Hippo Lodge

All meals (deliciously made with the freshest of ingredients) are served in the main thatched dining area, with cool views across the lawn to the shady trees and the river. Looking for a perfect evening? Relax in the hot spring while the chef prepares a barbecue nearby – dinner beneath the stars is sublime! Tea and coffee are available throughout the day. There's also a swimming pool on the property.

Accommodation ranges from five private thatched chalets of varied sizes to two rustic safari tents. Of the chalets, Munjili House is ideal for families with two or three children and its bathroom offers all the necessary amenities plus an enormous walk-in shower. Honeymoon House is charmingly quirky - made of local stone, there's a veranda right on the river's edge, a deep four-poster bed, stone shower and bathtub. The tents are old-safari style and each has an en-suite shower.

Make sure to pack your binos - Kafue has 500 recorded bird species and 390 of them are here in the northern sector. We managed to tick off the African finfoot, Pel's fishing-owl, Böhm's bee-eater and a half-collared kingfisher.