Verney's Camp

With an eco-friendly sensibility and minimalistic style, this clever solar-powered camp was built with the basic principle of leaving the landscapes front and centre pristine. The main area is a large wooden deck with a canvas cover that can be parted to better gaze at the waterhole that teems with wildlife in the drier months. With indoor and outdoor dining areas, plenty of soft seating areas, touches of African crafts and a warming fire pit, this camp is a winner.

Wooden walkways lead to 10 tents cloistered neatly in the shade of the teak forest fringing the camp's waterhole. All are exceptionally private with excellent views. Eight of the rooms can be arranged into either double or twin-bed configurations; two family rooms can accommodate four with similarly flexible sleeping arrangements. Each tent has a small, comfortable lounge area, an en-suite bathroom with shower and double basins, and, in front, a deck with chairs to allow you to enjoy the action.

Though well-known for its big, charismatic characters like elephant and buffalo, lion and leopard, Hwange is home to a host of small creatures too. Visit in winter, when the bush is dry and animals are drawn to waterholes for survival. Summer is a good time for birders – when carmine bee-eaters take up residence and migrant species like woodland kingfisher and ruff arrive. Verney's remoteness (it cannot be accessed by other Hwange visitors) means that the wilderness is your oyster.