Fodor's Expert Review Lianshulu Lodge

You might be lucky enough to encounter wildlife in and around this unfenced, thatched lodge that’s located under huge jackalberry and mangosteen trees in a private concession within Mudumu National Park. As you sip on a G&T from the lodge’s elevated wooden deck, you can watch hippos wallow amid water lilies and crocs float along the backwaters of the Kwando River. Even if you don’t partake in the daily water cruises and game drives, the owner-run lodge is a peaceful place to relax and offers superb birding with more than 400 species. The chalets are spacious brick and thatch en-suite units that are suitably comfortable but somewhat dated, especially when compared to newer lodges; it can be booked on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.