Mashatu Lodge

distinctive Camp | Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana

(4.75)

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Mashatu Lodge is a luxuriously comfortable, family-friendly oasis in the heart of one of southern Africa’s great wilderness areas, the vast Mashatu Game Reserve. These endless plains encompass a stunning private wildlife sanctuary in a remote corner of southeast Botswana. Abundant wildlife, thrilling scenery and first-rate hospitality have made Mashatu a perennial favorite for those seeking a truly authentic, off-the-beaten-path safari experience.

Our Expert Says

Mashatu is one of my favorite spots in Africa. This less-visited camp offers everything you could ask for to create an authentic safari. The fantastic accommodations, great food, warm service and amazing guides were more than I expected. What really makes this place unique is the variety of activities. Night wildlife drives, walking safaris, horseback safaris and guided archaeological walks are all available. But it was trekking along a path made by elephants and encountering wildlife while doing what I love most – mountain biking – that won me totally over. I can’t wait to return with my biking buddies!

– Don Martinson

The Camp

Location: Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana
Number of Tents: 14

Mashatu Lodge’s 14 spacious, air-conditioned suites are tucked discreetly along the camp’s perimeter, providing guests with ample opportunity to commune with nature in absolute privacy. Each suite is tastefully decorated with beautiful black-and-white prints of Africa’s most impressive animals. Large and family-friendly, each suite includes a double and a single bed, and full seating area with a day bed. The ample en suite bathrooms include both bathtubs and showers. Between wildlife drives, the expansive swimming pool tends to be the most popular spot in camp, beckoning guests of all ages to take a refreshing dip, while the camp’s waterhole tends to be equally popular with elephant families. The Discovery Room, with its collection of animal specimens and other exhibits, provides a fascinating glimpse into what this world was like long before the arrival of humans. Home-cooked meals here are sumptuous celebrations of traditional African cuisine.

Facilities & Amenities

En suite bathroom with tub and shower
Shampoo, soap and lotion
Hair dryer
Air conditioning
Room fan
Mini bar
Tea/coffee in room
220v charging outlets in room
In-room safe
Central pool
Wi-Fi in main area
Laundry (extra cost)
Credit cards accepted (Visa, MasterCard, and Amex)

Wildlife Viewing & Activities

Mashatu takes its name from the Mashatu tree, though it is often referred to as the ‘Land of Giants’ in honor of some of its truly gigantic inhabitants; elephants, giraffes, ostriches, and the mighty baobab trees. Comprising 75,000 acres of pristine wilderness in eastern Botswana, Mashatu Game Reserve is one of the largest private wildlife reserves in Southern Africa. Located at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers, Mashatu encompasses a variety of habitats including savanna, riverine forest and marshland. As such, it possesses an ecological diversity uncommon in other reserves. In addition to three members of Africa’s famous ‘Big Five’—leopard, lion and elephant—guests may encounter some true rarities, including aardwolf, bat-eared fox, African wild cat, honey badger and black-backed jackal as well as the recently reintroduced endangered African wild dog. Mashatu is a birding paradise, home to more than 350 species. Activities include wildlife drives, cultural tours, horseback safaris, mountain bike excursions and guided nature walks.

Mashatu is known as the "land of giants," as it's home to the world's largest mammal, cat, antelope, bird, tallest mammal, and heaviest bird - the elephant, lion, eland, ostrich, giraffe and kori bustard respectively. The chart below illustrates some of the major wildlife sightings at Mashatu. Other common sightings include impala, waterbuck, bat-eared and cape foxes, black-backed jackal, chacma baboon, caracal, serval, warthog, crocodile and the sporadic aarwolf, honey badger, pangolin and porcupine, among many others.

Country	Park/Reserve	Cheetah	Eland	Elephant	Giraffe	Greater Kudu	Hippo	Hyena	Leopard	Lion	Wild Dog	Wildebeest	Zebra
Botswana	Mashatu Game Reserve

Usually viewed

Frequently viewed

Occasionally viewed

Sporadically viewed

Rarely to never viewed

Climate

Month	Max	Min	Rainfall
January	99° F	75° F	4.18 in
	37° C	23° C	106 mm
February	104° F	73° F	1.03 in
	40° C	22° C	26 mm
March	95° F	70° F	0.47 in
	35° C	21° C	12 mm
April	86° F	64° F	1.38 in
	30° C	17° C	35 mm
May	88° F	54° F	0.04 in
	31° C	12° C	1 mm
June	84° F	48° F	0.0 in
	28° C	8° C	0 mm
July	84° F	46° F	0.0 in
	28° C	7° C	0 mm
August	88° F	55° F	0.0 in
	31° C	12° C	0 mm
September	97° F	61° F	0.26 in
	36° C	16° C	7 mm
October	102° F	66° F	0.56 in
	38° C	18° C	14 mm
November	99° F	72° F	1.73 in
	37° C	22° C	44 mm
December	91° F	68° F	2.18 in
	32° C	20° C	55 mm

Conservation

Mashatu Game Reserve’s conservation efforts are based upon the belief that sound scientific research is critical to effectively managing and conserving wildlife, both within the reserve and around the globe. Toward this end, Mashatu supports intensive, long-term wildlife research initiatives within the reserve by providing research scientists with lodging, food, logistical support and access to funding. One such initiative is the Tuli Elephant Research Project, studying elephants and their movements within the reserve, which falls within the proposed Shashe-Limpopo Trans-Frontier Conservation Area, a massive conservation initiative involving partnerships between governments, private landowners and local communities in Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. By studying these elephants, including their herd structures, population demographics and movements, researchers here will be one step closer to solving the complicated problem of elephant conservation and management. Another example of an important research project Mashatu supports is the Northern Tuli Predator Project, which studies lions, leopards and hyenas.