Lions Bluff Lodge

Rustic walkways lead you from the reception into the main area, where it's all about the views (and the G'nTs). The dining room, bar and lounge sit beneath high thatched roofs, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass doors, which open onto spacious terraces. There's a lovely curio shop as you enter, and further down the ridge is the westerly-facing sundowner terrace, furnished with plenty of tables, chairs and a fire pit. Dinner is often served here in the open air.

Lions Bluff offers 12 rooms dotted along the ridge, each with a high thatched-roof, canvas walls, an ensuite bathroom, large verandah and the most magnificent, sweeping westerly views. Five of the rooms have double bed configurations, while six have twin beds. There is one double-story family unit that sleeps four comfortably. Additionally, there is a traditional stone-walled cottage with two bedrooms and a thatched roof, and another timber, canvas and stone cottage. Bathrooms have simple showers and flush toilets which could do with a slight upgrade.

Game drives on the reserve take place in a 9-seater Nissan 4x4 and are typically spent out on the savanna, anywhere from a few hours to a full day. There are several other activities on offer too: take a battlefield tour and learn about the early 20th Century skirmishes between German and British troops, or do a cultural tour of a nearby village. Bush walks generally leave right from the lodge and incorporate local knowledge of medicinal plants as well as typical bush ranger skills. A sundowner drink on the savannah or on a carefully selected spot high up on the ridge is never amiss, and night drives are possible and often productive.