Norman Carr Cottage

The lodge sits beneath a canopy of indigenous trees, including one almighty baobab. From it, a stone walkway cuts through the lawn to the slightly elevated restaurant/bar/lounge area, where you'll enjoy home-cooked meals and twinkling lake views, and relax in the cool indoor/outdoor space. Wicker chairs and couches add to the easygoing beach-bungalow atmosphere. Beyond the restaurant, the walkway leads across the sand to the sweet little lopsided jetty, which extends over the lake for fishing and accessing the boats.

Accommodation is in four executive suite cottages and two courtyard rooms. Expect relatively simple style, although all the rooms are certainly more than adequately comfortable, with plenty of natural light and good air-flow. Four-poster queen-sized beds are draped with mosquito netting, and there's a tea/coffee station for a quick cuppa. Your en-suite bathroom has a shower, and a second, rather exceptional, outdoor shower. The two courtyard rooms are set slightly back from the shore, but still have great lake views.

With busier Monkey Bay and Cape Maclear to the north, this stretch of the lake attracts fewer tourists. We thinks that's a Good Thing... Diving is excellent, and you're free to explore the waters in a canoe. Bracket the day with morning snorkelling expeditions and evening sundown cruises. Day trips can be arranged to nearby nature reserves or to explore the rivers that feed the lake. And of course there's the beach to keep you busy – or contentedly inert.