Rhulani Safari Lodge

This award-winning lodge has recently been renovated, so expect the best. Pass through the thatched central area into a bright lounge with plushy red sofas, dining room (separate tables and chandelier-lit), bar, veranda and pool area. Huge windows and folding doors open to the view. Meals are served in the dining room, on the deck beside a roaring fire or in the boma. Every corner has a view. There are also conference facilities and wi-fi throughout.

Accommodation is in seven luxury chalets, each with its private, and unusual, plunge pool. All are air-conditioned and have fireplaces to keep you comfortable when temperatures drop. There's an en-suite bathroom with a large oval bath and both indoor and outdoor showers, a deck and a tea- and coffee-making station. The luxury family suite has two en-suite bedrooms that can accommodate two comfortable stretcher beds for children. The sofas in the lounge can also be converted into two single beds.

Take a guided game drive or foot safari, go birdwatching or watch the animals gathering at the lodge's waterhole. Gaze at the night sky. (Some 50 percent of the world's population can no longer see the stars, so take advantage of the clear skies here.) Have a massage while your children enjoy the playroom's games, DVDs or bug hunts. Investigate Madikwe’s conservation programmes and try your hand at rhino-notching, buffalo collaring or lion contraception. Or get married in the bush!