Morning game drive at Mashatu
It was again an early morning, but the morning game drive was totally worth it ! We had another encounter with the cheetah’s and the leopards, we saw herds of elephants and a dominant lion that was coming right up to me. I can tell you that he had given me a good fright….
I was sitting in the front seat and had the idea that Leo was going to jump into the jeep. Luckily, he ignored me completely when he walked by. Glad that he skipped his breakfast :-).
Back at the tented camp, we had something to eat and then a rest.
The outdoor shower was greater, especially in the afternoon when the temperatures were a bit up. I always made sure that there were no snakes or other dangerous animals present… because you never knew…
Bush walk and wildlife spotting in the hide
Maxine and Axel went for a bush walk with the ranger. They did not see a lot of wildlife, but it was still a great walk. We went to the hide behind the main area of the tented camp and we saw some kudu’s coming for a drink. It was amazing seeing them approach the waterhole so carefully and while drinking they always kept an eye on their surroundings. Any noise would scare them off.
Afternoon game drive and dinner
The last safari of the day was again a topper. We thought that it could not get any better than the previous day, but we saw the 4 cheetahs with a kill. They had just started to eat their prey, an impala.
A bit later we saw lions enjoying their siesta. Then we met another leopard, the sister of the previous one.
We also encountered baboons, other monkeys, giraffes and then the usual game like impalas, zebras, kudus … and lots of birds.
We then freshened up for the aperitif and dinner. We were sitting at the table, waiting for the kids, when they finally arrived. They had had the scare of their lives. When they were on their way to dinner a big dog-like animal was standing in front of them… ‘a wild dog’… Luckily, they had learned how to react in such a situation during the bush walk earlier that day… they stepped back and locked themselves in the tent until the coast was clear. The rangers went to check the tracks and they confirmed that it had been a wild dog indeed ! I had been dreaming to see the wild dogs again, but from a distance ! In any case, it was an encounter that Maxine and Axel would never forget…
Wildlife spotting in the hide
We decided that for our last morning we would go to a hide that was mainly underground to see some wildlife from close by. The kids were going on a morning drive instead.
The hide was absolutely the highlight of our stay in Botswana ! Wow the pictures that we were able to take, beyond imagination… Elephants only few meters away. So beautiful. I could have done this for the rest of the day :-). So we would have to return one day for sure !!!
After the activities, we had a brunch and then we were brought back to our car at the border. We still had a long drive in front of us. It was 4.5 hours to reach Tzaneen. We were all grateful for the great stay at the Mashatu Tented Camp. Everything had been so wonderful, the accommodation, the food, the staff and rangers, the wildlife…
