I posted a pretrip inquiry about Mashatu and because I found so much useful info here I thought I would post a trip report on the visit that I and my niece took to Mala Mala and Mashatu at the end of June. We spent 4 nights at Mala Mala and 2 nights at Mashatu during a very cold and slightly rainy spell of weather.

We were very pleased with Mala Mala - room (12), food, guide (Jamie - on university holidays), wildlife. Only downside was that a delayed flight from London meant we got to checkin for 11.10 Mala Mala flight only 10 mins before it left and they would not hold it for us (though guests who had been on that flight said it wouldnt have been a problem to wait for us). If this happens to you then it appears the best alternative is to fly to Nelspruit/Kruger Mapalunga and Mala Mala will arrange a pick up. The noon flight was full but we were able to get on 4pm (SAA accepted our ticket at no extra cost). Drive from Kruger airport is interesting through fruit growing area and eucalyptus forest but takes a couple of hours and we entered reserve in the dark (missed evening game drive...) Although our driver called to alert Mala Mala twice (!) when we got to the gate it was locked. Not wanting to risk walking down to the lodge (having seen elephant and hyena) we waited and were about to drive all the way back to mobile/cell range (near Kruger gate) when I suggested to driver that we see if Rattrays gate was open. We drove 15 mins back to Rattrays and found they have an intercom at the gate and they then radioed to Mala Mala to let us in (they were apologetic and I only mention it in case it happens to someone else).

Highlights at MM were wild dogs (and pups) and several sets of lion cubs and we saw the MM7 and much more. Couple of notes that might be helpful - winter schedule is pretty much all day game watching, 6.30am wake up with tea delivered to room, breakfast and out on drive by 7.30 (with hot water bottles and blankets!). Back around 11.30 or 12, lunch, then out again after tea at 3.30 for another 3 to 4 hours, then dinner at 8pm.

We wished we had brought slightly warmer clothes (we had jumpers, fleeces, scarves and rain jackets but wished we had brought warmer legwear, wooly hat, perhaps a warmer jacket, and gloves for complete comfort at 7am even if we were in a tshirt by noon!).

We had a charter from MM to Mashatu (Duncan whose plane used to belong to Kruger chief ranger and has panoramic windows. Flight to Polokwane is about an hour along Drakensburg escarpment, then customs and refuel before 45 mins flight to Limpopo Vslley airfield in Botswana. Left at 11 arrived at 2.

Mashatu has differences from Mala Mala and also similarities. Landscape is much starker and drier (reminded me of southern Arizona). Lodge is run by Setswana manager and staff who are wonderful. Rooms are very comfortable but with less expansive views and meals are slightly more modest (3 courses rather than 4 at dinner - but 4 seemed a lot at MM!). Meals also differently timed. 6 am wakeup with tea/coffee, fruit and muffins on terrace, 6.30 to 10 game drive, then brunch, then rest (or a walk) until 3.30 high tea (cake, sandwiches, hto dish), 4pm game drive often until dinner at 8pm (in boma like MM).
Options include mountain bike and horse trips but we stuck to game drives. First night drive was outstanding with lions, leopards, aardwolf, hyenas, jackals, honey badgers and dozens of elephants but rest of the time was much less active than at MM. Mostly antelopes of various sorts and elephants but we did have great sightings of 4 lion cubs out for a walk with their mother and other guests saw hyenas with young.

We highly recommend Discovery Room at Mashatu with a colelction of all sorts of posters, bones, reports and even varnished 'dung' to assist identification.

Drive from Mashatu overland to Polokwane airport takes at least 2 hours if Pont Drift border post is busy.

All in all a great trip. We flew back to London and went straight from airport to see the Live Earth concert at Wembley stadium where many of the videos featured the landscapes and animals we had seen in southern Africa - where climate is changing according to all our guides and where global warming will have severe effects.

Welcome back Liverman! Sounds like a great trip. Glad you enjoyed MM and got to see the Big7.

Look forward to seeing some photos.

-Granny Joan

Hi!

Wow, this sounds amazing! I wish we were going this year so we could see the wild dogs and pups!

Did you think 2 nights was enough at Mashatu?

Moira

Hi liverman

Welcome back home from my favourite place in the world - MalaMala. Shame you missed the connecting flight to MM. I very much doubt it would ever have been up to the guests on the flight to wait though, as the plane would be on a daily schedule and probably couldn't wait for you as would delay every flight afterward for the day. What time did you arrive at MM boom gate to find it locked? Must have been 7.30pm or later I am guessing, so really annoying to miss the gamedrive that evening.

What a wonderful sighting the wild dog pups must be at the moment, so extremely fortunate to see them. Also the lion cubs, I am wondering which prides you saw them with? Hopefully, both pups and cubs will be successful this time.

