Ruaha River Lodge

A fabulous riverside lodge, at the heart of Tanzania's extraordinary Ruaha Park, where an unrivalled wildlife spectacular awaits you

Wild, remote and unimaginably beautiful, Ruaha National Park is one of East Africa's best kept secrets. Cut through by the mighty river of the same name, there are few places in the world with such prolific wildlife. Cheetah, leopard and lion, elephant, buffalo and hippos, wild dog, roan antelope and lesser kudu: you name it, there's a chance you'll see it at close quarters.

The Fox family were pioneers in setting up safari camps within this vast tract of pristine wilderness. And there's no better place for taking in the extraordinary wildlife spectacle than at their River Lodge. Twin camps (River and Hilltop, with 14 guest bandas apiece), nudge right up to the river's edge, one a low open-sided thatched lodge, the other wrapped organically around the top of a rocky kopje.The Foxes have spent years perfecting the standards of guiding, food and accommodation: you stay with them in the knowledge that you're guaranteed the safari experience of a lifetime.

Highs

• Seeing is believing when it comes to the animal and birdlife - and in the company of the Foxes' expert guides you'll learn a whole lot about it all
• The remote location means that you see far fewer game vehicles than in the northern game parks
• The setting of the camp is sublime, wrapped into a thick stand of ancient riverine forest looking across the Ruaha to the Charawindi hills
• The bandas make the most of a stunning, riverside location with front decks reaching out towards the water's edge

Lows

• The remoteness of Ruaha means that getting here entails a long, light aircraft flight down from Arusha or across from Dar. But rather than an ordeal this is an integral part of the adventure
• The large number of guest bandas, 28 in all, could seem off-putting. But they're split between 2 quite separate lodges and the atmosphere remains intimate
• In keeping with the bush pioneer vibe, there's no pool