Kigelia Camp is named after the many sausage trees (Kigelia Africana) that are found in and around the camp. The six rooms are located hight on the banks of the seasonal Ifuguru Sand River, a tributary of the Ruaha River. The rooms are quite large and provide space for a massive bed, en-suite bathroom with flush toilet and outdoor safari style bucket shower under the stars. There is no running water but hot and cold water is provided when requested.

At 20'220 km², Ruaha National Park is Tanzania's largest national park and still relatively rarely visited by tourists. The park was expanded to include the Usanga Wetlands in 2008 and comprises 40% miombo woodland with open savannahs, spectacular baobab, acacia and palm forests as well as several springs, swamps and seasonal floodplains making up the rest. The park is bordered in the north by the Mzombe River and in the south by the Great Ruaha River. The Usunga Game Reserve and three further game reserves surround the park almost entirely. Most camps are located at a height of approximately 800 to 1000 m above sea level; the park's highest plateau, however, sits at an impressive 1868 m above sea level. A 50 to 100 m high escarpment is testament to the fact that the Ruaha National Park is also part of the Great Rift Valley.

The park is accessed via air from Arusha or Dar Es Salaam and can be seamlessly combined with a visit to Nyerere National Park. The flight to Nyerere National Park takes approx. 1 hr 30 mins; the flight to Dar Es Salaam or Arusha, including all stops en-route, takes approx. 2.5 hrs.

The drive from Msembe Airstrip to camp takes approximately 60 minutes. Kigelia Camp is situated on the banks of the Ifuguru Sand River in the eastern part of Ruaha National Park.

Visitors to Sand Rivers are truly spoiled in the lodge's spacious stone and thatch cottages. Situated on the riverbank slope and built atop stilts, these cottages offer spectacular views of the incredible Rufiji River landscape. There are five standard, en-suite riverside cottages and three hillside suites, each equipped with a large bed, ceiling fan, extra lounge and private plunge pool. The rooms have whitewashed natural stonewalls and the open front offers uninterrupted views of the river and the animals that pass by.

The main building houses a restaurant, lounge/bar and large pool. Various decks look out over the lake and enable guests to watch the hippos often found wallowing right in front of them. Breakfast is a highlight at Sand Rivers and is usually a time when visitors slowly awake with the intake of freshly made coffee and realise just how beautiful the world can be.

Kiba Point is a chic and intimate little camp that can be booked privately by a family or group of friends (min. four adults, max. eight adults plus two children). Kiba point is situated just five minutes drive downstream from Sand Rivers. Its four stone and thatch cottages are situated on the very edge of the river and come equipped with a plunge pool and large veranda. The rooms are open-plan and airy, stylishly furnished, comfortable and of a quality similar to the suites at Sand Rivers. A further pool for those hot, lazy days can be found at the main building, which is also the place for meals and feasts. Kiba Point comes with its own cook and private guides.

-> Have a look at Kiba Point

Nyerere National Park, formerly known as northern part of the Selous Game Reserve, covers 30'893 km2 of wilderness and is twice as large as the Serengeti. The area was declared a National Park in 2019 and is since the largest National Park in Tanzania. At 600 km long, the Rufiji River is the longest river in East Africa and the park's life-giving vein. This ramified river system includes five large lakes (from east to west): Lake Tagalala, Lake Manze, Lake Nzerakera, Lake Siwandu and Lake Mzizimia.

The park comprises 75% miombo woodland, but most noticeable are the many wonderful palms, particularly the borassus and doum palms, as well as the many candelabra trees (euphorbia candelabrum).

Nyerere National Park is accessed by light aircraft from Dar Es Salaam and can be seamlessly combined with a trip to Ruaha National Park. The flight to Ruaha National Park takes approx. 1 hr 30 minutes; the flight to Dar Es Salaam takes approx. 35 minutes.

Sand Rivers has its own airstrip (Kiba Airstrip). The drive from the airstrip takes approximately 15 minutes. The camp is situated south of Lake Tagalala on the edge of the Rufiji River.