Early morning and late afternoon into the evening is freezing in winter, people rarely take into account the chill factor from an open vehicle and being from a generally warm climate with mild winters, it is a shock and horrible when it rains as well - being both wet and cold!

Do you know the cost of the charter from MM to Mashatu? I would be keen to include Mashatu knowing I did not miss a game drive, even though the gamedrives look set in time. I wish in winter you did stay out longer. Also if you do it with MM both sides, I am happy enough to miss the big 5 and see a lot of smaller and different things, which you did seem to do, so that was very lucky. Also keen to see the eland there as have not seen them for a long time.

I also take nieces with me, so it makes for a very enjoyable trip and one they should remember for a long time.

Thinking about your ranger Jamie, do you know his surname, as he was on uni hols I am guessing he was a ranger previously, so wondering if I have had him as a ranger on a previous trip.

Unfortunately I have to wait until December now, and it is very difficult, the waiting!

Look forward to the photos also.

Kind regards,

Kaye

Could we have dined in the Mala Mala boma together? I was there June 23, 24, 25, 26, out the afternoon of 27, staying right next door in Room #11. No rain during my stay.

Your ranger was on holiday from the university? How did that work? Was he previously a full-time ranger?

Honey badgers, aardwolf, and varnished dung. Mashatu has it all! I am also interested in your thoughts on a 2-night vs. a longer stay.

How cool you went on to the Live Earth concert and saw all your animals friends again on the big screen. I bet your niece had the time of her life.

Hi atravelyn

I am keen to hear what you saw and see your photos, bet you had a wonderful gameviewing experience.

Did you also have Bruce Hedges as your game ranger - a funny guy, plus very keen on his gameviewing - great qualities in a ranger. I had a look at his photos over a couple of days, and he does have some fantastic photos, as do most of the rangers.

Kind regards

Kaye

I was in Mashatu at the begining of April, and the first 2 days at the tented camp, the only other people in the camp, was a ranger(Wesley)on a busman's holiday from Mala Mala. So for our first 5 drives, it was my party of 3, a ranger and a tracker, a vacationing ranger and his girlfriend(?)/co-worker at Mala Mala in 1 jeep. It was like having the camp to ourself. The people from Mala Mala seemed pretty impress with Mashatu.

Hi Lynn or Kaye,

How many dogs in the pack? I remember reading about 14 pups, or so?

Thanks,
Hari

There were 13 pups counted at the end of June. We saw about 8 adults.

Hi Hari

The pack when I first saw it at Lion Sands very end December 2006, was 15 dogs, about 8 subadults and 7 adults, but this had been a pack of 18. Then by end of January at MM, we were seeing about 12, 6 subadults and 6 adults, and now it was down to 11, but the subadults now must be getting close in size to the adults. They disappear so quickly.

But looking at the latest cyberdiary at MM, Nico has taken the cutest photos of the new Eyrefield Pride cubs, as I am sure the ones that were there at the beginning of March, all died for some reason or another.

Are your parents still going in January 2008?

Kind regards

Kaye

Hi Kaye,

Thanks for this. Guess what, they have invited me to go with them! Jan 4th, i think....you going to be there in Jan?

Interesting about the dogs. It appears that usually they split up just prior to denning time, as this appears to be the case with the Selinda pack in Botswana. But, still pretty sizeable pack!

Rgds,
Hari

Thanks to you also, Lynn

Liverman,

Thanks for your report. I'm especially interested in the Mashatu portion. Did you happen to see the Tented Camp when you where there?

Hari: What great news. You only have a six-month wait before you go back. What is your parent's (and your) itinerary.

CW

CW,

They are going to Rattray's and then planning on adding something on....maybe Cape Town or Botswana or something!

Rgds,
Hari

Hi Hari

Yes, I am there with a niece from 16 Dec to 10 Jan, mainly at Main Camp but a few nights at Rattray's in the middle.

Kind regards

Kaye

CW,
I stayed at Mashatu tented camp in April. What did you want to know?

I loved it there, just the right mix of outdoors/rustic and comfort/luxury.
Great game viewing, but no rhino's or buffalo's. Lot's of lions, elephants, zebra's, giraffe's. Great un-complicated food, comfortable tents. Good, knowledgable rangers/trackers.
Let's me know if you have questions.

Look at these adorable lion cubs at
Mala Mala that KayeN mentioned:

http://www.malamala.tv/diary.htm

Wish we had seen the cubs in person. Oh well, just reading the diary each week keeps me up todate on the "mala mala soap opera".

Good to see the pride expanding. How is the one Roller Coaster Male doing since the brother was killed by croc?

-Granny Joan