Mashatu Reserve, Botswana

I've recently returned from Mashatu Reserve which I'd always thought of as an unknown place miles away from anywhere.  It is miles away and very remote but I was totally incorrect about it being unknown.  Situated in the Tuli Block in the south eastern corner of Botswana, Mashatu is the largest privately owned game reserve in Southern Africa; a wildlife sanctuary of 30 000 hectares at the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo Rivers. 

The history of the area dates back 80 million years and is known as the "Land of the Giants" so named because of the large baobabs dotting the landscape but also because it's home to seven of Africa's giants: The African elephant, the lion, the giraffe, the baobab tree, the eland, the ostrich and the kori bustard! Archaeological sites add a touch of mystery to the spectacular wide open spaces. 

Access is from Johannesburg to Polokawane and then air charter to Limpopo Air strip where you are met and transferred to your camp in a Unimog.  Vast herds of elephants and plains game are seen on the 35 minute road transfer.  There's a choice between the up market Main Camp or the rustic but very comfortable tented camp.  Scheduled game drives and walks are included in the nightly rate but what makes these camps special is the specialised activities of horse riding and cycling with the wild life at your side!  There're also ivory and predator research programmes which guests can get involved with and which add a further dimension to the activities on offer.

Game viewing was good when I stayed (May 2007)with leopard and lion being spotted every day as well as elephant and lots of plains game. Although there are no rhino or buffalo in this area, on our last afternoon game drive alone, we spotted 2 leopard, 4 cheetah (mother and 3 cubs), and 6 lions (2 lionesses and 4 cubs). 

Rates for Mashatu for 2007:-
Main Camp US$325.00 (£165.00) per person per night sharing
Tented Camp US$200.00 (£100.00) per person per night sharing
Scheduled activities and meals are included
Drinks and specialised activities are excluded

From Lake Kariba, the Zambezi River runs through the Kariba Gorge into the Zambezi Valley on its way to the Indian Ocean. Here the Zambezi, so different from the one that challenges the white water rafters at Victoria Falls, is home to the second of Zimbabwe's World Heritage Sites, the Mana Pools (the place of four pools) National Park. The river has left behind the remains of old channels forming small seasonal pools scattered over 2 000 sq. kms surrounded by the valley escarpment. The four main large pools are near the river, with further smaller pools dotted here and there enabling a wide spectrum of animals to utilise the area.

In June the scent of flowering albida's and smoking mopane fires are all around as our beloved valley comes to life for the tourist season once again. The same elephant and wild dog, another year old somewhat wiser - just like us - greet the guides checking camp sites, erecting tents, clearing and fixing roads and bringing in the dry supplies needed for the season. As a well known Mana Pools guide, Stretch Ferreira comments "Is May to November also their peak human viewing time? Are the animals so friendly and relaxed about our presence because we do not pollute their ears with loud generators and noisy speedboats? Is it because we have not built high rise hotels or fancy pleasure resorts in their backyard? We think so and we thank them for their tolerance of us in their corner of paradise"

During the dry months of May to October, the Park attracts a staggering profusion of big game, including elephant, buffalo, kudu, eland, zebra and waterbuck. The Acacia albida tree, which dominates both banks of the river, has a clearly visible browse line. The protein rich pods are highly prized by numerous game species with the elephants paying particular attention to them. Mana Pools abounds with bird life - over 300 different species having been found there at various times of the year.

Guests this season have already come across most of the well known and older elephants, two wild dog packs and the Nyamepi Lion pride and even had frequent sightings of cheetah who have returned to the park for the first time in many, many years. On the birding front most summer migrants have left although a few stragglers are reluctantly plucking up the courage to leave this precious corner of the Zambezi River. 

