Fodor's Expert Review Camp Okavango

Unrecognizable from its former, humbler self, this solar-powered camp was rebuilt in 2016 on a grand scale comprising multi-layered decks and curved walkways that link the thatched dining, library, and lounge areas set among a forest of palm, knobthorn, and jackalberry trees. The fire-deck is the perfect place for the ultimate sunset vista before an alfresco dinner, and on sultry summer days a dip in the refreshing pool, situated on the lowest deck, is unbeatable. The large rooms are equally impressive, raised on stilts and built in harmony with their arboreal surroundings with flat, canvas-covered roofs, and natural wood and rattan furniture. A bank of wooden, concertina, mesh-panel doors opens up a whole wall of your bedroom and lounge, bringing you even closer to nature and leading onto a spacious deck. Inside, cream floor-to-ceiling curtains conceal your bathroom, with twin stone basins, a separate toilet, and a luxurious, double walk-in shower. The activity focus is on the wilderness experience rather than big game, so excursions are foot- or water-based. A highlight is drifting along a river in a mokoro toward a floating bar that's set up in the middle of a lagoon and is tended by a wading barman.