Magical Mashatu | Botswana - June 2025
June 2025 | Photo Safari Trip Report | Botswana
A collection of photo highlights from the June 2025 Magical Mashatu 10 day photographic tour to Botswana.
Posted on 3rd July, 2025
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Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana offers one of Southern Africa’s best environments for a wildlife photography safari. This 10-day, small-group trip is designed to give you the time and space needed to work patiently at sightings, with just three photographers sharing a private vehicle.
Led by Stu Porter and an experienced Mashatu guide, the focus is on positioning, light, and understanding behaviour in the field. Rather than rushing between sightings, you will spend longer with subjects, allowing natural moments to unfold.
Mashatu is well known for its large elephant herds, as well as strong sightings of lion, leopard, cheetah, and spotted hyaena. The open landscapes and varied habitats create amazing photographic opportunities.
An afternoon at the Matebole Elephant hide will add a different perspective, allowing for close, eye-level photography of animals as they come to drink water.
Stu Porter, founder of Wild4 Photo Safaris, has over 20 years of experience guiding wildlife photography safaris across Africa.
His approach centres on light, behaviour, and positioning, with simple, practical advice you can apply in the field.
Learn more about Stu on the Tour Leaders Page → HERE
MASHATU PRIVATE GAME RESERVE
Located in Botswana’s remote Northern Tuli, Mashatu is a privately managed 42,000-hectare (100,000-acre) reserve at the meeting point of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers.
It is well known for its elephants, big cats, and open terrain, with a mix of plains, riverbeds, and sandstone ridges that work well for wildlife photography.
ONE SAFARI VEHICLE
MATEBOLE UNDERGROUND HIDE
MASHATU (BOTSWANA)
MASHATU LODGE
Mashatu Lodge is a comfortable base within the private Mashatu Game Reserve, offering excellent access to productive wildlife areas.
TULI SAFARI LODGE
Tuli Safari Lodge is a smaller, quiet tented lodge set along the Limpopo River, offering a comfortable base in a very different area of the reserve.
☀️ MASHATU (BOTSWANA)
June in Mashatu offers dry conditions, clear skies, and soft winter light. Vegetation has thinned, improving visibility.
Mornings are cold and crisp, while afternoons are mild and stable with very little chance of rain.
MASHATU
CAMERA BODY:
LENSES:
ACCESSORIES:
For more in-depth guidance on what to bring we are happy to discuss your setup via Zoom or email.
It is your responsibility to ensure that any VISAS (if applicable to you) are in place before departure.
Regulations can change, so we recommend checking official government websites prior to travel.
❖ Passport must be valid for 6 months after travel with a minimum of 4 blank pages.
❖ If needed, we can provide an official itinerary and booking confirmation to support your application.
❖ We recommend applying at least 3 weeks prior to travel.
Yes, this safari is suitable for beginners through to more experienced photographers. Guidance is tailored to your level, and there is plenty of time in the field to learn and improve. Stu will be available at anytime for image review.
Time at sightings is a key part of this safari. Rather than rushing between locations, we stay longer to allow behaviour to unfold and give you time to work the scene.
You will spend an afternoon at the Matebole Elephant Hide. This offers close, eye-level opportunities as wildlife comes to drink.
Internal flights have strict luggage limits. Main luggage is limited to 20kg (44 lbs) per person, plus 15kg (33 lbs) for camera gear. Bags must be soft duffel or roller-style. Please note that ** HARD SUITCASES ARE NOT PERMITTED. Keeping weight within limits is essential for safety and compliance.
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• Lion
• Leopard
• Cheetah
• Brown Hyena
• Spotted Hyena
• Black-backed Jackal
• Elephant
• Giraffe
• Plains Zebra
• Blue Wildebeest
• Greater Kudu
• Impala
• Crimson-breasted Shrike
• Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill
• Kori Bustard
• Secretarybird
• Martial Eagle
• Tawny Eagle
• Bateleur
• White-backed Vulture
• Burchell’s Starling
• Red-billed Quelea
• Shaft-tailed Whydah
• Northern Black Korhaan
This Mashatu photographic safari is a small-group wildlife photography tour in Botswana, led by Stu Porter. With just three photographers in a private vehicle, the focus is on space, time in the field, and working sightings properly.
Known for its elephants, big cats, and open landscapes, Mashatu offers excellent conditions for wildlife photography.
Time in the hide adds a different perspective, allowing for close, eye-level images.
You will be met at OR Tambo International Airport and escorted to your airport hotel for overnight accommodation
1 night in JHB at CITY LODGE HOTEL
→ 19:00pm group dinner & drinks included
→ Laundry NOT included
Fly from Johannesburg to Polokwane and then drive 2.5 hrs to Mashatu. Explore the central areas of Mashatu.
4 nights spent at MASHATU LODGE
1 afternoon session at the Matebole Elephant hide
→ All meals included
→ Drinks included
→ Laundry included
Morning photo session at the hide, return to the lodge for brunch, explore the southern area of Mashatu from your new location.
4 nights at TULI SAFARI LODGE
→ All meals included
→ Drinks included
→ Laundry included
After our final morning photo session we will drive back to Polokwane and then fly to JHB. Connect with your international flight home
→ Breakfast & lunch included
We first recommend that you read and become familiar with our booking terms & conditions, which can be found on this page, under the PRICES box.
Get in touch with us to confirm that there are still spaces available on the photo safari that you are interested in. Click on the “ENQUIRE NOW” button above.
Once we confirm with you that there is space available, and you would like to join the safari, we will send you a direct link via email. Follow this unique link to sign up to our CLIENT AREA. After you have registered with your name, email address and a password of your choice, you will then be asked to complete our online booking form.
As soon as we receive your completed booking form/s (1 per participant) then you will be required to send us the deposit to secure your place on the safari.
Deposits can be paid via credit card, PayPal or international bank transfer. We will notify you as soon as your deposit arrives. Places on the safari will only be confirmed once we have received both a completed booking form and deposit payment.
As soon as your booking form and deposit are with us, we will update your CLIENT AREA to display the outstanding balance amount. This amount will be due 90 days before the start date of the safari.