Canoe Safaris on the Lower Zambezi
 
Canoe Safaris are very special on the Lower Zambezi River with 2 types of trip available. The participation type which normally includes transfer by road from Kariba to the start of the canoe safari and then from the end of the canoe safari back to Kariba.  Everything is carried in the canoe for this type of safari.  The tents are dome type and sleeping bags are used.  The bush veld is used as a toilet and bathing is done in the river.  Clients erect and dismantle their own tents and help with the camp chores. 

The other option is the three night luxury backed up safaris with fly in transfers from either Kariba or Harare.  Camp moves every night by vehicle and while the guests are out canoeing and walking to reach the next camp site, the camp is magically erected in readiness and dinner is waiting! The meals are of a higher quality, the tents bigger (walk in tents) bucket showers and chemical toilet are provided.  Stretcher type beds are used with linen.  Guests simply relax whilst the camp staff take care of the chores. 

With one of our offices and two of our staff based in Kariba, and another member of staff based in Zambia, we offer an unparalled opportunity for safe, secure bookings into the Lower Zambezi area which can also be combined with several very good camps on Lake Kariba or numerous options on the Zambian side.

Access to the Zimbabwe or Zambian side is either via Lusaka or Harare off several international airlines and all arrivals are met with a private vehicle and driver and escorted to camp or the start of the canoe safari.

An idea of canoe safari prices:

3 night/4 day participation canoe - US$550.00 (£278.00) pperson
3 night/4 day backed up canoe - US$750.00 (£380.00) per person
Camp Zambezi - 3 nights/4 days - US$750.00 (£380.00) per person (fixed tented camp, not canoe based) 

Kariba Town, the Zambezi Valley in Zimbabwe

I look out from my veranda a million times a day and see a massive lake that reaches across to the distant blue shrouded Matusadona Mountain range and from right to left as far as my eye can see. Spurwing and Fothergill Island are just visible, Sampa Karuma Islands bask in the afternoon sun and is the tradional spot for us locals to picnic and while away lazy Sundays. In all my travels through Africa I've never seen such spectacular sunsets as over Lake Kariba. 

Baboons are regular visitors in our garden; leopards and elephants are seen occasionally on the roads around Kariba Heights. During my morning runs I have to avoid the odd buffalo and sometimes even lion and hyena brave our suburbs.  There's wonderful bird life and raptors zoom up from the deep Zambezi valley below us at a dizzy speed.  Boating and fishing are our favourite pass times but with the Kaburi Wilderness area just 30 minutes drive away we've the choice of game viewing and the lake. Coupled with the peace and quiet there can't be any place to match it; I challenge any of you to prove there is!  

I thank my parents for bringing me here from England when I was 2 years old; I lived most of my childhood in a small town in the Midlands area of Zimbabwe called Redcliff.   I left Redcliff when I was 23 and have since lived the majority of my life to date in Kariba.  Not being a city girl Kariba is the place for me!

Kariba is very popular with regional visitors even today and despite the troubles although the choice of hotels in Kariba is limited at the moment with some under going major refurbishment. The town is the hub for canoe safaris and most guests spend the night before canoeing departures in one of Kariba's hotels.

This month's newsletter was written by Liz Ferreira, a senior safari planner and consultant based in our Zimbabwe office

A very sporty month

A closing note on the London to Paris Charity cycle challenge:

Yes we made it! After 4 days of cycling we arrived under the Eiffel Tower to be met by representatives from the Zambian Embassy, photographers and friends/relatives. We are thrilled to report that our group collected £25000.00 for the U Foundation which will go a very long way to building one of the two nursery schools in Zambia we were raising funds for.
Our warmest thanks to all who gave towards this great project; we cannot describe how important education is to the future of Africa.

We have an Ironman in our team! John successfully completed his first half Ironman Triathlon on the 17th June (2km swim, 90km cycle and 21 km run) and will now be wearing his medal through metal detectors in airports so he can say "oops I forgot to take off my Ironman medal"!

Jane has been on safari in Kenya during June visiting the Mara, Lake Victoria and Lake Naivasha. We're finding it hard to keep her quiet about the very special places she saw - watch out for her update coming soon.