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Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Rhino Sands is a luxury tented safari camp, set in the riverine forest on a peninsula of the Msunduze River in the big five Manyoni Private Game Reserve located in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The camp is an intimate and exclusive safari experience, with a maximum of eight guests in camp at any one time. Each guest tent has its own private living space and ensuite bathroom with bathtub, raised wooden deck and plunge pool, and outdoor shower.
Rhino sands is the perfect safari if you want to be at one with nature and leave all your troubles behind you. There is something so magical about the Lodge and the complete experience the friendly staff give you. We were welcomed on our arrival with a glass of bubbles and a wet flannel to freshen up and then led to a beautifully furnished lounge area to discuss our itinerary. The camp only sleeps 8 guests so any requests are personally addressed. My husband and I are vegan so chef came out to present us with all the wonderful meal choices he had created for us. I have never felt so looked after on holiday. Nothing was too much trouble. Our room/tent was stunning and had every facility you could wish for, for living in the bush in 5 star luxury. Our safaris were quite something - our guide Murray was so incredibly knowledgable and his love for the Manyoni Game Reserve was obvious. He has so much to share and he never got board of all our questions that he must’ve been asked many times over. He always went the extra mile if there was a particular animal you wanted to find and see. We were incredibly lucky to see 4 of the big 5 plus the black Rhino, Wild Dogs and Cheetahs and the several Elephants, Zebras, Giraffes and Impala to name a few. Every drive was a magical experience!
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shannon Airton, Owner at Rhino Sands Safari Camp
Responded 18 Mar 2020
Thank you so much for taking time to share your Rhino Sands experience here. It truly means a lot to our whole team. I am so glad that the team was able to take such great care of your and attend to your special dietary requests. It sounds like you had some very lucky game viewing during your stay. The wild dogs are my absolute favorite. I will make certain that the team sees your fantastic feedback. We hope we can welcome you back someday!
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I can’t say enough about our experience at Rhino Sands. I traveled with my cousin and this was our first trip to South Africa and our first safari. Having had this trip postponed by Covid we were so excited to finally be here. It did not disappoint!
The staff was just wonderful and I wish I’d have written down their names to individually thank them for their service. Attention to detail definitely sums up the service here. The food was incredible. It was like dining in a five star restaurant amongst the wilds of South Africa.
Of course the games drives is why you come and they didn’t disappoint! Our guide was Jono (hoped I spelled that correctly) and he’s very knowledgeable about the animals, birds, flora and insects. How he could spot a tiny spider in the dark was beyond amazing! We saw a hyena carry her kill along the road, a cheetah with her kill and lions and vultures finish off another kill as well as lots of other animals. For me seeing the elephants in their natural setting was the highlight for me.
Oh and a bit about covid protocols at the camp and in South Africa in general. All staff members wore masks. Our temperatures were taken everyday. Only the cleaning staff are allowed into your tent. Our travels also took us to Cape Town and Durban and again temperatures taken upon arrival and departure from the hotels, all staff wore masks, hand sanitizer applied or a available before entering the restaurants.
Many thanks to everyone at Rhino Sands for making this trip of a lifetime beyond amazing. We hope someday to return,
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Date of stay: October 2021
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shannon Airton, Owner at Rhino Sands Safari Camp
Responded 14 Nov 2021
Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful feedback here. As we are beginning to see the return of our international travellers it is so very helpful. Firstly, what a joy for us to have guests that have chosen us as their very first safari destination. I am so happy that you enjoyed your stay, from the in-house hospitality to the game drives with Jono. He has a real passion for all the different aspects of safari, great and small. Though it sounds like you definitely had a lot of the great creatures on your game drives ;-). Thank you for mentioning our Covid protocols. While we aim to make our protocols as unobtrusive as possible, it is extremely important to us that our guests know we are working hard and dedicated to keeping them safe during their travels. We certainly hope that you do return again, we would love to have you!
