Sand Rivers, Greystoke and Chada - great company culture

While we both enjoy the traditional East African tented camps it is fair to say, we much preferred the set up of Sand Rivers to the other lodges we stayed in.   This is not to say we didn’t find these lodges excellent  .... standard of accommodation, attentiveness of staff, quality of guiding, flexibility, food etc are all first class

The overall style of Sand Rivers is, to our mind, a complete winner.    Steve and Lynn are excellent hosts ..... (I know that this might be hard to accept given their Australian origins !!)... but we loved them.   One of our minor gripes about other lodges is that they tend to run them more like up market hotels ... individual dining arrangements ... personal butlers .... hierarchical management structures.

Sand Rivers by contrast, is what we love in an African safari lodge.   Communal dining is a great opportunity to exchange information and views with other like minded world travellers.  Steve and Lynn seem to have introduced the best of all worlds .... communal dining available every night (hosted by both of them), but  with the option offered every morning to have a private table if that’s what individual guest(s) prefer ... perfect.  Everything else about the camps you will find in the individual reviews.

Just as an aside, on a previous trip to Tanzania, we stayed at Greystoke and Chada, both of which I understand are owned/ operated by Nomad. We thoroughly enjoyed both camps and have fond memories of our visits there.    Everything we enjoyed about both these camps was also obvious at Sand Rivers so it is obviously a company “culture”   Well done.  
DM - November 2010 

Sand Rivers - simply amazing

Just wanted to thank you very much for my stay  at Sand Rivers 10 days ago – it seems far too far in the past now, though it was simply amazing!  We had one night in camp and the other out fly-camping which was wonderful, and of course brilliant to experience both.

Thought the food was very good at both the camp and out camping – and loved the way you ate individually at lunch but together in the evening – nice to mix it up.

The fly-camp set up was brilliant – we did ours by Lake Tangalala and it was lovely.  We loved hearing the crocs snapping up the fish and counting their red eyes!  I guess it is something for those who have a slightly adventurous streak to them, but definitely something I will be encouraging clients to experience.
Eleanor - Tim Best Travel - October 2009 

Nomad Tanzania - it's all about the guides

We have read so many great things about Nomad Tanzania - guides are really important to us when we travel and NT guides are certainly highly regarded.
ES - October 2009 

Serengeti Safari Camp - Att Paul

Here are a couple of the photos we promised. Hope all is well with you. Thanks for a great trip. You were definitely our "numero uno" guide. The next two guides weren't nearly as good as you!!
RT - October 2010

Serengeti Safari Camp - terrific guides

Paul and David were both terrific guides.  Paul, as you know, picked us up at the airstrip and took us immediately to the river.  We were witnessing our first crossing within minutes.  Paul managed to get us there before other vehicles joined.  We had a really good half day till the evening and then settled into our wonderful tents and enjoyed drinks round the fire and a great dinner.
Paul had told us that the second day, he would have to get us back to the camp by 4 pm as he had to pick some-one up the following morning and needed to make the two hour drive that evening.  I was disappointed because it meant we were not free to do as we chose on that day and would miss the evening drive.  Naturally we started early, and had an amazing day, going right up to the border with Kenya where we took some funny photos on the boundary.  We saw lions in the morning, and again Paul found these and we were the only ones for a good half hour before others arrived.  We witnessed the crossing again that day.  At nearly 4, I said to Paul ‘don’t we need to get back?’ and he said he had decided to stay on with us and leave early the following morning to pick up his other clients.  We were of course delighted so by the time we had finished we really had had a very full and amazing day.  We found Paul not only a great guide but a really delightful companion too.  If we were to come again, we would love to have him as our guide.
The third day, we knew we had to wait until 11 as David had to drop clients at the airstrip.  We had checked and there was no opportunity to do anything except wait around the camp site.  It was fine, and we enjoyed our rest, and were all ready to go at 11.  However, David did not arrive until 12.30. He explained that he had had two punctures and had had to get replacement tires.   We were disappointed about the delay but I suppose that happens.  We set off, witnessed the crossing again and went north of the river for our picnic lunch.  The day was interesting and David was, like Paul, an excellent guide.  As the afternoon wore on, David heard that a leopard had been sighted and we went looking for it.  It was getting late and it seemed like we had missed it, but then David spotted it up in a tree in the distance.  It was wonderful, we were the only vehicle and we watched it from close quarters for a good 20 minutes.  We were very late back to camp and were grateful to David for staying out as long as he possibly could.
CL - October 2009 

Sand Rivers Selous - fly camping

Great experience which we are so glad we did.  Beautiful location next to a lake and the staff couldn't have looked after us any better, food was again excellent.  A real experience knowing that there were so many crocodiles, hippos within 20-30 metres of where we were eating, sleeping in the pitch black!
JC - October 09

