Comforts creature

For clients looking for an inthe-lap-of-luxury experience, suggest a five-star African lodge, suggests Jo Austin

The Zambezi never disappoints and this trip to the Lower Zambezi (on the Zambian side) is evoking plenty of excitement as I discover a host of wildlife, both along the banks of the river and in the water itself as it wends its way through Zambia and Zimbabwe towards Mozambique and out to the Indian Ocean.

Wide and slow-flowing at this point, the Lower Zambezi is a haven for hippos, crocs and elephants, which are mingling comfortably together. But my canoe trip with a guide from Old Mondoro quickly reveals a hippo’s unpredictable temperament as it angrily rears up from a hidden lagoon, creating big waves across our bow. With my heart racing, the encounter is not one that I want to repeat!

Old Mondoro also attracts big herds of elephants and I have to sit it out in my thatched lodge while they munch on the trees right outside my window.

My overnight stays at Chiawa and Sausage

Tree Camp are in super-luxury private lodges, with great views across to Mana Pools in Zimbabwe, where more elephants are wallowing.

I can also see enormous crocs along the sun-splashed bank but decide that this time

I’ll stay on dry land for a 4WD safari.

Pushing the bar

Luxury lodges throughout Africa are pushing the luxury bar ever higher, with conservation and responsible tourism projects now integral to this development. Beyond the exceptional comfort and attention to detail offered by these lodges – these decadent homes in the bush provide