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We have been to a few lodges over the years and this is by far the best we have stayed at. There are only 4 rooms and a maximum of 4 people per game vehicle so right from the outset you get the feeling of total exclusivity and perfect for a romantic getaway. The Luxury tents are very spacious, totally secluded from the other rooms and each have a private pool. There is a butler service so you can have anything brought to you and the staff are unbelievably friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. The Lodge is positioned in the bush and you feel totally at one with nature with drinks and dinner around the bush fire or reading a book in pure tranquility. The food was the best I have experienced at any lodge and they catered for our dietary requirements superbly! The game drives were excellent, as was the ranger and we saw Rhino, Lion with cubs, cheetah, Elephant and lots of birdlife. We needed a relaxing break and got exactly that. We stayed for 2 nights which felt like 4 but we could have stayed for 7! Cannot recommend Rhino Sands more!
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Date of stay: March 2021
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shannon Airton, Owner at Rhino Sands Safari Camp
Responded 17 Mar 2021
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback and review for us here. I am so happy to hear how much you enjoyed your stay and how well our team looked after you. Your kind words and compliments are very appreciated. I hope very much we'll get to host you again, and thank you for recommending Rhino Sands!
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Wonderful safari camp located in a forest, overlooking a dry riverbed. RHINO SANDS includes 4 safari tents and a main tent with lounge and dining. The tents are extremely spacious and classy and include an indoor as well as outdoor shower and a (somewhat cold) pool. There is also a bathtub. Everything is in best condition and very clean. From the spacious deck the animals in the riverbed can be observed. The service was first class and attentive from the first minute, every wish is read from the eyes. The food is excellent, as is the setting around the boma. The game drives were informative and entertaining. Best thanks to Jonno for his excellent driving skills and interesting explanations. All in all a unique experience that you have to treat yourself to.
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Date of stay: April 2022
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shannon Airton, Owner at Rhino Sands Safari Camp
Responded 21 Apr 2022
Goodness, I still get so tickled when I see international guests back at Rhino Sands! Firstly, thank you for choosing Rhino Sands, and second, thank you for reviewing our camp here. I am so glad that you enjoyed your stay with us and I think you do such a wonderful job describing the camp and experience for potential future guests. We have a wonderful team and I'm glad to hear how well they were able to attend to you during your stay. I will pass along your thanks and praise to Jonno especially, I know he will be delighted to hear it. With sincere thanks, Shannon
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An absolutely magical experience. With capacity being 8 people, even when it's full it still feels private. The food was remarkable, really amazing. Jason the chef made provisions for a dairy/gluten free eater too. Jono the guide was so brilliant, he knew EVERYTHING and we just adored him. Jared and Louis were also amazing. Because we had 4 nights we decided to spend 1 day just enjoying the room and only do the pm game drive, if you get a chance to enjoy the room, do. It's .... wow.
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Date of stay: May 2021
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â tent 1 and 2 have a better view of the water, but tent 4 has the most privacy. I was in tent 4...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shannon Airton, Owner at Rhino Sands Safari Camp
Responded 14 Jun 2021
Thank you so much for your fantastic feedback. One of the upsides of these difficult times is getting to host so many locals who are experiencing Rhino Sands and Manyoni for the very first time. I am so thrilled you enjoyed your stay, and I know that the team members you mention by name here will truly appreciate your praise. I think you discovered one of the best secrets to a stay at a safari camp...staying a day or two longer and just taking the time to relax into the camp and experience itself. The game drives are awesome, but there is a whole other layer of experience lying in bed in the morning, waking up with the sounds of the forest and the beautiful sun streaming through the trees. It's my absolute favorite time of day in our camp, and I am so glad you got to experience it. Thanks again for the wonderful feedback and for taking the time to share it here.
