Days 7 - 8 - Sand Rivers Luxury Camp - The Selous Game Reserve

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Day 7 -

As Anton has just said to me the only word to describe Sand Rivers is WOW!!!! The place is absolutely stunning, with views over the river and amazing suite bedrooms, Sand Rivers quickly became our favourite place in Africa.

We were met by our guide Emanuel after a quick final drive from Lake Manze with Adam and Daniel. We had been due to meet under a HUGE baobab tree but when we arrived a pride of lions had taken residence there - Manze really was the lion place for us.

Emanuel was great - incredibly experienced and full of information so our 2 hour drive to Sand Rivers was great. The landscape around the area was very different to Manze; much rockier and lots more trees - leopard country if ever I saw it so we were crossing our fingers to find a spotty cat.

The lodge really was completely out of this world - very luxurious and it is now my aim in life to be able to afford a full week there! We arrived in time for a delicious lunch and then decided to have an afternoon off from safari to just enjoy the beautiful views from our suite, and then from the bar. Drinking sundowners whilst watching the hippos play in the river below us was a wonderful way to spend our first day at Sand Rivers.

Dinner was really lovely, like a 5* restaraunt, and we sat as a group with Jenny and Craig (a couple from Oregon) and Lisa (a journalist on research who was working with a small team visiting over 200 safari camps and lodges to compile a list of the 50 greenest camps - what a job!).

We ate out under the stars again at the bushbaby table and right on cue a gorgeous bushbaby joined us for dinner running up and down the tree checking out our meal.

Our suite was divine although I didn't sleep at all the first night due to a huge commotion in the bush with lions roaring, elephants trumpetting and hippos bellowing. I got up at first light to go to the bathroom and to my excitement there were 3 elephants and a baby elephant browsing right outside our room. They were so calm it was amazing to watch them up close just going about their morning business.

Day 8 -

We'd asked to do a full day game drive on our second day at Sand Rivers to maximise our safari time, so we ended up being out from 8am until 6.30pm on a drive with our wonderful guide Emanuel. Although it was pretty quiet game wise (nothing like Manze in that sense) it was a really lovely day as Emanuel was great fun and really knowledgeable.

We had a beautiful long lunch parked up in the shade next to the river and talked lots while Anton and I were served lunch and drank cold wine. Emanuel taught me some Swahili, it's a really beautiful language. Asanate means thanks you, Karibou means you're welcome, and saffi sanna means that's great.

We had a couple of lion sightings and some other game but nothing amazing and much to our disappointment no leopard :-( After we got back to the lodge we were served dinner at our own candlelit table overlooking the river below us and we drank bubbly and talked about our exciting future as Mr and Mrs - it was really wonderful.

After dinner we chatted with Jenny and Craig again who are a fabulous couple, and then it was time for bed. We both slept really well after our long day. It was a quick breakfast in the morning before it was time to bid a very sad goodby to the amazing Sand Rivers before heading back to the airstrip for the next stage of our adventure...

Best bit about Sand Rivers - having the time and space in the most beautiful surroundings to reflect on how lucky we are to have had the most amazing wedding and how happy we are to be married <3

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