Mashatu

Limpopo Airfield arrival. Located at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers in the far eastern corner of Botswana. The accommodation in the main camp is one of relaxed elegance mixed with the traditional décor and fittings.

Pafuri

I have to say, this was to be my favourite spot on the trip because of its remoteness, the beauty that surrounds it and the astounding friendship offered by everyone connected with the camp.

Food

I have always been delighted at the cuisine provided by all the camps. Usual order of the day:

1. Pre-Dawn Coffee and Muffins to get you started
2. Breakfast/Brunch: Anything from Fruit and Cereal or Cooked Breakfast to Lasagne
3. High Tea, Snacks, Savouries and cakes (made at the camp) to keep you ticking over
4. Pre-dinner drinks followed by a sumptuous 'help yourself buffet' or a la carte menu served to your table.

I always liked the way the staff would announce dinner and advise you of the options. I never had an inferior meal at any of the camps.

These special feasts may be served in the Boma, or in the main dining area if the weather is not conducive to al fresco. On some occasions you may be treated to a surprise bush banquet where everything is transposed from the camp to your 'under the stars' location.

Typical options at the different camps:

• Mashatu: A fabulous dinner of beetroot soup, beef and black cherry pie (that was a first) and rounded off with a surprising selection of desserts.
• Pafuri: Mushroom & Biltong soup, followed by an Ostrich steak, cooked to perfection and finished with pecan pie and chocolate sauce. I was to be constantly amazed at the standard of cuisine provided in these fabulous locations.
• Mala Mala: Consommé soup, Kudu Steak and a fruit salad and chocolate ice cream to finish (delicious but hardly 'bush tucker').
• Tongabezi: Avocado and chive soup, the best fillet steak I'd had since Botswana and a pancake 'frenzy' with orange and maple themes. The best wines were naturally made available to us.
• Savute: A little more modest, but delicious soup, Kudu Steak and a steamed pudding with maple syrup to finish.
• Camp Okavango: Monkey Gland Steak (no monkeys are used, it's only a name) followed by, of all things, trifle.

Wildlife

Mashatu use Toyota Land Cruisers for game drives. They can comfortably carry 10 passengers, but for us, we travelled in two groups of five and in my vehicle, we had 'Obi riding shotgun' at the back.

Our first encounter was a lone giraffe, which seemed to be trying to hide behind a bush that was about half its height, which was both pointless and amusing at the same time.

After a short drive, Fish took us to an area he knew that had offered good sightings of lion over the last few days. We were treated to watching three cubs (one male, two female), their mother and their grandmother. It always astounds me how passive they remain in the presence of humans. Thankfully, if they get annoyed, they usually just skulk away into the bush and leave you to look for something else.

From here it was on to a Mashatu Tree (from where the camp and game reserve take their names). There were two leopards reclining in the upper branches and they looked as though they weren't planning on going anywhere. One of them looked so relaxed, we had suspicions about it being a stuffed toy, but as Fish told us, they will start moving nearer sunset.

This was the first of many times he was to be proved correct. The Leopard is now my favourite animal. We have all seen pictures, documentaries and articles in the media, but nothing can prepare you for your first sighting, and being just a few feet from these beautiful creatures and observing them in their natural habitat. Hushed silence and respect (and perhaps, a little trepidation) was the general feeling amongst us.

The leopards seemed unlikely to do very much, and Fish thought we'd have better luck a few kilometers further away. Again he was 'spot' on. The next stop was another Mashatu where there were THREE leopards, just about ready to go out on the prowl. As far as I was concerned this was perfect timing.

We sat under the tree in collective awe at these magnificent creatures for about 30 minutes and then moved back to the 'Other Leopard Tree' (more good luck). The male had gone but the female was just taking in the sunset, and possibly trying to sight or sense her prey for the evening. Whilst here we also saw lion after sundown, some cheetah, elephant and a host of antelope and smaller mammals.

Pafuri is a birders paradise, but you will see elephant and lion, (and perennial crocodiles in the river along with hippo) depending on when you come. Compared to Mashatu, with its scattered rock ridges, this area is fairly mountainous, as we were to find out the following morning.

