Sand Rivers Selous – Selous, Tanzania

Summary Despite being late and missing out on our lunch and afternoon tea on our arrival day the staff met me and Sam, my guide and friend with open arms. I have to point out that there are plenty of lodges in Africa that sadly treats the guides badly. For instance, some lodges don’t let the guides eat together with their clients - this is a true story. However, Sand River Selous is not among those lodges. They treated Sam like a guest and that gave me a great impression of the lodge from the start. Michelle, the manager always made sure we had everything we needed. The staff was attentive and friendly. The food was superb and I didn’t have to worry about my dietary requirements. My room was always clean despite the open access to all animals and insects. I didn’t see one single spider during my stay. My sleeping experience was quite adventurous, it took me closer to nature which I loved. The bed was comfortable and the duvet was thick. You see, I always get cold during the night so the extra solid blanket kept me warm. There’s no wifi in the room, only in the main area where the swimming pool is located. I have to say it was slow and unstable. The water in the bathroom is heated, however, the first drops are cold so I let it run for a few minutes till it gets hot. The water comes from the river so they advice us not to drink it. There were water bottles in my room which was filtered by reverse-osmosis and was safe to drink and use when brushing my teeth. We spent half a day on a cruise safari. We had a picnic on the sand banks of the Rufiji river. Can you imagine that there were crocodile and hippo trails around us while indulging our delightful breakfast? This was definitely one of my most adventurous morning meals yet to date! Thank you Sand Rivers Selous / Nomad Tanzania for having us.