Hobatere Lodge

The spacious open-plan main area incorporates modern design (polished concrete floors, exposed rafters, floor-to-ceiling windows and colorful accent walls) with uniquely African touches (a thatched roof, cowhides, a few tasteful animal heads and a wooden chandelier). Here you'll find a reception desk, curio shop, lounge/dining room and bar. It's a lovely, cool and comfortable place to sink into a big leather sofa and read a book, or pull up to the V-shaped wooden bar counter. In the adjoining dining room, breakfast and dinner are served as buffet while lunch is a la carte. Just outside the sliding glass doors is the shaded verandah with plenty of al fresco seating; just beyond this is a fire pit and even further, a waterhole. The swimming pool is surrounded by a rare patch of grass, and is accompanied by a raised stone deck with sun loungers.

There are twelve comfortable but modest rooms at Hobatere - six individual terracotta thatched chalets and six terraced rooms. The chalets are compact with two twin beds and a small bathroom with basin, shower and toilet. There's a ceiling fan, though it only works when the generator is turned on. The terraced rooms sit closer to the main area and are larger, all with a double bed and some containing a third, single bed. Bathrooms are also larger, but with all the same amenities. Double doors open out onto a deck, furnished with two cushioned chairs.

All activities at Hobatere are offered at an additional cost per person and can feel quite regulated by set-times, organized around meals. That said, it's possible to do walks, game drives and night drives with experienced guides. The surrounding private reserve is gradually experiencing more relaxed game viewing, though the best viewing is undoubtedly in Etosha National Park. If you're not self-driving then a full-day outing into the park with one of the guides on staff is a must. Full-day trips leave camp around 6.30am and return around 4pm and include a picnic lunch.