Ishasha Wilderness Camp

Beautifully positioned, hugging a bend of the glorious Ntungwe River, the main area is a vast, open-sided space with a lounge, bar, library and dining area. There’s plenty of chunky seating from which to admire the burbling river and all its visitors and the cool, thatched roof provides shade on even the hottest of afternoons. Dinner is a social affair, often served down by the river and like all good bush camps, there’s a campfire for after-hours whiskies.

The 10 Meru-style tents are authentic bush camp down to a T, with large beds enshrouded by guazy mosquito nets in the spacious bedroom areas and open-air bathrooms with bucket showers at the back (there’s also running water at the sinks). Discreetly placed along the banks of the river, each is perfectly private with a shady veranda and chairs for river-watching by day and star-gazing by night. The camp is committed to leaving only the lightest of footprints so it’s solar-powered lighting, flickering kerosene lanterns and eco-flush loos all the way.

Game drives are the main activity from Ishasha and with no other camps for miles (and miles) around and definitely no other vehicles, they are a real delight. The camp is particularly flexible when it comes to timings, but early-mornings and late-evenings are the real winners, especially if you want to catch a glimpse of the tree-climbing lions and the elusive leopard. There are also camp-based walks down the river to enjoy, and visits to the local village and communities.