Pro guide and exploration specialist, Kyle de Nobrega, visits Mashatu in Botswana’s Northern Tuli Game Reserve, where his journey in Botswana began 10 years ago. Located in a remote corner in the far east of the country, on the borders of Zimbabwe and South Africa where the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers meet, Mashatu is capturing attention under new owners Steve and Maggie Lansdown, who are very much committed to the conservation of the wider area. Combining its ultra-exclusive camp Euphorbia, which has eight private villas, with its brand new Lala Limpopo, a photographic sleepout hide built into the ground at a waterhole fondly known by many as Pete’s Pond, makes it an excitingly different safari destination.
Our time in Botswana began in early 2014 when we moved from South Africa to pursue an incredible opportunity to work in Mashatu. Returning to the roads we spent 30 months driving on, looking into the distant hills, seeing the same rocky outcrops and landmarks, I am easily lured into imagining that this is a place unaffected by time.
Time, of course, stands still for no place, not even Mashatu. Animals, trees, and fungi have come and gone since my days here. The great Limpopo-Shashe River confluence has carved this land, giving and then taking across an unimaginable timespan, the rocks bearing witness to this passage of great time and the flow of life that has accompanyed it. Human history is particularly rich here and without doubt one of Mashatu’s greatest attractions. I recall one day when my wife, Ruth, and I scoured an ancient settlement, finding beads from Czech Slovakia, bullet shells from the British, pottery shards from the Zhizo, stone tools made by the Khoisan bushmen, and old lemon slices from a recent traveller’s G ‘n T.
Apart from the exceptional abundance of human history, visible in every corner of this marvellous place is the wildlife. I’d say that Mashatu is one of the continent’s best places to see leopard. Now, with the addition of the high-end Euphorbia, along with the recent launch of the Lala sleepout hide and excellent fly camping options, Mashatu is proving an exciting destination to deliver thorough and diverse encounters for travellers seeking a different view from the precious stones of Botswana.
– Field notes, November 2024
If you would like to learn more about Mashatu and how we can include it in a wider Botswana itinerary, please get in touch with Kyle or a member of our exploration team.