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.