namibia

There are more safari lodges dotting the African landscape than there are Black Rhinos.Or so it seems. But who wants to stay in one of those stuffy Victorian-era examples, with a preference for stuffed lions in the foyer and charging you an elephant leg for a cold beer?

Onguma's Tented Camp on the other hand remains an authentic African experience where immersing yourself in the heart of an incredible landscape doesn't come at the cost of luxury.

Set on the banks of a watering hole amid typical savannah flora, Onguma plonks you so far in the middle of Namibia's wilderness that a guard has to escort you from dinner back to your room lest a lion be roaming nearby.

Children aren't allowed for the obvious reason: they look too much like lion biscuits. There are seven luxury tents, each overlooking the waterhole. More importantly, the private game reserve in which Onguma sits features four of the "Big Five" you're here to see: lion, leopard, rhino and elephant. That watering hole, by the way, seems to be a favourite local of them all.

And even though your room is by definition a tent, it's like none you've ever carried on your back with earthy five star fittings worthy of a Vogue spread. Also circling the watering hole is a rim flow swimming pool from which you may have to out-stare a leopard and a restaurant serving up the best Zebra you've ever tasted.

This may not be budget holidaying, but it's definitely value vacationing that captures the spirit of the African frontier.