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Our family spent four glorious days at Rhino Sands over Easter. What an amazing tented camp! Having stayed at many bush lodges across Africa - we highly recommend Rhino Sands as a genuine 5 Star bush camp. The main lodge and tented luxury suites are spacious, comfortable and beautifully decorated. The staff were all friendly, hospitable, very attentive and welcoming. The game drives and our guide, Anton, were wonderful. The food was outstanding and our chef, Bongani, gave us an incredible variety of scrumptious dishes! It was a wonderful four day feast! The best were the many surprises Rhino Sands put on for us. We will leave those surprises unmentioned so as not to spoil it for future guests. Thank you to each and every one of you at Rhino Sands for such a wonderful all round bush experience. We will be back!
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Date of stay: April 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shannon Airton, Owner at Rhino Sands Safari Camp
Responded 07 Apr 2021
What a pleasure it was to have your family here for the Easter holiday weekend. We truly appreciate you taking the time to review us here and thank you so very much for all the wonderful compliments. I will make sure to pass along your praise to the team. We love having the camp booked for exclusive use with families...it is very heartwarming to watch all the special memories being made. I loved seeing the pictures from your group of family game time in between game drives. Once again, thank you for this review and thank you for choosing to stay at Rhino Sands. We look forward to seeing you again in the future.
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We recently stayed for 3 nights at Rhino Sands at the recommendation of a friend. From the time we arrived, we felt welcomed. We received a warm wet refreshing towel and a drink! This outdoor lodge has been very well decorated, and our tent was spacious and beautiful. The tents were spaced far apart so privacy was not an issue. Since there were lots of trees overhead, it was cool during the day. At night, it was cold, so the heated bed felt great. The plunge pool was too cold for us, but we imagined in the summer it would have been nice. We had a good view of the water hole and animals would walk by. The food was incredible! Chef created very high quality dishes and there were choices. The wines that were included were awesome. Each morning we had a 530 wake-up call for game drive, which was early, but was the best time to see the animals. Our game ranger was Josh, who was very knowledgeable and personable. He made sure we saw a ton of different animals and birds and he knew all by name and explained about them. One could tell he loved his work and if I went back, I would make sure he was our driver again. Tandeca (sp?) was "my girl" and always kept my wine glass full! I can't say enough good things about the entire experience! I want to go back!
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Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â There are only 4 tents, we were in tent #1 which I think was the best view.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shannon Airton, Owner at Rhino Sands Safari Camp
Responded 05 Jun 2022
Thank you so much for posting a review of Rhino Sands here for us. I am delighted to hear how much you enjoyed your stay. You are correct that the pools are usually too cold in the winter for a swim (especially for those of us from warmer weather climates ;-)) but they are a life saver in the summer. I will pass along your compliments to the kitchen team, Josh and Thandeka. Thandeka does have a special talent for keeping a close eye on her guest's wine glasses! I really am very happy you enjoyed so many aspects of your stay and you did such a wonderful job describing it, I know it will be very helpful for future guests. We would LOVE to welcome you back again!
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We had 2 nights at Rhino Sands to see the big 5 I went with my husband but it would work for family too. The luxury tented experience was 5 star plus!! If you want a more traditional tented experience this is the place , it even has its own bathroom but with a feel of being with nature as its an open tent. The whole set up is fully Eco and has a focus on Sustainability so its luxury but with a conscience. The staff are knowledgeable and can't do enough for you. The Chef prepares locally sourced finest bush food but gives it an a' la' cart twist, so you can dine exceptionally well and can try new dishes. The Rangers take you out on game drives and will do so much to find the action and tell you about the animals and sitings. We got very close to Lions.Elephants, Rhino, Giraffe, Buffalo. We went in South African Winter time which was perfect as this did not get effected by the humidity or the bugs! and the staff were able to put on a heated blanket ( solar heating) and even gave us a hot water bottle and blanket on the night game dive. Plus it was wonderful to come back to the open camp fire and have a drink from the bar under the stars. Its really worth considering this camp. Stay as long as you can afford! its wonderful!!
