A four-generation family lodge on its own 7,000-hectare reserve, and the only private access to the perennial Sabie River.
01 / 09
Overview
Four Generations on One River
The only private reserve with direct access to the perennial Sabie River, shared with Kruger.
Lion Sands River Lodge stands on the bank of the Sabie River within its own 7,000-hectare reserve in the southern Sabi Sand, and the family behind it has been setting the standard for private safari here across four generations. The water is what makes it: this is the only private reserve with direct access to the perennial Sabie, shared with Kruger National Park, and permanent water in a dry landscape concentrates wildlife in a way seasonal rivers cannot. Elephant regularly bathe within sight of camp.
A night in a treehouse, if you want one. The Chalkley and Kingston treehouses are open-air sleep-out platforms in the reserve — a bed, a view, and nothing else between you and the bush.
7,000 ha
Private Reserve
4
River Suites With Plunge Pools
2
Star-Bed Treehouses
4
Generations of Family Ownership
Suites
Suites Above the Sabie
Luxury and superior suites plus four river suites, all with private decks over the water.
River Suite — Lion Sands River Lodge
01
Luxury & Superior SuitesAir-conditioned throughout, each with a private wooden deck looking onto the Sabie River.
02
River SuitesOne- and two-bedroom suites with a private plunge pool and expansive decks over the water.
03
Chalkley TreehouseThe original sleep-out platform, with panoramic views across the open plains.
04
Kingston TreehouseThe more indulgent of the two, raised over the treetops for a night under nothing but sky.
Experiences
Leopard Country
The Sabi Sand traverse is among the finest big-cat viewing anywhere on Earth.
Signature
Twice-Daily Game Drives
Open vehicles with an FGASA-accredited ranger and a Shangaan tracker working as a pair.
Big Cats
Habituated Leopard
Sabi Sand leopards are deeply habituated, which turns a glimpse into a long, close and unhurried sighting.
On Foot
Guided Bush Walks
Tracks, plants, insects, geology and behaviour at ground level. Minimum age 16.
After Dark
Night Drives
Serval, genet and African wild cat emerge once the sun is down and the spotlights come out.
Wellness
Spa & Riverside Pool
A health and beauty spa, gym and pool for the middle of the day when the bush goes quiet.
Dining
Boma & Bush Dinners
Dinner beneath the stars in the traditional boma, or set out privately in the reserve.
Dining
Dinner Above the River
Fully inclusive dining, served on the deck, in the boma, or out in the bush.
01The dining deck overlooking the Sabie River
02The traditional boma, for dinner beneath the stars
03Bush breakfasts cooked in the open after a morning drive
04Private bush dinners set out in the reserve
Dining Deck — Lion Sands River Lodge
Location
Sabi Sand Game Reserve
The southern Sabi Sand, on the western boundary of Kruger National Park.
Set on a private 7,000-hectare reserve within the greater Sabi Sand.
The only private reserve with direct access to the perennial Sabie River.
Skukuza Airport is the nearest commercial gateway, roughly 25–40 minutes by road.
Minimum age 10 years at the lodge; 16 years for bush walks.
Fly
Johannesburg to Skukuza Airport, roughly an hour, on scheduled daily services.
Drive
A 25–40 minute lodge transfer from Skukuza to the reserve.
Arrive
Lunch on the deck, then an afternoon game drive.
Sabi Sand
The River Makes the Difference
Permanent water, habituated leopard, and a family reserve four generations deep.