Hobatere is an 8,000-ha community-owned concession managed by Journeys Namibia who run the wonderful Grootberg Lodge along the same lines. They also manage the successful Fish River Lodge  and Auas Safari Lodge, so they’re no strangers to the business.

West of Etosha, Hobatere is the complete safari experience and the only complaint we’ve ever had about this place is that we didn’t book our clients in for long enough. The refurbished thatch chalets are not overly luxurious - there’s no air con for example - but they remain secluded and spacious with comfy beds, an en suite bathroom (shower only, this is an eco-camp after all) and a private balcony.

The main building faces the waterhole about 200m away and you can spend all day watching elephants, lions, cheetah, leopard, giraffe, zebra and all manner of antelope; birding is still excellent of course as is the quality of the guiding.

The food is excellent the highlight being a three-course set menu dinner and the staff, who are all custodians of the conservancy, are friendly, keen to help and, with first-class training from Journeys Nam, pretty good at what they do.