The place
We sit at a private table on the water’s edge, enjoying a gourmet lunch served by our personal waiter. On the other side of the Sand River – from which this luxury Kenyan safari lodge gets its name – are the sweeping plains of the Serengeti. Every year, masses of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle cross this very river on their northerly passage into the Masai Mara as part of the Great Wildebeest Migration.
When deciding where to stay, some safari friends had told us there are three river-crossing sites at Sand River Camp, so here we are. Come a day or two, we’ll be smack in the middle of the action! The manager, George, pointed out that one site has a sausage tree next to it. He says that lion sit there and simply pick off wildebeest at their leisure. I’m equally thrilled and mortified… In the meanwhile, we’re enjoying the camp, and hoping to see the Big Five.
The room
Morning in the Masai Mara. I walk across the carpeted wooden floors of our tent to the outdoor shower, perched on the edge of the river. There’s a slight chill to the air but I’m warmly wrapped in my robe.
Within seconds, the massive showerhead releases a strong jet of hot water. From where I wash, I can see over the river into the Serengeti, catching a glimpse of the mounting wildebeest as the rising sun turns the sky a mottled pink.
As I walk back towards the tent, the fresh smell of coffee wafts towards me, and I see a tray of tea, coffee and biscuits laid out on our private wooden deck. Sitting on the edge of our enormous four-poster bed, I gently wake my slumbering companion.
Looking around, I think again how lovely our tent is: the bathroom with its massive bath, the marble-topped double sinks, the colonial-style
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Set along the Sand River with three crossing points, there’s no better
place to watch the Great Wildebeest Migration than at Sand River Camp.
When not witnessing this miracle of nature, enjoy billiards, swimming, bush meals and sundowners, or go out and meet the Maasai.
Sitting
pretty
by Melissa Andrews