Onguma Fort

A gorgeous, sumptuously spoiling kasbah-style lodge looking out to the eastern border of Etosha Park

The Onguma Reserve encompasses a vast 20,000 hectare slice of bushveld, which nudges up to Etosha's easternmost border. When given the brief of creating a flagship lodge for the reserve, Namibian designer Heidrun Diekmann eschewed traditional safari style and instead looked to Morocco and India for her inspiration. The result of her derring-do is as stunning as it is innovative.

The Fort (also known as 'Onguma Plains'), and its 13 suites which fan out to either side, rise kasbah-like above the plain that stretches out towards the flat expanses of Fischer's Pan. Rough stone walls, earthy colour washes, spare interiors and an open frontage with a massive sweep of planked deck were all conceived to make the unforgettable vista, and Onguma's jaw-dropping sunsets, the main protagonists. And at night, when the reflection of a hundred lamps dance in the courtyard pools and the Milky Way seems close enough to reach out and touch, you can live your very own chapter of Arabian Nights - albeit in southern Africa.

Highs

• The physical setting is heart-achingly beautiful
• Eye-catching interiors: angular furniture and twists of lime green, scarlet and pinks in fabrics and cushions
• Fantastic food
• This place is romantic with a capital 'R' and perfect for crooners, swooners and honeymooners
• You'll see plenty of buck at The Fort's water hole in dry season: if you're lucky you may see rhino or big cats
• Water has been masterfully incorporated into The Fort's design, as both an aural and visual element

Lows

• There were times when we'd have opted to cut the background chill music in favour of the sounds of the bush
• Morning game drives into the Etosha Park aren't usually included in the price of your stay (but drives within the Onguma Reserve are)
• Tarif only includes 1 game drive a day; if you want to do a second one, you'll have to pay extra
• The Onguma Reserve is a 5.5 hour drive from Windhoek, albeit through fabulous scenery, or a 1.5 hour flight in a light aircraft