Lion Sands River Lodge
Save
Share
Kruger National Park 1240 South Africa
Lowest prices for your stay
$2,003
$1,387
Orbitz.com
eDreams
Expedia.com$2,003
View all 15 deals
Prices above are provided by partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and do not include all taxes and fees. Please see our partners for full details.
Full view
View all photos (1,419)1,419
Room & Suite (292)
Dining (80)
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
#9 of 40 Specialty lodging in Sabi Sand Game Reserve
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Travelers' Choice
Family owned since 1933, this international award winning private game reserve spans across the world famous Sabi Sand Game Reserve and Kruger National Park. Lion Sands has four lodges; Lion Sands Ivory Lodge & Lion Sands River Lodge (Sabi Sand) and Lion Sands Tinga Lodge & Lion Sands Narina Lodge (Kruger Park). Each has a unique style, but is a reflection of Lion Sands' five-star signature of sophisticated interiors, unique experiences and service excellence.
Read more
Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Pool
Free breakfast
Pets Allowed ( Dog / Pet Friendly )
Free airport transportation
Spa
Concierge
Parking
Wifi
Pool / beach towels
Pool with view
Outdoor pool
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Complimentary tea
Special diet menus
Airport transportation
Full body massage
Massage
Gift shop
Mosquito net
Non-smoking hotel
Outdoor fireplace
Shops
Butler service
Private check-in / check-out
Dry cleaning
Laundry service
Ironing service
Show more
Room features
Bathrobes
Air conditioning
Private balcony
Room service
Safe
Bottled water
Minibar
Complimentary toiletries
Room types
Suites
Family rooms
Smoking rooms available
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
River View
Charming
Languages Spoken
English, Afrikaans
Location
Full view
Contact
Kruger National Park 1240 South Africa
Getting there
Rental CarsSee all Sabi Sand Game Reserve rental cars
1028Reviews36Q+A100Room tips
Reviews
Traveler rating
- 941
- 56
- 18
- 7
- 6
Time of year
Traveler type
Language
More
Selected filters
- Filter
- English
Popular mentions
+1
This stay was part of our honeymoon, which we unfortunately had to postpone for 2 years due to COVID...and I can truly say...this trip was absolutely worth the wait! Starting from a very warm welcome at the airport from our field guide Mitch (with whom we had so much fun trhoughout the whole stay!), and arriving at the lodge, where we were greated with drinks, refreshing towels and the most charming people that made us feel welcome and home from minute one. You won't be able to close your mouth out of astonishment of how beautiful this lodge is. When you look at the photos online...in real life its even more beautiful! The lodge as well as the rooms themselves are so beautiful, tastefully decorated and spaciouc with a nice modern touch, but not too much, to still keep the feeling of being in nature but in full comfort! Our bed had an amazing view directly on the bushes as it was facing the big sliding windows which did not hid anything from the spectacular view. Additionally we had our own pool and an outdoor shower, which gives you this additional amazing experience being in full nature with this luxury touch. What I loved is the attention to detail: when we came back after the morning drive, the room was nicely prepared for being used during the day with snacks and drinks being refilled and in the evening after dinner, the bed was nicely prepared with the moskito nett for sleep with bottles of water on the night stand...they really always thought about every detail to make our stay as confortable as possible. The game drives were obviously the highlight and this lodge has simply the most amazing, fun and moreover knowledgable field guides and trackers you could ever imagine. We had an absolute amazing time with Juice and Mitch, but all other guests which were on other cars were saying the exact same about their field guides and trackers. In the morning we would make a little coffe stop in the middle of the bushes always with some delicious cookies and in the afternoon we would have a drink stop with some nice snacks. Juice was always mixing some amazing cocktails for us. Apart from that, they were amazing in explaining us the wildlife and tracking down the animals, and I can say for sure, I haven't met a single person in the lodge which has not managed to see the big 5, having spend not mroe than 3 nights in the lodge. Apart from the game drives, the lodge offers soo many other things, such as the beautiful big pool, a very nice gym with view on the bushes, a spa, again with views on the bushes, the creative lab where you can work on your photos made on safari...and many more. Also...you will simply never be hungry in this lodge. Starting in the morning (5:30 AM before the first game drive) you will be greated with some delicious coffee or tea and some nice little pastries and granola yoghurt (or other nice things), once back from the game drive, you will enjoy an amazing breakfast with sooo many choices (warm or cold plates), you will have a great lunch, again before the afternoon drive you will get again some afternoon tea with super delicious canapees and then again amazing dinner with great choices...in one word, the food was AMAZING! Tasted so fresh, everything homemade, simply delicious! Once night they even arranged a super cool BBQ with a bonfire in the middle, where the local choire was singing and dancing, showing us the local culture, food and we were also invited to dance with them. I really hope I'm not spoiling too many surprises here (you will still have so many more, don't worry) but I think everyone that loves nature and would like to go on a safari and see the animals from close and learn more about the wildlife in an amazing environment should come to this lodge! You will not regret it a single minute, it is SO WORTH IT!!!…
Read more
Date of stay: October 2021
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Helpful
