Mauricio Wroclawski

"Lions Sands was also very good and the game drives there were amazing. We saw lots of animals."
MC

Matthew Clark

"We both agreed that this was the absolute highlight of the entire trip. Lion Sands was perfect for what we wanted to do and see. The staff, rangers, trackers, food and accommodations were all top notch."
LCB

Lori Cross Brisnehan

"Lion Sands River Lodge was fabulous! The staff were great and the food was really good. They actually upgraded us to Ivory Sands for our last two nights, which was amazing!"
KN

Karen Newell

Lions Sands River Lodge was truly wonderful and staying in the Treehouse was a perfect way to end our safari part of the holiday. It's worth doing (but try and pick a night closer to the new moon, other wise the moon is very bright with no stars). Every Lodge and it's staff were so attentive, friendly, helpful, smiling and sincerely wanting to make our stay perfect. They gave Mark a wonderful surprise birthday dinner celebration and had a bottle of champagne for our anniversary.
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EN

Elsa Nunes

"Lion Sand River Lodge is a fabulous lodge because it has: - a fantastic team (ranger, tracker, housekeeping, butler, etc. - a very good service - several incredible different dinners - very good safaris In general an incredible hotel."
MM

Mike Mignano

The safari was probably our favorite part of the trip, just because it was such a unique experience for us. Lion Sands simply blew us away. The property, the staff, our guide, tracker, etc. Everything was perfect. And we saw the big 5 on our first ga me drive! We didn't want to leave.
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DZ

Dave Zimmerman

Lion Sands was spectacular! I can't say enough about the staff. Ivory Lodge was beautiful BUT we found ourselves wanting to visit and talk with many people and River Lodge had more of that (for privacy and seclusion - Ivory could not be beat and we d id meet some great folks there).
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KT

Khim Tan

Lion Sands - exceeded our expectations. We were assigned to a ranger by the name of Jona and tracker Bheki who are passionate about their jobs. They were my personal national geographic channel for the 4 days we were there. As a result of their passi on and their own curiosity about animals we were lucky to track and witness an actual kill - leopard killing a baby elephant. It is an experience I will not forget. The lodge - extremely grand and top notch. Having a river at the back of the lodge allowed us to relax and enjoy the animals during the day. Food was good. Highly recommended.
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SH

Sheila Holloway

"The Lion Sands was beautiful we did stay in the tree house and that was something to behold the sunset and sunrise.The Ranger was knowledgeable and the animals up close, the food was great."
GB

Gulbin Brown

"Lions Sand was just unforgettable. We have even seen leopards mating right in front of us which was even extraordinary for the rangers as apparently it is a very rare experience even for them."
SYH

Sze Yean Hoe

"Lion Sands was very nice and the Trevor / Juice were just fantastic - they were the ones who found the leopard and the lion."
GP

Gaurav Patodia

I cant speak highly enough of this place. The rooms might have been a bit small, but the game viewing, service, etc exceeded all our expectations. Our ranger (DJ) was excellent and we were very happy with the staff being extremely accomodative to all our needs, especially with my wife being a vegetarian. I'm generally not one for repeating a lodge/destination for vacation, but i might have to make an exception on this place.
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MB

Malcolm Bridges

"Everything was perfect. Service and facilites at Lion Sands were first rate, 10 out of 10. Expectations met, and in case of Lion Sands exceeded."
MaLH

Malcolm and Linda Holland

Probably the highlight was at the Game reserve, very well looked after, and seeing the animals in the wild was a great experience for us, even though we had to be up at 5am each morning, it was exciting. So I think you did a very good job in organizi ng all this for us,
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