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Sambiya River Lodge

Property class: 3

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Photo gallery for Sambiya River Lodge

A circular outdoor seating area with a fire pit, stone flooring, and surrounding chairs. - Sambiya River Lodge (Karuma)
A swimming pool with lounge chairs, surrounded by trees and a building with lights. - Sambiya River Lodge (Karuma)
A thatched-roof entrance to Sambiya River Lodge surrounded by lush greenery. - Sambiya River Lodge (Karuma)
A bedroom with a canopy bed, a nightstand with a lamp, a chair, and a view of the outdoors. - Sambiya River Lodge (Karuma)
A wooden staircase leading to a lobby with a brick floor, stone walls, and framed artwork on the walls. - Sambiya River Lodge (Karuma)
Consider a stay at Sambiya River Lodge and take advantage of a terrace, a garden, and laundry facilities. Adventurous travelers may like the ecotours and ziplining at this hotel. The on-site restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In addition to a bar and a 24-hour business center, guests can connect to free WiFi in public areas.

Reviews

7.6 out of 10
Good

Popular amenities

  • Pool
  • Parking included
  • Restaurant
  • Breakfast available
  • Business services
  • Bar

Room options

View all photos for Deluxe Cabin

A bedroom with a wooden bed, a nightstand, a bedside table with a lamp, and a canopy bed.

Deluxe Cabin

  • Garden view
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Royal Cottage

A bedroom with a canopy bed, a stone wall, a zebra-patterned chair, and a wooden door.

Royal Cottage

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

About the neighborhood

Located in Karuma, Sambiya River Lodge is in a rural area and on a river. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Murchison Falls National Park and Murchison Falls. Discover the area's wildlife on a nearby safari, or try your luck with game drives and game viewing. Visit our Karuma travel guide
Map
Sambiya Village, Murchison Falls National Park, Karuma

What's nearby

  • A waterfall cascading down a rocky cliff surrounded by dense greenery.
    Murchison Falls National Park
    1 min walk - 0.0 miles
  • A waterfall cascading down a rocky cliff surrounded by dense green forest.
    Murchison Falls
    39 min drive - 11.3 miles

Getting around

  • Pakuba (PAF)
    68 min drive

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Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Roundtrip airport shuttle (surcharge)
  • Free self parking on site
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking available

Food and drink

  • Daily continental breakfast available 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM for a fee: USD 25 for adults and USD 20 for children
  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant

Things to do

  • Children's pool
  • Ecotours
  • Outdoor pool
  • TV in common areas
  • Ziplining

Family friendly

  • Children's pool
  • Laundry facilities
  • Outdoor pool

Conveniences

  • Gift shop/newsstand
  • Guidebooks
  • Laundry facilities
  • Limited-hour front desk
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Tour and ticket assistance
  • Wedding services

Business services

  • 24-hour business center
  • Meeting rooms

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • In a national park
  • On a river
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • 20 accessible parking spaces
  • Hand-held showerhead
  • No elevator
  • Smooth flooring in room
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair accessibility
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)
  • Wheelchair-accessible business center
  • Wheelchair-accessible lounge
  • Wheelchair-accessible parking
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible pool
  • Wheelchair-accessible public washroom
  • Wheelchair-accessible restaurant
  • Wheelchair-accessible spa

More

  • Banquet hall
  • Mosquito nets
  • Smoking not allowed

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided
  • Blackout drapes

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer (on request)
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Slippers
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste (on request)
  • Towels provided

Food and drink

  • 24-hour room service
  • Chef service
  • Free bottled water
  • Restaurant dining guides

More

  • Ceiling fan
  • Desk
  • Free daily newspapers
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Laundry detergent
  • Printer
  • Safe
  • Shared accommodations

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: noon; Check-in end time: 6 PM
Early check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10 AM

Special check-in instructions

The front desk is open daily from 8 AM - 10:00 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours
For any questions, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
This property is located in Murchison Falls National Park. The additional mandatory fee covers entrance to the national park.

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

No pets or service animals allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Cribs (infant beds) are not available

Property payment types

Important information

Fees

You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:

  • Additional fee: USD 40 per person, per stay

We have included all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

  • Fee for continental breakfast: approximately USD 25 for adults and USD 20 for children

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and cash
Noise-free guestrooms cannot be guaranteed
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a security system, and a first aid kit
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room
Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property; the policies listed are provided by the property

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property

Frequently asked questions

Does Sambiya River Lodge have a pool?

