Lion Sands River Lodge is situated in the Lion Sands Game Reserve – one of Africa’s truly unspoiled wilderness areas, where the private Sabi Sand Game Reserve meets the world-renowned Kruger National Park. The lodge is the Eden of the More family’s youth and the first Lion Sands’ lodge to welcome guests, who between visits have married, become parents, and whose children have grown and now come to stay. In recent years the lodge has undergone a renovation that has introduced a new sense of brightness and space – where lovers and families come together and share extraordinary experiences. This is a place for making memories.
Images
Video
360 Panoramas
Rooms
Facilities
Activities and Services
River Lodge ReceptionCredit: DookPositioned in the shade of a 300-year-old Jackalberry tree, welcomes guests to our new Sabie riverside sanctuary.
River Lodge GalleryCredit: DookWith a Safari Boutique and spiral staircase leading up to a Creative Lab, where guests can transform their photographs into works of art.
River Lodge Firepit LoungeCredit: DookA relaxation area for pre-dinner drinks and tales told under the stars.
River Lodge Guest Swimming PoolCredit: DookProviding welcome respite from the heat of the day, and an ideal spot to watch animals coming down to the Sabie to drink.
River Lodge BarCredit: DookA place to pause between safaris
River Lodge Guest LoungeCredit: DookWith panoramic windows and fold-back glass doors, allows guests to fully appreciate the natural setting.
River Lodge River SuiteCredit: DookOne of four exclusive waterside havens for both couples and families, each with its own plunge pool and deck offering the best game-viewing seats in the house .
River Lodge River Suite BedroomCredit: Dook
River Lodge River Suite bathroomCredit: Dook
River Lodge Luxury RoomCredit: Dook
Dining Room
Breakfast on the deck
Gym
Aerial view River LodgeCredit: Dook
Aerial view River LodgeCredit: Dook
Walking safariCredit: Lion Sands Game Reserve
Kids on safariCredit: Lion Sands Game Reserve
Vehicle tracking LionCredit: Lion Sands Game Reserve
Lions on the bridgeCredit: Lion Sands Game Reserve
ElephantsCredit: Lion Sands Game Reserve
HipposCredit: Lion Sands Game Reserve
Chalkley TreehouseCredit: Lion Sands Game Reserve
Kingston TreehouseCredit: Lion Sands Game Reserve
Gourmet food
Gourmet food
Food and Wine
Outdoor dining - Boma
Gourmet food
Gourmet food
Gym
Gym
Gym
Outdoor dining - River bed dining
Spa
Spa
Spa
River Lodge
Breakfast
Guest dining area
Creative lab
Creative lab
Creative lab
Breakfast area
Pool dining setup
Gallery
Guest area
Guest area
Chalkley Treehouse
Chalkley Treehouse
Kingston Treehouse
Lion Sands River Lodge 360 Virtual Tour
Lion Sands River Lodge 360 Virtual Tour
8 Luxury Rooms have bathroom en-suite, lounge area with mini bar and wooden deck from which to appreciate the wilds beyond.
6 Superior Luxury Suites are larger in size, and have ample open-plan bathrooms and outdoor showers - 2 sets are interleading, and are therefore ideal for families.
3 River Suites are located further from the guest areas and are therefore more private. They have incredible river views, best appreciated from the expansive decks. River Suites also have outdoor showers.
1 Family River Suite is located further from the guest areas and is, therefore, more private. They have incredible river views. The suite has 2 bedrooms with interleading doors, and are therefore ideal for families.
Property Facilities
24-hour Security, Bar, Eco Friendly, Gym, Internet Access, Library, Mobile Connectivity, Pool, Secure Parking, Spa
Room Facilities
Air Conditioning, Balcony / Deck, Complimentary Wi-Fi, Dressing Gowns, En-Suite, Fan, Hair Dryer, Internet, Mini Bar, Outside Shower, Safe, Shower, Tea / Coffee
Services
Airport Shuttle, Credit Card, Foreign Exchange, Laundry Service, Room Service
Africa has been called the greatest show on earth, and Lion Sands presents a safari that plays out like a highlights reel. Our reserve conserves 5 000ha (12 500ac) of a habitat that is home to the highest and most diverse concentration of wildlife in the southern hemisphere. You will see all of Africa’s iconic species – lion leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, hippo, and zebra – along with a supporting cast of no less intriguing 137 mammal species and over 450 varieties of bird. Our safaris present an adventure that is wild, and then some!
