Mbali Mbali Gombe

The thatched camp is set on the lakeshore, backed by ancient forest trees. At its heart is the main area, a simple elevated wooden structure with a veranda that's ideal morning coffee or sundowners. The interior, cleverly surrounded by screens for maximum airflow, is furnished with local teak sofas brightened with African textiles. It's a simple and comfortable space. The real luxuries come by way of the cuisine, which is excellent and fresh, and the service, which is cheerfully efficient.

The camp is intimate, with just seven open-plan tents set slightly back from the beach in the shade of the forest. To enter, you climb a few steps to the broad, canvas-covered patio. Enter via foldaway doors to find your charming bedroom, with its dark-wood floors and rather grand four-poster bed draped with netting. There's a sweet desk, vanity and storage area and, beyond a canvas wall, the bathroom, where the shower is hot and the toilet first-rate.

Chimp trekking is the prime activity at Gombe, an activity that's undertaken with utmost sensitivity to the animals and conducted by extremely knowledgeable guides. Because of the legacy of research here, the chimps are accustomed to being observed. Still, there are no guarantees that you'll find them easily, and hiking is not for the faint-hearted (or anyone younger than 15). But treks reveal many forest treasures: olive baboon, red colobus and red-tailed monkeys, 200 species of birds, and butterflies galore.