MAGICAL MASHATU PHOTO TOUR - 2025

The pristine wilderness of Mashatu Private Game Reserve in the eastern corner of Botswana provided a fantastic PHOTO safari experience.

8 NIGHTS AT MASHATU

Our 8-night Mashatu safari was an incredible journey through diverse landscapes, splitting our time equally between two distinct camps. This allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in Mashatu's varied terrain, from its rugged sandstone ridges and dense Mopane thickets to the breathtaking beauty of the Majale River.

TULI SAFARI LODGE MASHATU (4 NIGHTS)

Our initial four nights at Tuli Lodge were fantastic. The highlights from this part of our adventure included an exciting sighting of five cheetahs and the incredible opportunity to photograph a female leopard named Lerato as she relaxed in a magnificent Mashatu tree. Later, we watched her descend and confidently patrol her territory. The visit to the De Beers Koppie viewpoint was perfectly timed for a stunning sunset, and we even managed to spot and photograph our very first Elephant Shrew!

MASHATU LODGE (4 NIGHTS)

For our final four nights, we moved to Mashatu Lodge, nestled close to the Majale River. Here, our focus shifted to the captivating leopards of the region. We enjoyed exceptional sightings of Motswiri, a female leopard, and her 10-month-old male cub, Mothaba. We also caught a brief glimpse of the renowned female, "Limpy." Another standout moment involved tracking a group of hyenas that had cleverly stolen an impala from a leopard. A male lion, drawn by the commotion, arrived too late to claim the kill. Instead, we followed him as he majestically patrolled through the vibrantly colored Mopane thickets. Beyond these thrilling encounters, Mashatu proved to be fantastic for general game viewing, and we frequently encountered abundant Impala, Giraffe, Zebra, Elephants, and Kudu throughout our stay.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

What an incredible experience we had, thanks to the exceptional teams at Tuli Safari Lodge Mashatu and Mashatu Lodge! We're so grateful for the outstanding care we received; the staff at both lodges were incredibly warm, welcoming, and always ready to assist. And the food? Simply delicious!

Thank you to Lovewell, our guide at Tuli, and to, Rogers and our tracker Jack at Mashatu Lodge. Many thanks for your patience and getting us into great positions for some memorable photos.

Finally, my deepest appreciation to Murray, Frank, and Martha. Your wonderful company made this Botswana photographic adventure really enjoyable. Sharing so many diverse and incredible wildlife sightings with you all was an absolute joy!

Stu