Ashnil Aruba Lodge

Enter via the large reception area (with a gift shop) that leads to the an enormous dining room, complete with a resort-style buffet and facilities for the chef to prepare your cooked breakfast. In the adjoining lounge, a bar and clusters of cushioned seating invite you to relax, and there's a sunny veranda with a few more lunch tables. On the edge of camp is a small pool with a few sun loungers, but no shade from the heat.

There are 20 suites in total at Ashnil Aruba – eight with interconnecting rooms, four triples, six lovely tented rooms and two that are adapted for guests with special needs. All have en-suite bathrooms with a flush toilet, shower and complimentary toiletries. Slate or polished concrete floors help the rooms stay cool (there are fans but no aircon), and the shaded verandas have decent views of the dam. The décor is simple and uncluttered, and the netted beds are comfortable.

Despite the numbers of other safari vehicles you're likely to meet, the game drives usually provide good sightings of elephant, giraffe, zebra and lion, sometimes even leopard or cheetah. Get off the beaten track for a more intimate experience of this diverse ecosystem on a guided walk. Keen twitchers will appreciate the superlative knowledge services of the dedicated bird guide. Want to learn more? The guides regularly deliver lectures on a broad range of topics based on wildlife conservation.