About Rhino Sands
Rhino River Sands is brought to you by the same owners that have made such a success of Rhino River Lodge in the Manyoni Private game Reserve.
Rhino Sands is a luxury tented camp, set in the riverine forest on a peninsula of the Msunduze River in the big 5 Manyoni Private game Reserve.
The Camp is an intimate and exclusive safari experience with 4 luxury Tented Suites taking a maximum of eight guests in camp at any one time. Each Guest tent has its own private living space, verandah and pool with outdoor shower.
Opened in October 2017, it is one of South Africa’s newest luxury safari destination and in the words of the owners they wanted ".. to the basics of safari…canvas, nature, romance and luxury" which they really seemed to have succeeded in with Rhino Sands.
The tented suites are situated in a private patch of riverine forest which have fantastic views of the river below. With their own private plunge pools, lounges and outdoor showers, the guest accommodation is luxurious and private and offers you the chance to enjoy viewing animals drinking from permanent water holes throughout the year.
The entire camp is set under canvas upon wooden platforms within the riverine forest. With a maximum of only eight guests in camp at any time, your stay is guaranteed to be a personal and exclusive experience.
There are morning and late afternoon game drives daily but your stay will be far from routine with bush picnics, riverbed braais ( barbecues) and decadent sundowner stops making each day a safari adventure to remember.
Green Safari
Rhino Sands is Eco-friendly and the camp was constructed with minimal disruption to the natural forest and surrounding environment. Power comes entirely from a solar installation. Meals and amenities are kept as organic and natural as possible.
There is emphasis on locally sourced ingredients, Seasonal menus, organic coffee's and teas, wines produced using biodynamic methods. Biodegradable and organic amenities keep environmental impact as low as possible with no sacrifice to your stay having to be made.
What to Expect
Your Safari experience revolves around two daily safari drives.
Manyoni Private Game Reserve is one of the premier game-viewing destinations in Kwa-Zulu Natal and is home to the Big 5 along with African wild dogs and cheetahs and many of the large numbers of all the more common African animals.
Almost as special as the game drive itself is the tradition of morning stops for coffee and rusks and of course the evening stops for sundowner drinks. Guests get a chance to pause and absorb the bush around them while stretching their legs and enjoying refreshments and snacks.
In between game drives the camp offers guests the chance to relax and unwind. With the morning game drive being an early affair, a decadent breakfast is served on your return after which you can relax on your suite deck or do a spot of bird watching from the Lodge bar deck.
There is a mid afternoon light lunch served and a late afternoon tea. If you can tear yourself away from watching wildlife from the comfort of your private plunge pool there is the evening game drive to enjoy.
After returning to camp the chef will prepare a gourmet three-course dinner, featuring some of the flavours and ingredients South Africa is famous for. Night caps around the campfire bring the evening to a close and you can retire to the luxury of your tent to fall asleep to the sounds of the African bush.
About Manyoni Private Game Reserve
Formerly known as Zululand Rhino Reserve, Manyoni is made up of various properties that all dropped their fences in 2004 to make up the 23,000-hectare private game reserve in the heart of Zululand.
The reserve provides a home to a population of black rhinos as part of the WWF Black Rhino Range Expansion Project. With the joining of the properties created one of the most animal-rich and species-diverse areas of South Africa.
As well as the black rhinos, the reserve is home to all of the big five (rhino, elephant, buffalo, leopard, lion) and has seen the re-introduction of two endangered carnivore species, cheetahs and African wild dogs.
it has become one of the premier wildlife-viewing destinations in Kwa-Zulu Natal and is without doubt one of the most beautiful reserves in the area with varied landscapes from acacia thornveld to open savannah to riverine forest.
Game drives on the reserve are regulated and coordinated by the ecotourism businesses to minimize the impact on the environment and the stress on the animals and to provide guests a better and more intimate game viewing experience.