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Hi All
Has anyone here been to the sand river bush camp .
I'll be going there to do the bush interpretation 1.It'll be my first visit to the camp.
Whats it like ,hows the setup ,is it a big camp , what are the chances of seeing some of the top guns (big 5+).

The Sand River Bush Camp is a camp off the beaten track in the Kruger Park not too far from Skukuza. It is used by staff for training purposes, but on selected weekends throughout the year it is given over to different Honorary Ranger regions or project teams to use.

There is a report from a HR meet here (Word-document), and photos from that meet are here.

Big 5? Tons of chances, around Skukuza you can meet everything.

Hi
The camp consists of two man canvas dome tents with a couple of mattresses per tent.
Communal ablution blocks with reed surround.
Communal kitchen / food prep area.
Central braai area. No electricity - Gas & paraffin lamps only.
Some of the tents are quite close together & not very private so try & spread out if there are not too many of you. Nice tent is one on the end next to the river & fence (as you enter gate straight in front of you below the kitchen area). We saw leopard from Camp & had lions on the road just outside. Chances of seeing big 5 in that area are excellent. Birding in and around the camp is also fantastic.
Enjoy - I am sure you will have a fantastic time & looking forward to reading all about it.

I had the privalage of being invited by an Insurance company to spend a few days, there a few years back. The weekend was run by the honorary ranger; the head man being Sakkie. It was great and the walks in the reed filled, dry river beds a revelation. I most certainly would do it again.

Sadly, i have been told that the powers that be are looking at closing it and using it for their own purposes. The honorary ranges did/do great work and brought in good money for the park. Yet again more political crap!

Nope, Sandriver is not being closed. It is actively being used by the HR's. It was a bit run down at a stage, but I hear that it has been upgraded a bit.

It is a wonderful place. It is situated on the Sandriver, just before the confluence with the Sabie. Basic, rustic and yet just enough to be comfortable. It is fenced. Some nice Bushbuck can be seen patrolling the fence.

I hear that they are a little concerned by a leopard and a baboon male that is giving some problems. I do not know whether this has been sorted out ... so do be careful.

The only problem that I have with Sandriver is that it is too close to Skukuza. You tend to get a lot of Skukuza traffic, as soon as you get on to the tarred road. But then, I am a wilderness junky!

I went there a year ago because we were looking at setting up something similar. It looked great!

Hi Yahya I am interested to know how your stay at Sand River Bush Camp went and how you enjoyed it ?

I spent 3 nights there helping with a bush camp. It was great (even though the water tower threatened to collapse on us....).
Elephants were around the camp every day, buffalo in the area, hyena at the fence, and we heard lions.

HI ecojunkie that is great I am looking forward to going in September for the Honorary Rangers weekend

Well we have just returned from our stay at the camp it is rustic but comfortable, they have recently added more ablution facilities, the water still needs to be connected to the showers but the loo's and basins are operational. The beds in the tents were comfortable. We had lion, elephant, hyena around or walk past the camp and fresh spoor of leopard and black rhino. Purple turaco's were seen every day, at night bush-babies feeding off the Jackal berry at the bottom end of the camp from the kitchen side. All in all a nice camp. We really enjoyed our stay.

I have some new dates for 2009 available now (camps run by Lowveld Honorary Rangers) - anyone interested please pm me for details.

I have been fortunate, very fortunate, to have been able to attend training walks on 4 occasions. I am accepted as the resident blonde

The first time was on a course given by Bruce Bryden. As for Sakkie, I think that he has the most amazing knowledge and I really admire his dedication.

A couple of pics of Sand River from a weekend there with the HR's in Nov, to wet the appetite....




Night time visitor
A visitor to the fence

Looking at the pictures brings back many memories. Whenever I've been, I have found myself with a group of people who know the bush well. It means that I am often the one left to Sakkie's mischevious sense of humour.

Once, we were looking at Ellie footprints on a dry river bank. Sakkie looks at MM and asks, "do you know what this is?"

MM thinks, "this is a trick question " and stares blankly.

"Its a gaint antline", say Sakkie.

He was so convincing that for a moment MM believed him. .. and then came that naughty twinkle, and I thought, "I've been had again"