Mashatu Equivalent in Okavango Delta?

Old Mar 8th, 2013, 10:02 AM
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Mashatu Equivalent in Okavango Delta?

Hello everyone...my wife and I experienced Mashatu back in 2007 and we are ready to make a trip back to Africa in 2014. I could be happy with returning to Mashatu and we really liked the entire experience at that camp.

Just curious if there is anything that is equivalent to the same experience, cost etc in the Okavango Delta. I am aware of the difference in terrain, but just really liked the feel I got at Mashatu.

If the Okavango does not work Kenya and Tanzania are options as well.

Scott
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Old Mar 10th, 2013, 05:51 AM
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Hi - where did you stay in Mashatu? The tented camp or the main camp? There are definitely equivalent camps in the Delta and Linyanti blocks and the experience up there will be amazing? I've done both Mashatu and Delta/Linyanti and loved both but for different reasons.

Up in the Delta the floods make the experience so different to most safari locations. Seeing lions in and around water is unique. The mokoro boat rides will be an great experience, you'll see wild dogs, and some of the camps do walking safaris.

Let me know if you want specific help or have any general questions.
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Old Mar 10th, 2013, 12:25 PM
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You are unlikely to find anything in the price range of Mashatu in the Delta. But if you go in the green season (avoid June - Sept, generally) you may find friendlier prices, and avoid the high end camps for the feel you are looking for. I found Duba Plains to feel much like Mashatu, but since we've been there the wildlife interactions have changed due to water level changes, lion pride changes, etc. That's the only non-premiere camp in the Delta I've been to and loved it! But Mashatu tented is my favorite of the more than a dozen camps I've been to. There are also mobile safaris that may be good for you.

Have you been anywhere else besides Mashatu? Sabi Sands camps and maybe Phinda (or better yet Tembe and Zululand Rhino Reserve camps) may be possibilities. (I am enamored with ZRR right now - the founder is trying to convince the SA govt to open airspace for non-weaponized drones to prevent rhino poaching). There are many possibilities.
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Old Mar 10th, 2013, 04:35 PM
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We stayed at the Mashatu Main Camp....We did Mala Mala and Camp Jabulani in 2007 as well. So we have not do any tent camps, but we tent camp here in America.
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Old Mar 10th, 2013, 07:07 PM
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scootr - this may seem like an obvious question from your original post, but were MM and Jabulani too "snooty" for your liking? That's how I felt at the high end camps. I much prefer the camps that "regular" people can afford. If that's the case, try the lower priced Wilderness Safaris camps (that's all I'm familiar with - I would guess the same with other operators as well), go in the green season and avoid the high end. You'll still pay a lot more than Mashatu but it is probably more of the atmosphere in Botswana that you are looking for. Most (all, maybe?) Wilderness camps are tented - they are beautiful, with every possible amenity.

If you are looking at Sabi Sand again, Arathusa, Elephant Plains and a few others in the mid prices might be good for you. Shindzela in Timbavati was a great value, but very rustic (which we loved about it - it is a very laid back place). We couldn't afford Phinda, so we went to Tembe Elephant Park and Rhino River Lodge (Leopard Mountain might be my preference now) in Kwa Zulu Natal. Both reserves are the same size as Phinda, they just don't have the US advertising budget, nor some of the perks that I find unnecessary. And at a price that I can keep going back and still see the same wildlife I can pay a lot more for at other camps. It's all about choices and what's important. I just planned a trip for my mother - she would not be happy at camps that I love. She's more of a Mala Mala, high end Botswana, Phinda kind of woman.
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Old Mar 11th, 2013, 01:31 PM
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I'm with christabir when it comes to Wilderness camps - they have a very good set up, wonderful locations and very good guides. For me tented camps are the way to safari, getting you closer to nature with just enough luxury that you will need.

You will be able to get a great experience at the same price you paid at Mashatu Main Camp but in the Delta, if you travel at the right time. You could also look at Kenya or Tanzania to see the migration. Again an amazing array of camps, locations and experiences if you stay away from the large lodges.

Talk to a tour operator - you'll be amazed what a specialist company can find for you
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Old Mar 11th, 2013, 01:34 PM
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Also, have you thought about adding an extension to your safari? In Tanzania you could beach at Zanzibar, in Kenya head to Mombasa. Or even go gorilla trekking for a few days in Rwanda. For you travelling from the States these are well worth thinking about as you travel so far, you might as well make the most of your time over in Africa
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