Mashatu Game Reserve comprises 31,000 hectares (76,600 acres) of privately owned land in the conserved wilderness area known as the Northern Tuli Game Reserve. The reserve lies in the eastern extremity of Botswana where the great Limpopo and Shashe Rivers converge, bordering both South Africa and Zimbabwe. The landscape is exceptionally diverse and includes wide open plains, grassland, riverine forests, rocky hills, marshland and majestic sandstone ridges. Mashatu is known as Land of the Giants and takes its name from the locally sacrosanct Mashatu or Nyala berry tree (Xanthrocercis zambesiaca) and the "giants" that roam its terrain. It provides sanctuary to the largest herds of elephant on privately owned land on the continent and in addition is home to
- giraffe, the world’s tallest mammal
- eland, the world's largest antelope
- ostrich, the world’s largest bird
- kori bustard, the world’s heaviest flying bird
Add the king of the beasts, the lion and the iconic baobab tree…and you have Africa’s big seven land based giants.
Tented Camp is one of 4 accommodations within the Reserve and is only 3* so we were prepared for it to be a little basic, but it's designed to blend in with the surrounding areas, has only 8 tents (so max 16 guests) and as it is unfenced no children under 12 allowed. I've taken these images directly from Mashatu's website as mine came out a little dark.