Yes, this property has an outdoor pool and a children's pool.

Is Sambiya River Lodge pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking?

Self parking is free at this property.

What time is check-in at Sambiya River Lodge?

Check-in start time: noon; Check-in end time: 6 PM.

What time is check-out at Sambiya River Lodge?

Check-out is at 10 AM.

Does Sambiya River Lodge provide a shuttle to the airport?

Yes, there's an airport shuttle.

Where is Sambiya River Lodge located?

Situated on a river, this hotel is steps from Murchison Falls National Park and 7.9 mi (12.7 km) from Murchison Falls. Murchison Falls National Park Northern Gate is 27.8 mi (44.8 km) away.

Can I cancel my reservation for free and receive a full refund?

Yes, this property offers free cancellation on select room rates, because flexibility matters! Please refer to the property cancellation policy on our site for more details about any exclusions or requirements.

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Reviews

Sambiya River Lodge Reviews

7.6

Good

7.8

Cleanliness

6.8

Amenities

8.6

Staff & service

6.6

Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 3 out of 9 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 2 out of 9 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 9 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 9 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 9 reviews

Reviews

Verified review

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
This lodge isn't near the safari area, it's about a 45min drive to get there. The rooms are nice but lacking services, such as no hot water for half the time, smelly towels, not enough towels, etc. The food is good but it's buffet style.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Lydia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Beautiful grounds if u love nature. Staff available and have good customer care. Overall was a great stay. Highly recommend.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

William

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Once you understand the power schedule everything is fine. Great place.
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Gerald

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Customer service is top notch. All staff were very nice. Place is clean, my daughters especially enjoyed the experience of an out side shower. Food was delicious. I will definitely recommend this place and plan to go back.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Mary

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
There was an incident of theft unfortunately conducted by the staff. After the manager was informed, he took proactive measures to correct the mistakes and restore our lost money. The lodge offered two free meals to compensate, and the staff was fired. Unfortunately, we also had another incident where two bats flew into our room and mosquitos nets, tried calling the reception desk via what’s app but nobody replied for two hours, then the power was out, the internet was cut. We couldn’t go out to the lobby to ask for help due to wild animals active at night, while having a fever in the middle of the night. It wasn’t a pleasant experience.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024
Verified review

6/10 Okay

Jeen

Veel en veel te duur!!
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2026
Verified review

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Non avevano la prenotazione

L’hotel non aveva contezza della prenotazione da me effettuata con expedia all’inizio di maggio per agosto, cioè 3 mesi prima. Arrivata nella struttura dopo un lungo viaggio, alla reception sono cascati dalle nuvole! Nessuna prenotazione a suo nome signora!! Hanno detto che expedia non ha mai comunicato loro del mio arrivo! È colpa del sambyia river lodge o di expedia? Ancora oggi non lo so! Certo che d’ora in avanti non potro più fidarmi di expedia! Per fortuna alla struttura avevano posto e dunque la stanza mi è stata data lo stesso, se no non so che fine avrei fatto, nel mezzo di nulla. Per il resto l’hotel è piuttosto “run out” si vede che ha conosciuto tempi migliori, comunque passabile. Personale gentile, buona la cena
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018
Verified review

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Midden in Murchison Falls NP

mooi Lodge Park. De eigenaresse bleek er niet te zijn waardoor het personeel wat minder hard en enthousiast aan het werk was (voetbal was interessanter dan ons naar onze lodge brengen; ivm veiligheid vanwege wild in het park). Het is absoluut een mooi park op een prachtige locatie (al zit je aan de "verkeerde kant" van de Nijl voor een Safari. Als je het pontje wilt halen dus extra vroeg uit de veren ;-) Eten is er redelijk goed maar wel aan de prijs. Vlak bij de Nijl zit Camping Red Chilli; heerlijk eten voor weinig (zowel lunch als diner). Leuk hip gezellig personeel. Sambiya River Lodge is mooi en goed maar wel heel erg duur!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2018
Verified review

8/10 Good

Peter

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service

Best value for a wilderness lodge!

Blows the similar competition away for price when booked with Expedia. Comfortable and quiet, and great staff. Three complaints, but not deal breakers. The solar showers only provide hot water around midday. Morning showers are cool. The internet only comes on at meal times - and then off the rest of the day and night. Not necessarily a bad thing though. But last week, for the first time the water smelled strongly of iron rust. Probably the solar heater needs to be cleaned.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2018