Leopard Hills Lodge

The ochre-walled main area is a good place to gather after a visually rewarding game drive. Kick back in the lounge, send 'you should be here' messages to your friends and family, chat to the other guests over dinner (it's fine cuisine and there's lots of it), enjoy a drink at the bar or on the veranda and dip in the pool. In the library are plentiful reference and other books, and African journals, to browse through.

Strung along the Mabrak River, Leopard Hills has just eight stone-and-thatch stilted suites with glass frontages that allow you to gaze at the bush. Each is beautifully furnished in relaxing colours and has a king-sized bed, air conditioning, inside and outside showers, a comfortable lounge, reading material, a wooden veranda and personal pool. Anything you could ever need has been taken into account, including underfloor heating for chilly winter visits. A safari experience at its best!

Leopard Hills is perched on a rocky hilltop overlooking its own 10,000-hectare private reserve, so there's always something to train your binoculars on. Take a morning or evening game drive or a game walk with the highly informative rangers, visit a local Shangaan village or board a helicopter to see the nearby Blyde River Canyon from above (excursions beyond the property can be arranged with management). There's a gym for fitness fans and a shop for some retail therapy.