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Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana, Africa

See Exciting African Animals while Staying in a Luxury Resort

Nov 11, 2008 Betsy Husband

Mashatu, a private game reserve in Botswana, Africa offers luxury accommodations. Go on game drives, walking safaris, bike safaris, and horse safaris.

Enjoy a safari with two game drives a day in open four-wheel-drive vehicles. Stop for breakfast tea on the morning drive, and sundowners for happy hour on the evening drive.

The Game

The name comes from the glorious Mashatu trees found throughout the privately owned land. It is home to seven of Africa’s big giants: giraffes, elephants, lions, eland, ostrich, kori bustard, and the baobab tree. It’s a refuge for the largest, single population of elephant on privately owned land in Africa. The population in Mashatu Game Reserve alone is over 500.

The elusive leopard can frequently be found in a tree with an impala hanging over the branches, an example of the food chain in action. Wildebeest and zebra wander the savannah freely. Wart hogs offer comic relief as they run by on their short little legs. And the sound of birds chirping is never-ending with over 350 different species within the reserve.

The Tent Camp

There’s a choice of two options for staying at Mashatu. The tent camp never has more than 16 guests in an idyllic private getaway. The tents are on wood floors with comfortable beds and chest of drawers. Each tent has a private toilet and outdoor shower. A lovely path leads from each private tent to the dining room, which is an open sided thatch deck where family style meals are served.

The Main Camp

The main camp is larger and more luxurious. The camp has 14 authentically and tastefully decorated suites. Each has a large bathroom with shower and bath. The main Camp is elevated around a waterhole which offers excellent game viewing from within the camp. The dining area and day lounge also have lookouts for viewing the game at all times. The Discovery Room is a base for scientific research offering an educational insight into the world of Mashatu.

Adventures

In addition to the game drives Mashatu offers mountain bike safaris where the more adventurous can see the sights from a different perspective, getting a little exercise in the process. Experienced rangers lead tours along ancient elephant paths. They also offer a “ride on the wild side” with their horse safaris. It’s a fast, advanced ride, and only experienced riders are invited. And a walking safari shows the tiniest parts of the game reserve that are missed when not on foot. A ranger points out and describes everything from the most obvious to the most subtle.

Getting to Mashatu in Botswana is half the fun. A ranger greets visitors on the shore of the Limpopo River. The adventure begins when people and luggage are loaded into a metal cage hanging from a cable, then taken for a ride across the raging, muddy river.

It’s the beginning of an adventure of a lifetime.

The copyright of the article Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana, Africa in Sub-Sahara Africa Travel is owned by Betsy Husband. Permission to republish Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana, Africa in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

The Elephants of Mashatu