Sand River Masai Mara by Elewana

This place was like a paradise on earth. From the moment we arrived we are welcomed by the whole team, we were briefed on the entire campsite and taken to our luxury accommodation. The accommodation was at least 75 m² with a separate living room bedroom and indoor and outdoor shower with a view of the sand river and across the Savannah towards the hills. We were in tent suite number 15 and had a lot of privacy and peace to watch the river the Savannah and the animals such as elephants and lions walk through it. John the manager was exceptional and was always checking in on us to see that things were working well for us and how things could be improved, he runs an incredibly committed team and it shows because of his leadership from the top. Patrick was our Butler and he was completely committed to making sure our stay was everything we dreamt of, including setting up all of our meals and even setting up a private dining experience next to a campfire. Patrick was always there in the background but ready to assist whenever we needed it. The cook was amazing offering two choices of starters and three choices of mains and two choices of desserts almost every time including assumptive breakfast. I just struggle to understand how the cook can make such incredible world class meals in the setting. All of the other staff were amazing and helpful as well. I highly recommend this place not only due to the quality accommodation and its location, but the incredible staff that are always there to make your experience exceptional.|A huge shout out to Alex our guide who had so much passion about the Maasai Mara you could feel it in the way he talked about it and his intricate knowledge of everything including so many questions we asked about living in Kenya. Alex made sure that we got to see all of the animals up close and I’m talking 3 m away from Lioness and 3 cubs. Alex made our experience one of those once in a lifetime moments. Thank you elawani sand river !

I stayed at Sand River from 18-20 December 2025 with my 20 year old son.||Sand River is based in the south of Maasai Mara. It is the natural border between Kenya and Tanzania and borders the Serengeti. It is the crossing place for the great migration from Kenya to Tanzania,||Maasai Mara is a vast national park and has thousands of animals. It is astonishing to see the volume of animals particularly hundreds of buffalo all standing together.||Elewana Sand River is an exceptional place to stay. The staff are so helpful and pleasant and cannot do enough for you. The manager John, greeted us and explained how everything worked and was happy to answer any questions or provide any information. He was a delightful, friendly man. The whole team are wonderful. The security men who escorted us to and from our rooms when it was dark, the kitchen staff, bar staff, everyone was friendly, pleasant and helpful.||The accommodation was spectacular. Clean, comfortable with a huge bathtub and an outdoor shower. It was opulent and beautifully furnished and it was a pleasure to stay there. ||The food was exceptional. A wide variety of freshly prepared, delicious, healthy food throughout our trip. Every meal we had was delicious. On our last evening, the team surprised us with a cake to celebrate my son’s 21st birthday, which was extremely thoughtful and a real highlight of our stay.||We had the same driver throughout our stay, Anthony. Anthony was friendly, polite, funny and very knowledgable about all the animals within the park. He worked really hard to find us all the animals we wanted to see. We saw schools of hippos and a crocodile which had both been on our list. The highlight was watching hyenas and lions fight over some food. Vultures were circulating, the hyenas were screaming, the lions were growling, there was a huge stand off and then a fight. It was something I will never forget. ||We took a balloon ride over the Mara as part of our trip and that was a wonderful experience. Our pilot, Riz, flew above the clouds and we watched the sun rise. It was a spiritual experience. Utterly breathtaking. I cannot recommended this highly enough.||I will never forget our trip to Sand River and would highly recommend to a hime travelling to Kenya.

All the staff were friendly, very accommodating and always willing to help. We were greeted with joyful faces after every game drive, which was a wonderful feeling.||The rooms are luxurious with peaceful views of the sand river and beyond. To top it off, the outdoor shower is amazing. The amenities are useful, with mosquito repellent and insect repellent provided. They also had reusable named water bottles for us. ||A lot of effort and thought went into preparing and presenting all meals as well as snacks. ||The location of the camp is at the boarded with Tanzania. The area close to the camp has a lot of shrubs. The wildlife seen near to the camp is therefore of a different nature to the standard savannah. The guide was knowledgeable and shared facts with us when required. We were not lucky to see the migration, however, if it had been the right time, it would have been a very idyllic location. We still managed to catch the Big 5.

Sand River Masai Mara was simply amazing. The service was incredible. The location was perfect. We were very sad to leave. Everyone was incredibly kind, happy and helpful. Alex S, our guide, was the best! We learned so much about the Masai Mara and animals. I asked sooooo many questions and he answered them all! It was a bucket list trip for us and I HIGHLY recommend Sand River. We couldn’t fault anything, best trip ever!

We loved our experience here! The staff were helpful, accommodating and made sure we had different dining experiences. Daily wildlife sightings and amazing housekeeping services. It was fabulous!

Everything was excellent!!! The entire staff was incredible!!!! The waiters, the bartender, the chef, the security, everyone! The food and drinks were incredible! The service was top notch! There was no awkwardness or intrusion (I'm writing this because I've had experiences with other hotels where they tried so hard to provide service that it was over the top). I will fondly remember my stay at Elewana Sand River Masai Mara and would be happy to come back again!!!!

It is sometimes difficult to know exactly what to expect when visiting a place for the first time. The experience at Sand River was nothing less than exceptional. From the minute we were picked up to the time we spent at the lodge and on game drives, the whole team ensured every minute was memorable. For anyone reading this review, all I can say, this place is a definite must see.

Staff super friendly and welcoming. Rooms delightful with good beds, plenty of places to hang your stuff and a great bathroom. Outdoor shower works well! All the wildlife can be seen a short drive from the resort although the main wildebeest crossing at Mara River is a 90 min drive away. If you're lucky the Wildebeest have been known to cross at the resort itself!