Sand Rivers - seamless

Just a quick email to say thank you very much indeed for organising such a wonderful and seamless trip. They had a wonderful time and loved Sand Rivers - it was a real highlight and were pleased to see some excellent game. They thought that the lodge was "fantastically luxurious" and "everything was done to a really high quality".  Please will you pass on our thanks to all those involved at Sand Rivers. 
FF - September 2009 

Serengeti Safari Camp - our all around favourite

First ...Nomad tented camp Ngorongoro highlands
The service and staff completely made this section of the camp , July is cold in the crater and a hard time to have a nice tented camp ,the weather was misty and cold but the staff were so eager to please and there was so much attention to the detail of the camp that the grahams voted the team by far the best that we encountered. They were very obviously proud of ther camp , very eager to please and made us feel welcome and at home . HUGE effort for Charlies birthday including cake , dancing and hairpaint ! Jairo was very easy to work with and did  his best in every way the vehicle was very well thought out and comfortable for full day excursions . Packed lunches were excellent every day , great variety and beautifully presented. Meals were very very good as well. A suggestion would be some extra blankets or even duvets for this time of the year when in the highlands though I realise there are not many camps there.
GF - August 2009 

Greystoke Mahale - probably perfect

"Firstly, we have to say that Greystoke is probably perfect. Our favourite place on the planet and I don’t really see how it could be improved much. Of course, the eternal dilemma of conservation is very prevalent there – with the issues surrounding the fragility of the chimps and their habitat - and this accentuates the feeling of privilege which is so often forgotten on most safaris.
September 2009

Sand Rivers - great success

Sand Rivers was also a great success ... whilst not quite to the same standard as Mnemba in terms of food and service (prob not fair to compare though), the lodge was in a stunning location on the river (with hippo snorting and elephant rampaging around the bush within eyeshot) and Lynn and Steve (the managers) and all the other staff (including our guide, Anaphi) were all very friendly and helpful.  You also got a true sense of being in the bush, being much more remote than other safari camps I have been to before and also having the option to do a number of different activities - game drives, boat trips, fishing, walking safaris etc - all of this was in my brief to you so I can safely say that you found exactly the type of place I was looking for - well done!

One of the over-arching impressions we both felt was how hospitable and friendly all the managers/staff were and how proud they were of their respective lodges - there was a real sense of staying at someone's home which made our stay in each place all the more special.

So, in summary, it was a great success!  Many thanks for organising such a great trip for us.

AP - August 2009 

Nomad - it just got better

Apologies for the delay in replying, and yes, I had a great time in Tanzania. Nomad took very good care of us, and each place we stayed seemed even more beautiful, exciting and remote than the last! I have wonderful memories of descending from the clouds into the breathtakingly beautiful expanse of the Ngorogoro Crater, of the dawn sunlight catching herds of impala on our balloon ride, and the sunset overlooking the Serengeti on our night-time game drive in Nduara Loliondo. Unfortunately our first guide, Paul, came down with malaria, but drove valiantly all the way to the Serengeti Safari Camp nevertheless. And once there, Halifa took over and gave us the most wonderful safari with his encyclopaedic knowledge of everything from the tiniest termites to the stars! The itinerary was really well planned and gave us an ideal mix of animals, landscapes and experiences. 
CA - September 2009

Serengeti Safari Camp and Sand Rivers Selous

You will be pleased to hear on a Friday afternoon that the Rees family had a whizzo time with Nomad recently. SSC came up trumps as always and Cornelius was a great asset. The yurts were nice but a bit noisy in the wind…

Masaa at Sand Rivers came in for particular praise, his English was amazing too.

They saw mingi lions, some chasing hyena out of some rocks, had the best night’s sleep on the fly camp and even got a river crossing or two. All in all a very happy family who have been hooked by proper wild Africa.
MB - September 2009

Serengeti Safari Camp -

Overall our experience was amazing.  The arrangements, the comfort, the guides, the Serengeti, the animals, and most especially your hospitality were superb.  We are already planning to come back in a few years, hopefully to your new permanent camp site, and we have already recommended Nomad and you to a number of friends.  As to your specific questions -- flights and greeting and transfers were fine.

Arriving at your airport is magical -- good word for it.
The camp was comfortable, beautiful, perfect.
Catering and housekeeping was great as well.  Food excellent; everyone working for you is gracious and competent and interesting.
Our guides -- Halifah and Godwin -- were smart, bright, fun, and most helpful -- an important part of our experience.
It's hard to say there was one person better than the rest, although we spent most of our time with Halifah and we felt most fortunate to get to know him a bit.  The Clays felt the same way about Godwin.


