Machaton Private Camp

​At the camp's heart is the spacious main area, home to the lounge, bar and library. Tasteful neutral furnishings, a thatched roof, dark-wood beams and brushed concrete floors echo the shades of the landscape, the views of which are wide and deep. In front of the lodge, a sparkling plunge pool glows turquoise by night. To one side is a partially enclosed boma area, where fireside dinners take place beneath the stars, and friends are made.

​The three individual luxury suites form a semi-circle around the main area, though they're set a good distance from it and are supremely private. Each has generous views of the riverbed, forest or a waterhole. With two bedrooms and a large shared bathroom with a double basin and a deep bathtub, the suites are identically appointed. Expect a spacious deck with a private (and vital) plunge pool, sunloungers, and views through a curtain of vegetation.

Guests can choose when to venture out, but to get the best bush experiences, we suggest you leave the planning to your expert guide and tracker – they're at home here. Twice-daily game drives, and guided walks, yield exceptional sightings of the big and hairies – lion, leopard, buffalo, kudu, giraffe – and the big and not-so-hairies – elephant and rhino. Look out for the resident pride of white lion, whose pearly coats are caused by a recessive leucistic gene.