The 55,000-sq-km (21,235 sq-mi) Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania, which makes up 5% of the country’s landmass, is best reached by a 45-minute charter flight from Dar es Salaam. Half an hour after landing I was standing in Serena Mivumo’s open-air dining room, with a gin and tonic in hand, looking for Nile crocodiles and hippos in the waters of the vast Rufiji River, which meanders through Selous for some 600km (370mi) towards the Indian Ocean, and is unequivocally one of the park’s biggest attractions.

The best way to explore this UNESCO World Heritage site is by boat from Mivumo. Our knowledgeable guide, Jumbe Ngarama, took us on a late afternoon river safari downstream. The brief downpour didn’t affect the animals – the yellow baboons at Stiegler’s Gorge continued to forage, the monitor lizard was still napping atop a boulder and an African fish eagle soared overhead. After half an hour I lost count of the number of crocodiles we spotted. We recounted our sightings over our three-course dinner and anticipated which animals we’d see on our breakfast river safari before retreating to the safari bar.

We weren’t disappointed: hippos popped up around our boat and basked on the banks with their calves, elephants quenched their thirst along the riverside and a herd of buffalo was seen approaching from a distance. Birders, make sure to bring your binoculars, as there are 440 indigenous bird species, including pied kingfishers, yellow-billed storks and white-fronted bee-eaters.

But it’s not just the animal sightings that make for such a spectacular stay; it’s hard to rival indulging in room service in your elegant timber villa, after taking a dip in your private plunge pool then lounging on your sun deck. All 12 of the air-conditioned wooden bungalows at the lodge have floor-to-ceiling windows with views overlooking the river.

Mivumo River Lodge has everything else you’d expect from a four-star, boutique lodge: a presidential suite, spa and gift shop as well as Wi-Fi in the office area –although I strongly suggest you take this opportunity to connect to nature instead.