I'm in the midst of processing the hundreds of photos we took -- close to a thousand -- and plan to send you some high resolution images that you can use in brochures or advertising if you wish (no charge).  In the meantime, if you'd like to use us as a reference, please do so.
SF - September 2009 

Sand Rivers Selous - truly special

The main lodge and individual rooms were beautiful and well appointed. We had sweeping views of the river from each room. Everyone was friendly, helpful and welcoming. We arrived with my daughter quite sick and they were helpful and accommodating with everything, they checked in on her while we went on a game drive and made her special meals once she could eat. We were lucky they weren't fully booked and could accommodate us staying and extra half day, including meals, a walking safari and river safari. They clearly read the form we filled out -  we had champagne and celebrated our birthdays and graduations with a special Bush Baby dinner. Every meal was excellent. We enjoyed the Sundowner, Bush lunch and breakfast at the Garden. Our guide was Goddy (I don't have the spelling correct), he knew everything about everything and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with him. He took us on river safaris, walking safaris and game drives. We rarely saw any other guests while we were on our safaris. The only time we saw anyone from another camp was after a four hour drive. It was not until we completed our entire trip that we realized how truly special  and unique the Selous Reserve and Sand Rivers lodge were to our trip to Tanzania . We really got to touch,  see, smell and feel Africa from the Lodge and the Selous.
CF - September 2009 

Greystoke Mahale - did not disappoint

We did have some apprehensions before coming to Mahale as we had great
expectations and were not sure how we would take to the chimps. Suffice to
say, Mahale and Greystoke did not disappoint.
The camp is located in a fantastic spot and the palatial rooms are full of
character and intricate details.
But no doubt, the chimps are the star attraction. We were lucky to get very
good sightings every day of our stay and while the trekking can be a bit
strenuous, it was still doable for the unfit (ie. us).
The crystal clear waters of the lake are especially appealing after a
morning's hiking and just relaxing by the beach is a great complement (or
even alternative...) to the chimp trekking. A cool cocktail by the lake and
a wholesome dinner perfectly rounded off our days and it felt almost unreal
to head back home from this fantastic place.
TH - August 2009

Chada Katavi - the highlight of our safari

Katavi was probably the highlight of our safari - great game and untouched
by tourism and modernity, it truly feels like a world away from modern life.
The concentration of hippos, crocs and buffalo was truly incredible and the
varied, untamed landscape of plains and woodland serve as a great backdrop.

Chada blends in perfectly into this landscape as highlighted by the frequent
camp visits of all kinds of wildlife and we really got the feeling of being
immersed in this wilderness. 

One can see how much thought has gone into every little detail of this
remote outpost, from the tents to the library tent and the comfortable
4-seater vehicles. Food was great, service flawless and camp managers Nicola
and Peter made you feel very welcome every step of the way and their
personal attention only added to the experience.

Regarding the much written about Tse-Tse flies - we felt that they were a
distraction during the afternoon activities, but not really a major issue -
and the camp itself is free of them.
TH - August 2009

Sand Rivers Selous - more effective than wrinkle cream

Our flight to Sand Rivers was diverted to Beho Beho because of problems with the air strip, but it turned out to be a bonus because Edson our guide had located a pride of lions devouring a zebra which he took us to see on the way to the lodge - it was a great introduction to the Sands River Area.  The different environments, lakes, river, bush and marsh ensure a great variety of birds and animals and Sands River provide a great variety of ways to see and enjoy them which are really well organised.  Won't say too much it will spoil the surprise!.  Edson was a great guide, excellent driver, boatman and spotter who greatly added to our enjoyment of the holiday and kept us safe. 

Drifting through the Stigler gorge was lovely -so peaceful - it would be a great shame if this part of the river trip was stopped - hopefully Sands River can come to some arrangement with their neighbours.

Early morning tea and coffee was a nice touch, especially if you were having a late breakfast.

If you go into the hot springs make sure you drink as soon as you come out otherwise you may feel a bit queer.

In summary Sands River is a great place difficult to sum up in words - much more effective than wrinkle cream!!!
DW - August 2009

Serengeti & Loliondo

We ADORED our stay in Northern Tanzania.  Loliondo was total bliss, fabulously caring camp staff, wonderful tents, exciting night and day walks, night drive, interesting visit to the boma.  Chedi, our guide, was fantastic and we really enjoyed having him around. The Serengeti camp was wonderful as well. Again, great staff, loved being by the river and game viewing from the tent, listening to lions roaring as we had dinner and while we fell asleep.  Amazing sunrises, sunsets; we were lucky enough to see the wildebeest hordes crossing the Mara which is a sight I shall never ever forget - what an experience that was!

The children and my father adored it as much as Ant and I did.  All were enthused from the moment we got up in the morning (and 6am starts are hard for teenagers!) until we fell into bed at 9.30pm. They were so enthusiastic about the people we met, the Nomad staff who became their friends, the amazing array of animals we saw and ticked off in the book on Tanzania we brought with us.  Chedi was fantastic with them.  My father was looked after so well by all the Nomad staff who delighted in calling him Babu - and he managed to do all the walks, driving etc with no problems and loved every single minute.  The food in the camps was wonderful and I managed a visit to the "kitchen" at Loliondo and had a nice chat with the lovely Nelson and his colleagues too.

Saying goodbye to Chedi and leaving the Serengeti was really sad - I have to admit to shedding a few tears secretly once we got into the plane at Kleins airstrip!

AW - August 2009