Lake Ndutu Luxury Tented Lodge

The thatched main area, encircled by a dark wood deck, occupies a significant space. There's plenty of place to relax in the lounge (cushioned comfort and wide valley views) and on the open-air terrace. Feet up, poolside, is a fine way to spend an hour or two, and the rooftop deck is the best place to scan the horizon or the heavens.

From the main area, a stone-paved path leads to 20 spacious canvas tents with peaked roofs. They sit in clusters of three, staggered to preserve your all-important privacy. Each is elevated above ground level, with a sizeable deck out front and weeping views across the treeline. At the rear of the tent is a stone-walled bathroom, with a double basin, flush toilet and hot shower. Expect endearingly intimate wildlife encounters – wildlife meanders freely around this fenceless camp.

Game drives are the best way to follow the action. And Ngorongoro offers some of the finest, as this landscape hosts one the greatest concentrations of land-based wildlife in the world. It seems there's something big to see everywhere you turn, from elephant, rhino, wild dog, leopard, giraffe, hyena, and lion (in especially great numbers), to wildebeest and zebra – we could go on, but it's best to discover for yourself...