The choice of a place to stay depends on your budget, your interests, and the season of the year.
My philosophy encompasses longer stays at fewer places.
Relying on personal experiences, I only recommend places which I have visited.
One of the nicest ways to experience safari life is to stay at a bush home, sometimes referered to as a homestead, hosted by a family who has lived in East Africa for years and sometimes for generations. You share the wonders, the wildlife, the vastness that is Africa, with those who have chosen the wilderness of this land for their home.
Accommodations at these homes vary like the personalities of the owners. Some destinations are tented; some offer rooms in free-standing private cottages.
By nature, bush homes accept only a small number of guests each night (usually a maximum of six rooms or tents) and are located far off the safari circuit so you won't have to compete with hoards of tourists snapping pictures.
Days can be spent in the pursuit of a choice of activities, allowing you to make your safari as energetic or relaxing as you wish. You will be able to experience adventures in the company of other guests or independently, if you so choose.
Creature comforts usually abound. For instance, daily laundry and plenty of hot water are the norm. Meals are usually family style, with good food including, sometimes, homemade cheeses, homegrown fruits and vegetables and fancy breads baked on the premises.
Lodges are, by their nature, larger than bush homes. Often you will stay there as a break while your camp is moved from one location to another.
My choice of lodges is based on their location and their ambience, rather than on facilities and luxury. All my choices are destinations in their own right where you will be sure to enjoy your stay. The lodges I highlight here are independent, and provide homes to their owners. It is only their slightly larger size which sets them apart.
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