Lion Sands River Lodge in one word - AMAZING! Every single staff member at Lion Sands River Lodge was fantastic! Our butler Elliot was attentive, friendly and made my husband's birthday very special. Alice was also very friendly and helpful; it was an extra treat to learn the lodge offers photo imaging and printing and Alice knows her stuff. My husband, Michael and I have to give a special shout out to our guides, Lucia and Surprise..... they made our game drives top notch. Both were super knowledgeable, friendly, funny and made you feel like you were home, plus we saw the Big 5 and then some! It was hard to say goodbye to them and they will always have a place in our hearts. The staff, lodging, food, activities, etc. exceeded our expectations. This was a trip we have been planning for a long time and we are so happy we had chosen Lion Sands River Lodge. Thank you again for a trip of a lifetime! Kelly & Michael San Diego, CA September 2021 …
Read more
Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: September 2021
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Helpful
Not only are the accommodations five star, but it’s really the people at the lodge that make this place special. We got to know our Butler, guide and tracker well after four days and everyone was so cordial, attentive, and charming. I especially loved making use of the creative lab, which is where you can upload photos, edit, etc. Alice was so attentive, patient and helpful with showing me how to edit my photos and cull down my large photo collection. Our server, James, was charming and made every meal special since he knew our preferences. We also met the chef and hurt her sous chefs and the food and presentation are spectacular. Finally, you would be lucky to get Sylvester and Norman as your guide and tracker, as they work especially well together and were incredibly knowledgeable, funny, and shared many stories of their experiences in the bush. Would recommend this place without reservation! …
Read more
Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: September 2021
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Helpful
My friend and I had planned this trip for 2 years due to the pandemic. Our wait was not in vain. There are so many outstanding features of this resort that I don't have enough time to share them all but the highlights were the 4 Drives we completed in only 3 days and 2 nights. Our guide Lucia was amazing. She instilled in us such a love for the amazing wildlife that we left we a deep appreciation of the true "Circle of Life". She is truly wise beyond her years. Our Butler James was phenomenal. He took such special care of us and celebrated my birthday in such a spectacular way I was stunned and totally thrilled. This was truly a luxury vacation and every attention to detail was evident. It was worth every penny spent and then some! I left changed and am looking for ways to save the world one animal at a time. …
Read more
Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: September 2021
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Helpful
We booked Lion Sands after seeing many reviews and social media posts with it. We immediately felt drawn to it and couldn’t wait to experience it. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Sam & a few other staff members who immediately made us feel at home. We stayed at the River Lodge, in the River Suite. The room was beautiful, complete with a hot tub, outdoor shower, and private heated pool, overlooking the Sabi Sand River. We often saw animals, right from our pool & one day had a herd of elephants by the River. Astounding views. Our game drives- Raymond, our guide, and Juice, our tracker, stopped at nothing to get us to see as much as we could in our few days there. They went above and beyond, Juice even searching by foot after seeing Lion & cub footprints in the dirt. We knew, if Juice saw tracks or signs of an animal being near, he was right and it wouldn’t be long before we saw them. Raymond & Juice were highly knowledgeable and their years of experience definitely showed. Sam, our receptionist, very friendly and was able to accommodate all of our requests. Dani, in the photo lab, was able to edit our photos and even offered to email them to us completed, as we continued our journey. After game drives, we always came back to a clean room, mosquito net down, ready for relaxation after a long day of drives. Lion Sands staff made us feel at home & often brought tears of happiness to our eyes. This trip was truly a dream come true. They are the best of the best. Thank you for making us feel like family. We cannot wait to be back. …
Read more
Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: September 2021
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Helpful
PRICE RANGE
$1,461 - $2,131 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
lion sands river hotel sabi sand game reserve
LOCATION
South AfricaKruger National ParkSabi Sand Game Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
18
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Lion Sands River Lodge
What are some of the property amenities at Lion Sands River Lodge?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at Lion Sands River Lodge?
Top room amenities include a minibar, air conditioning, and a mosquito net.
What food & drink options are available at Lion Sands River Lodge?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Lion Sands River Lodge?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Lion Sands River Lodge?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Lion Sands River Lodge have an airport shuttle?
Yes, Lion Sands River Lodge offers an airport shuttle for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Is Lion Sands River Lodge located near the city center?
Yes, it is 0.08 miles away from the center of Sabi Sand Game Reserve.
Are any cleaning services offered at Lion Sands River Lodge?
Yes, dry cleaning and laundry service are offered to guests.
Are pets allowed at Lion Sands River Lodge?
Yes, pets are typically allowed, but it's always best to call ahead to confirm.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Lion Sands River Lodge?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Afrikaans.
Does Lion Sands River Lodge have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the river view available here.