The emptiness of the wilderness is deceptive. It is a challenge for the first time visitor to discern the abundance of wildlife during the day, and as we were here in the dry season (the rains would come in a few weeks) perhaps there wasn't as much lurking in the undergrowth, but nonetheless we were to have some majestic presentations by Mother nature along the way.

Mala Mala never disappoints. The Big Five (especially the massive herds of elephant) are found easily by the excellent rangers here who communicate across the reserve by two way radio and it would be virtually impossible for them not to "produce" all of the sought after photo opportunities any guest could wish for.

You may even have a very close encounter, as I had with a startled waterbuck charging through the camp one morning after breakfast. He zoomed at a fair rate of knots across my path about 4 feet a way, was the size of a small tractor and I'm glad I wasn't in his way.

In Tongabezi, my brief visit here did not allow time for a 'proper' game drive but I watched hundreds of hippo in the Zambesi from the comfort of my tree house.

At Savute Safari Lodge, long game drives away from the camp (though 'on road') provided sightings of elephant, hyena, lion, zebra, wildebeest and a variety of antelope. We saw an elephant kill; quite rare, with hyenas gorging themselves on the carcass.

Other minor distractions included a tawny owl awake during the day! , a leopard tortoise ambling across the road where our guide stopped and we waited. And waited. Animals have right of way here. Also one morning we spotted a pair of Egyptian geese. Decidedly odd looking. Pale head and under parts with dark eye-patch and pink legs. Obviously designed by a committee.

Apart from the occasionally trumpeting elephant at Camp Okavango, most of the viewing here is of water birds, and other fowl. Anything from the tiny Malachite Kingfisher to the Kori Bustard could be on your tick list. Whilst I was here I saw no large mammals but the recent rains meant they were not restricted to the few drinking locations normally providing a more guaranteed viewing.

Typical Day

Pre-dawn wake up call. Coffee and muffins whilst waiting for the other guests to assemble then (sensibly wearing a jacket/fleece) set off for the morning game drive. After a couple of hours it is normal to stop in a safe spot whilst your guide/ranger provides some coffee and snacks, before resuming the second half of the game drive.

Generally arriving back at camp for about 10-11am, to a hearty breakfast or early brunch, it allows time to chat about the mornings events or ask your guide/ranger any specific questions you may have. Some camps now leave you to relax for the rest of the day prior to your afternoon game drive, but more and more are including an option of a walking safari or perhaps a paleontology walk, or bird watching excursion.

Most camps will try and accommodate any special requests that the guest may have. Before the afternoon game drive it is usual to have high tea with cakes, snacks and drinks, then it's time for the jacket or fleece again (after your sundowner it can be chilly) then off into the bush for some more game viewing.

There is virtually no twilight in Africa. It is daytime, then within about half an hour it can be pitch black. The guides that I was with always found a beautiful spot to watch another African sunset as we toasted the events of the day with a gin & tonic, or a cool beer, along with more tasty snacks to stave off any hunger before dinner.

On returning to camp at around 8pm, there is time to freshen up and change for pre-dinner drinks, then a feast which is often followed by a chat around the campfire or in the bar area until tiredness takes hold and guests get their head down for the night to dream of tomorrow.

Tips and Advice

Pack light. Keep an open mind. Study your destinations before you travel. Do not be scared to ask questions, for this is the place to get the answers from those who know.

My journal was the most useful item I took along - without it, many of the minor, but key points could have become clouded or forgotten altogether and it was often the little things that made this trip so fantastic.

I was to be constantly appreciative throughout the trip not only of the seamless interpretation and unrivalled local knowledge but also for the overall holistic interpretation that takes the entire safari experience into account.

Not only do you benefit from years of their experience, but if you listen and learn, you may surprise yourself at how enriched your journey will make you feel. It can turn the trip into the experience of a lifetime. My only regret is not to have had longer in each location, but it has strengthened my resolve to return when time and funds would allow.