I was here with my wife and two close friends at the height if the migration. I have been to the Mara on several occasions over the last 15years and stayed in many different lodges. While overall I did not find Sand River to be one of the best lodges, I did find that the location (away from much of the main crowds) and the wonderful guides, who will try to satisfy your every game viewing wish, are what gave this camp it's value. At a $1000+ per couple per night I would normally be less forgiving of the mediocre food and less than 4 star service. The pier 1 style furnishings of the tents, and the decks that were so over grown you had no idea if you were actually on a river would also had been off putting, if I had actually spent any time at all in my tent other than to change for dinner and sleep. Lets face it you do not come to the Mara primarily for a gastronomic experience or to spend time in your tent. If I had a fantastic day viewing game from sun up to sun down then frankly I could sleep anywhere. What set Sand River apart from other lodges I have stayed in was the willingness of our guide to cater our experience to exactly what we wanted. Up at 530am out until 2pm, back out at 4pm until 715pm no problem. Out all day with a packed breakfast and a packed lunch, no problem. You want to go look for birds and avoid the mass of land cruisers following the 4 cheetahs, no problem. You want to sit in a herd of wildebeest for 2 hours and just watch and listen to them, no problem. We came to the Mara for the wildlife and to get close to nature, on that the Sand River guides delivered 100% and made up for all the rest.

Just spent 4 nights at this wonderful lodge. George is a very great lodge manager. Lauren was a big help also. The migration is right outside the property! Wildebeasts were everywhere! if you are lucky enough to have Gerald as your guide you will see everything and anything. Very knowledgeable and great at spotting animals hidden all over! The tents were a very nice size, had a fan if needed,which we did during the day and nigh times were very comfortable. You can have meals whenever you like. Joseph took care of us and placed us different places each day to eat. I was not feeling well one day and he came to our tent multiple times to check to make sure I had enough fluids and toast and whatever else I may have needed! He was super. Our mealtimes flew due to the great service he provided. Really enjoyed the food! If you can arrange to visit during the migration it is extraordinary. During the night the elephants would visit and sometimes the buffalo! It was always an adventure! A great place for a base for viewing amazing amounts of wildlife. Being on the sand river it draws the animals in. You can also sit on your porch at look at the Tanzanian hills! Very pretty. 2 of us took a balloon ride and they were very impressed. All in all a great experience and wouldn't hesitate to visit again.

Our guide Mohammed had an amazing wealth of knowledge about wildlife , his timing and instinct for wildlife drama was amazing. The camp creates a community feel and the hospitality team takes care of every detail without the neurosis of a hotel .