Fodor's Expert Review Eagle Island Lodge

Surrounded by pristine waterways, tall palm trees, and vast floodplains, this predominantly solar-powered camp was imaginatively designed to mimic its surroundings. In the main thatched dining and lounge area, textured, conical suspended lampshades are oversized replicas of the weaver nests that hang from the nearby trees. Charcoal-gray, curved walls mirror the color and shape of the dripping elephants you will see emerging from the water while you're ensconced in a plush armchair by the cozy fireplace. The expansive thatched rooms continue the color theme of gray, turquoise, and burnished copper with a host of luxurious details: a marble-topped minibar, a bakelite telephone for contacting staff, automatic sensor lights for nocturnal necessities, a cavernous roll-top bath, and an infinity plunge pool on your deck. Gauze blinds and wide-open windows provide a natural alternative to the air-conditioning, should you prefer. Meals are à la carte and, unusually for a safari circuit, all the Belmond camps offer separate menus and wine-lists. At dawn and dusk hippos chortle, birds call, and hyenas whoop; activities are more experiential than game-focused and are predominantly foot- and water-based, though game drives replace water activities when water levels are low. Glide through crystal-clear water surrounded by a tunnel of towering, emerald-green papyrus in a mokoro; cruise across wide lagoons on a motorboat; or trek across pristine islands. Or stay in camp and sink into a birdcage-hanging chair in the Fish Eagle Bar, which juts out over the water, as the sun sets in a blaze of red and gold.