Msenge Bush Lodge

Everything is spacious and free-flowing thanks to the main area's semi-circle design - and everywhere you look, there's a spectacular view. The main area is a good mix of elegant and rustic with a thatched roof and glass-enclosed rooms, and the wrap-around deck, pool and shady loungers are perfect for midday siesta-ing. There's also a gym overlooking the plains and a spa with a variety of therapies. The central fire pit is always ablaze in the evening and is the ideal spot for star-gazing.

The 12 glass-ensconced chalets are each elevated slightly above the canopy of thicket and overlooking the Zuurberg Mountains. The glass walls give a sense of a bedroom outdoors and all rooms have grand four-poster beds, a small sitting area, enormous ensuite bathrooms with deep bathtubs, double basins and showers, as well as extensive outdoor decking. Suites share an entrance but have two private bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms.

Pumba is not only easy to access by car or plane, it's also in a malaria-free area, an important designation for families with small children. Practicalities aside, the reserve has a lot going for it too. It's home to free-roaming Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant), plus one of Africa's only self-sustaining population of white lion. Besides game drives, there are a number of activities on offer: guided bush walks, night drives, bass fishing expeditions, and even archery lessons. Guides here are excellent and adept at tailoring safaris to all levels of experience.