Mashatu Tent Camp

traditional Camp | Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana

(4.50)
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Searching for a truly intimate and authentic safari experience? Look no further than Mashatu Tent Camp, in the pristine 75,000-acre Mashatu Game Reserve, the ‘Land of Giants.’ This is the Africa of your childhood dreams writ large: big skies, wide-open spaces, and really big animals. Accommodating just 16 guests in eight comfortable, classic safari tents, the only thing that isn’t big at Mashatu Tent Camp are the crowds.

Photo of Wendy Klausner

Our Expert Says

Mashatu Tent Camp offers a perfect combination of comfort and authenticity, allowing its guests a rare feeling of "the real Africa."

– Wendy Klausner


Photo: Facilities & Amenities

Facilities & Amenities

  • En suite bathroom with open-air shower
  • Shampoo, soap and lotion
  • Room fan
  • 220v charging outlets in room
  • In-room safe
  • Central plunge pool
  • Laundry (extra cost)
  • Credit cards accepted (Visa, MasterCard, and Amex)
  • No air conditioning, hair dryer, Internet or telephone

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Photo: The Camp

The Camp

Location: Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana
Number of Tents: 8

Mashatu Tent Camp blends in so perfectly with its natural surroundings that you might miss it. It's the perfect choice for those seeking an intimate and authentic safari experience close to wildlife and far from crowds. Eight private, roomy and comfortable tents are tucked under the branches of enormous trees. Each includes an outdoor, yet very private, bathroom with shower. Guests love Mashatu's casual, low-key atmosphere, conducive to camaraderie and relaxation. Meals are served in the open-air thatched gazebo or in the ‘boma’ overlooking a floodlit waterhole, where a variety of species is spotted on a regular basis. A refreshing plunge pool provides welcome relief from the afternoon heat, especially during the summer months. An afternoon spent in the hide near the waterhole, enjoying some truly close encounters with local wildlife, is a highlight.

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Photo: Wildlife Viewing & Activities

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 is one of the largest private game 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 the 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 twice-daily 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

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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

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Photo: Conservation

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 Tent Camp 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 Tent Camp supports is the Northern Tuli Predator Project, which studies lions, leopards and hyenas.

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