Nature meets nostalgia at Sand River

When we heard last year that a new tented camp was opening in the Masai Mara, we were curious as to what it would be like. When we found out it was a luxury 1920s-inspired camp on the stunning Sand River built by boutique accommodation experts The Elewana Collection, we had to go and see it for ourselves.

We made our inaugural outing to this new camp, simply named Sand River Masai Mara after its position at this stunning spot in Kenya’s great National Park, at the very end of last year. What we discovered was a classic permanent camp comprising a string of beautifully apppointed tents dotted along the bank of the Sand River.

A bathroom at Sand River

Tents they may be, but roughing it this certainly is not. Sand River has been designed and decorated to evoke the Golden Age of 1920s and 30s safaris, and the brief is executed to stunning effect. You’re treated to roomy interiors with big four-poster beds, chandeliers, period furnishings, rich wooden floors and opulent fabrics. The bathrooms are fitted with grand roll top baths and gorgeous period-style washstands. This is truly a taste of the classic early days of safari, a sublime immersion in the romantic elegance of those heady days of exploration evoked in Hemingway or Out of Africa. 

A panoramic view of our family tent

The accommodation experience is completed by a standard of service and amenities which is nothing short of exceptional. Each tented room has a private wooden deck where you can sit and take in the views over the river. The communal area boasts wifi, a snooker room and a swimming pool. The sense of luxury continues at dinner time, where the food is not so much bush tucker as fine restaurant dining, with a good choice of delicious dishes on offer. And the staff, as well as providing first-class service, are an absolute pleasure.

Wild wonders

All this is impressive enough – and that’s before even considering the camp’s setting. Sand River is slap bang in the heart of East Africa’s most thrilling wildlife region, where the Masai Mara flanks Tanzania’s Serengeti just beyond the river. This is the pulsing heart of East Africa’s safari wilderness and very much in the thick of the wildlife action. The daily game drives from Sand River provide heaps of animal encounters, with the Big Five all lurking here, along with hundreds of other weird and wonderful creatures besides. We were delighted to get some great sightings of our own, including some precious glimpses (and photos, of which you can see one below) of the majestic lion affectionately known here as ‘Blondie’.

Blondie, who we spotted on the Masai Mara

Another exciting aspect to Sand River is its ideal placing for one of Earth’s greatest natural phenomena, the mass wildebeest migration. If you’re here sometime between July and October, and you’re lucky, you might just get a front-row seat as the incredible sight of masses of wildebeest, accompanied by zebras and gazelles, making their epic journey. But even outside this season, as our trip proved, the wildlife viewing here is sensational.

An elephant we photographed at a watering hole

Our stay at Sand River was one to remember. Despite it having opened less than a year ago, this tented camp has well and truly established itself as a remarkable addition to Kenya’s luxury travel scene, and earns our stamp of approval for Africa House guests. Elegant period luxury, impeccable service and a winning location make Sand River the perfect base for a classic Africa safari.