Being entirely private, Lion Sands offers you an intimate safari experience. With only six guests to a game viewer and exclusive traversing on our reserve, you’ll have minimal encounters with other people. Though compelling sightings do attract more attention, the number of vehicles here is also limited. This ensures the animals aren’t put under stress and you are able to spend more time with them, observing their natural behaviour. While you are out exploring, you will by no means be roughing it. Your game viewer has cushioned bucket seats, waterproof device holders, blankets and ponchos – and stops off in a scenic spot for drinks and snacks.
These are our after-breakfast walks on the wild side. For those who wish to experience the bush, not just observe it, there is no better guided excursion. You are dropped in the thick of things and all five senses engage… Feel the scrub crunch beneath your feet, touch a velvety acacia seed pod, hear the crack of a branch indicating you are not alone, and spot the game appear just metres off – exhilarating! This is also a wonderful opportunity to encounter the smaller creatures, often missed on safari vehicles, and to discover more about the reserve’s plants – many with fascinating medicinal properties and traditional uses.
The African landscape stretches as far as the eye can see at Lion Sands, and we knew we had to find a special place to capture and enjoy its vastness and splendour. Guy Aubrey Chalkley once set up camp in a majestic centuries old Leadwood Tree to escape predators roaming the plains below.
We decided that this would be the ideal place to build the ultimate bush bedroom, the Chalkley Treehouse. The treehouse is a secure and lavish platform under the African stars, with all the comforts that a guest can experience at a five star safari lodge.
We take our guests to the tree house at sunset, where drinks and a scrumptious picnic dinner await them.The hours of African dusk can be enjoyed relaxing and absorbing the vastness of the bushveld as it transforms from day to night, before turning in for slumber beneath the incredible night sky.
Make your way through rows of magnificent white boulders and across a small drawbridge, and you will find Africa opening up in front if you. Set amid the pure and untouched wild, you will be surrounded by African bush and uninhibited wildlife at its best.
The Kingston Treehouse is constructed entirely from wood and glass, with contemporary décor in understated hues of greys, white, black and purple. No matter what the weather has in store, you will have a safe and luxurious setting with a unique window to enjoy the ever-changing views. In fact, we defy you to find two identical African sunsets.
The 60m2 Treehouse is situated about 5 minutes from the main lodge, and you will have radio contact with the rangers, should you choose to. You will also find some cellphone reception; but don’t expect any wi-fi in the bush. Kingston is equipped with full bathroom and shower facilities, and Africology products to complete your sensory experience.
Enjoy a dinner of tapas or a full meal with Champagne, under the splendor of an African starlit sky.
From boma feasts to safari refreshment stops, dining promises to be a highlight – for all our guests, with any dietary requirement, including kosher, catered for. Our chefs transform local recipes into contemporary dishes, giving you a taste for Southern Africa. Paired with premium wines from the Cape, dining becomes an experience. Our wine tastings are also a favourite of connoisseurs and dabblers, alike.
In our experience, being well taken care of inspires a fundamental sense of well-being. And how better to indulge than with luxurious accommodation, wholesome food, and spa therapies? We favour Africology products, instilled with the belief that self-care brings balance. So with our massages, wraps and facials, we promise a wellness experience to rejuvenate your body, quiet your mind, and revitalise your spirit.
Lion Sands together with More Community Trust assists our local Huntington and Justicia B villages, and you can get involved, too. Take a community tour, the proceeds of which go to our development projects here, or roll up your sleeves to help out through our Get Your Hands Dirty initiatives.
These centre on education, infrastructure, health and environment, and you can choose the area best suited to your skills and interest. These are extraordinary social experiences that bring you to the heart of Southern Africa to make your own and others’ dreams come true.
Your Stay
3 Nights
Fully Inclusive - Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities
All Local Brands (Spirits, Wine and Beers) Included
Fast Facts
Safari Lodge
Spoken Languages: English
No. Rooms: 18
Special Interests: Big 5, Birding, Flora, Nature, Relaxation, Star Gazing, Wildlife, Wine