Fodor's Expert Review Sand Rivers Selous

Deep in the southwest corner of Nyerere National Park, this lodge is just about as isolated and exclusive as you can get, but the attentive service and home-away-from-home atmosphere is unlike any other lodge in the park. Located just above a wide bend in the Rufiji River, the stone and thatch lodge and chalets are open to the surroundings, each with a incredibly comfortable king-size bed, elegant natural wooden furniture, cream and white soft furnishings, carefully chosen African artifacts, and great river views. In front of the main lodge, shaded by a 1,500-year-old baobab tree, there's a deck that curves along the riverbank, where you can sit and watch cavorting hippos and dozing crocs. Apart from its game drives and fun fishing safaris, the lodge prides itself on its walking safaris; you don't have to be super fit, but a ramble through the surrounding wilderness with some of Tanzania's best guides is something you'll never forget.