|
If
holidays
to you
are
about
seeking
out
secret
places,
undiscovered
by all
but a
handful
of
independent
and
inquisitive
people
who are
willing
to pay
for a
truly
absorbing
and
exclusive
bush
adventure,
then
Sand
vers
Selous
is an
African
gem that
you
can’t
afford
to
overlook.
There
are
eight
large
and airy
double
or
twin-bedded
cottages,
each
with its
own
spacious
bathroom.
Beds are
four
postered
with
soft
mosquito
netting
which
ties
back
during
the day.
Each
cottage
is
open-fronted
with an
expansive
veranda
set on
stilts,
giving a
stunning,
private
view
over the
river.
Electric
lights,
overhead
fans and
hot
water
are
solar
powered
The
central
building
is large
and airy
with
plenty
of space
to sit
and
relax on
comfortable
sofas
and
armchairs,
or in
the
shade of
the
Tamarind
tree on
the
veranda.
The
building
is open
fronted
onto the
Rufiji
and has
stunning
views
across
the
endless
flow of
water.
The bar,
complete
with
a mass
of
bottles,
fresh
juices,
mixers
and ice
is
tucked
into the
corner
of the
sitting
room
where
you are
free to
help
yourself
at
anytime.
The
polished
mahogany
dining
table at
one end
of the
room -
the
harvest
of an
enormous
tree
washed
down the
river by
a storm
- is the
focus
for
lunch
and
dinner.
Generally
breakfast
is a
moveable
feast
with
guests
either
eating
early in
the
lodge or
having a
bush
breakfast
later,
under
the
shade of
a tree.
There is
a bird
and
animal
reference
library,
along
with a
selection
of
African
books
and
novels
Outside
the
central
mess
area is
the
swimming
pool,
set into
the
rocks on
the
river's
edge and
shaded
by
an
ancient
Baobab
tree,
thought
to be
more
than
1500
years
old.
Here
there is
a
veranda
and soft
chairs
to relax
in.
WalkingHere
you have
the most
rare
opportunity
to walk
in the
largest
untamed
wilderness
on
earth,
using
skill,
stealth
and all
your
senses
to creep
up on
creatures
large or
small
and
discover
the
intricate
workings
of bush
life,
impossible
from a
car or
boat.BirdsYou
can sit
in the
evening
sun on a
lake-side
with
your
binoculars,
watching
kingfishers
hovering
above
the
water,
long
legged
waders
sifting
the mud
for
morsels,
and fish
eagles
calling.The
Rufiji
River
You can
float
silently
down the
mighty
Rufiji
River,
past
pods of
shiny
hippos
and
sunbathing
crocodiles,
the
riverbank
lush
with
palms
and rich
with the
call of
monkeys.ComfortsYou
can
savour
the
sunset
on a
ridge
over the
river,
icy
drink at
your
elbow,
or
breakfast
in the
bush,
table
set in
the
shade of
a tree
and
laden
with
tropical
fruits,
cereals,
eggs and
bacon.RelaxingYou
can tuck
yourself
into an
armchair
on a
veranda
overlooking
the
river
and
doze, or
busy
yourself
with
book,
binoculars,
or
sketchbook.
You can
lie in
the cool
waters
of the
swimming
pool
shaded
by an
ancient
Baobab
tree, or
take a
fishing
rod onto
the
rocks
and
spend a
leisurely
hour
tempting
tiger
fish, or
luring
catfish
(which
make
delicious
pre-dinner
bitings).Diverse
LandscapesThere
are
thick
riverine
forests
heavy
with
palms
and
creepers;
wide
expansive
grasslands;
the
waters
of the
Rufiji
itself,
teeming
with
life;
hardwood
‘miombo’
woodland
carpeted
with
grasses
and wild
flowers;
soft
hills
and
ridges
hiding
oases of
hot
springs
and
pools;
marshy
wetlands;
a myriad
of lakes
and
streams
fed by
the
river,
and the
dry
meandering
sand
rivers
themselves
after
which
the
lodge
was
named –
each
habitat
home to
a huge
diversity
of
wildlife.Flexibility
&
IndividualityYou
can do
and see
bits of
all of
these
things
every
day if
100%
action
is what
you’re
after -
on foot,
by boat,
in a
Land
Rover or
a mix of
all
three.
But the
point is
that
Sand
Rivers
has a
diversity
of
landscapes
and game
that
knows no
bounds,
and is
run to
give you
the
utter
flexibility
to do
what
exactly
what you
want,
when you
want.
You can
do
nothing
or
everything,
on your
own or
with
kindred
spirits.
Your
only
additional
companion
will be
your
guide,
and the
only
constant
will be
the
comfort
of the
lodge –
the
barladen
with
bottles,
juices
and
buckets
of ice;
your
luxurious
bed; a
hot
steaming
shower;
and an
evening
spent
across
the
polished
mahogany
dining
table
recounting
your
day’s
stories
and
adventures.
|