I never knew that the northern part of the Kruger National Park would be so beautiful and diverse. Truly remote, the pristine wilderness area of Makuleke lies between the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers. The area is rich in history; filled with folklore of the early explorers and ancient civilisations. Here, Pafuri Game Lodge acts as a successful model for community conservation. Approximately 8% of the profits go straight back into the local community.

The region is also incredibly rich in biodiversity with more than 75% of the Kruger National Park’s bird, mammal, fish, amphibian, reptile and tree species being found in an area no more than 1% of the total expanse.

We arrived in the early evening and were met by the friendly Pafuri staff. The camp lies on the northern bank of the Luvuvhu River and has 26 tents, six of which are family tents sleeping up to 4 people (or even 5 if pre-arranged). Pafuri is also accessible by air with an airstrip only 10km away or you can fly from Phalaborwa Airport with a private charter.

The tents are accessed by elevated walkways and are spread out on either side of the main lodge along the river bank. The decor is modern and colourful with an understated luxury.

On our first morning game drive, just as the sun starts to rise, we drove into a magical fever tree forest. The fever tree is an attractive, semi-deciduous tree. The characteristic, almost luminous, lime green to greenish-yellow bark is smooth, slightly flaking, and coated in a yellow powdery substance described by some as sulphurous.

We had our morning cup of tea at Crook’s Corner, where the Limpopo and Luvuvhu rivers and three countries, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique, meet. (Here Cecil Barnard hid on an island in the middle of the Limpopo in the ’20s to avoid being tracked down by pursuing rangers and police.) The ancient Limpopo River is now completely dry because of over-cultivation but we could just imagine the strength and might that the great Limpopo River once had…

That afternoon we passed enormous ancient Baobab trees and had our sundowner drinks with the spectacular views over Lanner’s Gorge. On our way back to the camp we were met by a full grown male leopard that seemed surprisingly unaffected by our presence. This is great news for an area that was not long ago affected by heavy poaching and I am sure that the predator numbers will grow to its former glory due to the huge success of the anti-poaching team.

After our final morning drive we left for Mashatu Camp and were sad to say goodbye to this jewel in the African bush.

We drove 3 hours to Pont Drift on the Botswana border where we were met by a Mashatu representative and transferred (35 mins) to Mashatu Main Camp for our 2 nights stay. Known as the ‘Land of the Giants’ the vast dry landscape of the Tuli region was in great contrast with Pafuri.

Mashatu Game Reserve in is a diverse wilderness of savannah, riverine forests, marshland, open plains and sandstone outcrops. The largest private reserve in Southern Africa, with the largest elephant population (almost 900) on private land in the world, Mashatu encompasses 65,000 acres along the western bank of the Limpopo River.

As we were having tea prior to our afternoon drive, elephants in their abundance met at the waterhole at Mashatu Main camp. However plenty of elephants are not all you’ll see on the game drives. A ranger and tracker in open four-wheel-drive Land Cruisers, will follow the spoor of any predator that they can find. I was highly impressed with the quantity and quality of the game viewing and our ranger was eager to please and had to rush from lion to leopard to cheetah within a short time on the drive.

Mashatu Main Camp has a large pool and the suites are luxurious and spacious with a double bed, single bed and a day bed, making it ideal for families or anybody that prefer the luxury of air-conditioning and all the other modern amenities one might need in the bush.

The next morning some of us went on a mountain biking excursion within the reserve which has become a popular adventure sport combining game viewing with the excitement of approaching wild animals in their natural habitat. Mashatu has many other additional activities on offer. Mashatu Walking Safaris with Paul Grobler lets you join in a morning or afternoon walk from the camp enjoying a delightful breakfast in the bush. A full day walking safari is also available for those who are interested. The Ivory Experience is lead by an elephant specialist, researching the ecology of the elephant population in Tuli. The Mmamakwa Trips are for those who are interested in the history of the area and learning more about the history of the area from the early Iron Age culture up to the more recent Boer war. The Limpopo Valley Horse safaris let you join on a morning or afternoon ride from the Fort Jameson’s on the Limpopo River (experienced riders only). The Predator Research Drive takes you on a research orientated drive giving a fascinating insight into the life of a leopard researcher.

In the morning, on our way back to the camp, lionesses and their cubs had just caught a blue wildebeest and as we approached a large herd or elephants saw the dead wildebeest and chased the lions away. The lions did return at a later stage and the cubs seemed so small and thin that I was glad that they had something to eat in the dry landscape that surrounded us!

Later in the afternoon we went to visit Mashatu Tented Camp. It is important to note that this tented camp is very rustic in style and amenities and cannot be compared with the luxury that you will find at either Mashatu Main Camp or Pafuri Wilderness Camp. However the feeling of being in the bush in an old style tented camp is a wonderful authentic experience.

These two wonderful camps, Mashatu and Pafuri are a unique combination and can be combined with a 2 night stay in the Sabi Sands area to make up a perfect safari for Southern Africa. You also may like to have a night or two at The Coach House Hotel and Spa en route from Mashatu to Pafuri. Contact mari@cedarberg.co.za for prices on these suggested combinations or any ideas to include these special places into your tailor-made itinerary.