We stayed for 3 nights which we feel was the perfect amount of time. We took the train and arrived in the evening for a meal. The staff were great and really friendly. Our stone banda was comfortable. The location is beautiful and the whole setting is very picturesque, especially around the top bandas. Pool looked nice. All the food and the service was great. We had an excellent guide in Rama who was very knowledgable. Saw lion, giraffe, elephant, lots of types of antelope, monkey, hyena, crocs, hippo, buffalo, baboon, warthog etc etc but no rhino (hardly any in the park which is bigger than Switzerland) no leopard or cheetah. There are no electricity points in your room but If your camera runs out of battery they will charge it up for you in their office. The type of safari you go on is decided upon the night before. We were a little disappointed with this because we weren't able to do what we wanted because they didn't have enough drivers (despite their website saying there had to be a min of 2 people for a safari to take place). but there were a lot of people staying in the lodge. We ended up doing the full day safari with boat - twice.
Unfortunately you didn't get a complimentary beer/glass of wine/soft drink with your evening meal.
There are two 'watering holes' on site, one, confessed the staff, rarely has any animals near it, the other is so small (paddling pool) you need your binos!
This is the third safari we have done and we were impressed but it doesn't beat Shamwari, SA - not even close.

I couldn't recommend Sable Mountain enough, it's a truely unique experience far removed from the hussle and bustle of crowds.

We took the train from Dar which was great arriving at night we didn't see any game but the last hour of the journey goes through Selous Reserve and so if it's bright you may spot some game.

The staff and service at Sable were both fantastic, the food was great and the beer cold. Each member of staff was very knowledgeable in thier area and made us feel informed and welcome. The safari was fantastic, we met only one car on our full day drive.

Sable Mountain has fresh spring water and so you can drink directly from the taps and there is a spring water swimming pool.

Everyone working at Sable made a real effort to make our stay enjoyable. It was my birthday during our visit and they even prepared a birthday cake especially, which was delicious.

we travelled up from Dar on the train - an experience not to be forgotten - sadly no white wine (ho ho) but surprisingly lovely cold beer! Dave who's been working at Sable Lodge for a long time was in the next carriage to us and checked on us from time to time to give us an update as to how far we'd go to go (it's a long journey - 5 hours ish) Arrived in pitch dark and travelled by Jeep to the lodge. Were given a very warm welcome by Mia, the Manager, and had a much longed for cold gin & tonic and a very nice supper which was most welcome. There were only two other guests there so we all ate together and after spending the night in our lovely luxury tent (with very comfortable bed) arranged a whole day safari with "Stan the Man". This was fantastic - as we only really had one full day there - we did the safari - the game was great - it's not a densely populated part of the game reserve - as in not many lodges - so there's a great air of exclusivity about it. We saw all sorts of game (apart from that elusive leopard!) and it was good to be the only vehicle observing. Loads of fantastic birds too. We had a packed lunch which we ate with Stan in the middle of Lake Tagalala. Stan caught a flying fish by default is it literally jumped into our boat. We, on the other hand, had a yet another great supper and stayed up late as we were having such a great time. The next day, sadly, we had to leave to fly to our next destination. I would so recommend this place, and wish we'd had longer there.

I visited the Sable Mountain Lodge and the Selous game reserve in February 2009 as part of a small group booked through the Adventure Company.
We took the five hour train ride from Dar Es Salaam which was a complete adventure in itself. We travelled through part of the reserve and were able to spot animals en route. We got off the train in complete darkness, in the middle of the bush and were driven by jeep to our accomodation.
I have visited Africa before and been on several safaris so I had an idea of what to expect. What I did not expect to do was to stay in a place so comfortable and well presented as the Sable Mountain Lodge. It consisted of several stone Bandas which were very spacious and private. Most of them had stunning panoramic views. There was also a swimming pool which was much better than I had anticipated. The water from this was later used as drinking water for the animals at their watering hole. It was apparent from many things that the place had consevation and green issues in mind.
There were two covered outside restaurants and bars. Staff were always friendly and helpful and made you feel very welcome. All meals were always of a high quality. ( They made a good cup of tea - very important to the English traveller)
One of the highlights for me was the fact that Selous is not well visited. It is not common to see a lot of other people on game drives. Most of the animals are not used to seeing thousands of visitors in safari vehicles either as exhibited by their skittish behaviour. It is great to see animals behaving as they trully should in the wild. However, this does pose problems for the amateur photographer ; lots of shots of behinds! Selous is also incredibly lush and green.
I only stayed at the Sable Mountain Lodge for a few days but saw numerous species of animals and birds including Fish Eagles, Carmine Bee-eaters, Elephants, Lions, Wildebeest, Buffalo and a group of about ten rare Roosevelt Sable Antelope. It is also a good place for the giraffe enthusiast but I understand that Saadani is better (visit www.saadani.com).
Overall, a fantastic place to visit