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Date of stay: July 2022
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â all rooms are lovely
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shannon Airton, Owner at Rhino Sands Safari Camp
Responded 21 Jul 2022
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and kind review. I am so glad that you enjoyed your stay with us. I really appreciate you highlighting the special parts of a winter safari. Many guests are curious what the best time of year to go on a safari is, and the great thing about KZN is that all seasons are fantastic, but there are special highlights to each. A KZN winter safari is absolutely magically as long as you are prepared for the chilly weather. Winter time often presents great opportunities for game viewing as the grass is shorter and game tends to congregate around water holes as water is less easily available (winter is our dry season). And as you mention there are less bugs and little critters around for guests that are a bit nervous of that. Winter is also well known in our area for the beautiful orange and red sunsets. And as you touched on, we try our best to keep our guests as warm and comfortable as possible using eco-friendly methods. Thank you again for your wonderful feedback. We hope you return to see what the other seasons have to offer as well!
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There truly are not enough stars. Rhino sands is the perfect combination beauty, luxury and simplicity. Thank you to Nico and his team for our unforgettable experience. The friendliness, kindness and professional nature of the team was exceptional and is a true reflection of Nico’s leadership. From the second we arrived until our departure Obi, Thandeka, Spa and Jean were incredibly warm and attentive and made us feel very special. They went the extra mile everyday to make our experience unique. The head chefs Zanele and Deon kept our bellies full with the most exquisite African style cuisines. The food was simply incredible. As for our ranger Josh, what can I say he is gentleman and a scholar and was like a magnet to all the beauty of the African wild. It was clear from the start that is passion for the bush has no boundaries. Every drive with him was informative, entertaining and exciting, to the extend that we were awake before his 5 am wake up call every morning. The team of rangers on the reserve communicated exceptionally well with each other to give all guests the best possible experience. And who can forget Patric, our ever watchful, ever vigilant night watchman. Who kept our minds at ease by patrolling the camp at night, keeping the perils of the bush off the walkways and out of our tents so that we could all sleep in peace.
Once again, thank you to each and everyone at Rhino Sands. We are looking forward to seeing you all again.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shannon Airton, Owner at Rhino Sands Safari Camp
Responded 02 Jan 2023
Reviews like this like this always floor me with gratitude, though I am not surprised knowing what a wonderful team we have. Thank you so very much for your complimentary and detailed review. We are fortunate as a company to have created a beautiful camp in such an incredible game reserve but as a business, what I think truly separates us from our competition is exactly what you mention here...our team, and the fact that our camp is small and intimate enough to facilitate our teams ability to connect with our guests and provide them with one-on-one guest experience in a relaxed and comfortable manner. We always wanted to create a luxury lodge, but with Rhino Sands we really wanted our guests to feel like family, and reviews like this let me know that we have succeeded and that our team truly is as great as we think they are. Thank you for this review. I know each and every team member will be grateful as well. We look forward to welcoming you back again in the future.
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Truly an amazing place. The setting and the staff make Rhino sands so special. The perfect balance of privacy and impeccable service. The food is sublime and the decor is perfection. The reserve is beautiful with fabulous rangers to share their knowledge and the lodge adds special touches like sundowner drinks or special dinners. The best part: it’s relaxed and stylish - no stuffiness here, but you are in utter luxury, with hosts who make you feel so welcome. Thanks to every single staff member who made our 4th visit as fab as the first 3.
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Date of stay: August 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Shannon Airton, Owner at Rhino Sands Safari Camp
Responded 05 Sept 2023
Thank you so much for your lovely review. And I was so happy to read it as this is EXACTLY what we are aiming for at Rhino Sands. A luxurious environment, excellent customer service but delivered with warmth and comfort. Nothing over the top, nothing stuffy, we want our guests to feel extremely well taken care of but also like they are a part of our family. I am so thankful for this wonderful review and grateful that you have chosen to visit us once again. Thank you very much for your support over the years.
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There are more places to choose from in the Manyoni Private Game Reserve area.
PRICE RANGE
RÂ 16,243 - RÂ 19,148 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
South AfricaKwaZulu-NatalManyoni Private Game Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
4
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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