Botswana tourism waterhole Newsletter
Natural Selection has opened their most exclusive property yet, Tuludi, in The Okavango Delta, Botswana.
Natural Selection opened their most exclusive property yet, Tuludi, in the Okavango Delta, Botswana in July 2019. Located in the Khwai Private Reserve in the northern reaches of the Okavango, Tuludi is not just exclusive because it has only seven tents, but because of the 200,000 hectares of pristine wilderness where animal sightings are plentiful and other guests are not.
The Okavango Delta is one of the most iconic wildlife destinations on earth. Home to leopard, lion and wild dog, there is no shortage of high-octane wildlife encounters in this extraordinary ecosystem. But perhaps the biggest luxury here is space and exclusivity guests have; the wildlife easily outnumbers the safari cars and other guests are a rare sighting! Natural Selection’s new Tuludi Camp will be set in the 200,000-hectare Khwai Private Reserve. The reserve is dotted with pockets of verdant forest, enormous leadwood trees, open savannahs, and in the middle of it all is the Khwai River, the lifeline of the reserve and the source of the water that attracts herds of wildlife in their droves.
Tuludi aspires to capture the magic of being enfolded in nature and the serenity and space that comes with it. The seven tree-house styled luxury tented rooms use an earthy palette inspired by nature, each one with an uninterrupted view onto wildlife filled floodplains. The spacious guest tents and outdoor living areas all have a footprint of over 1,000 square feet and are comprised of a separate dressing and sleeping area, en-suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers, and al fresco bathtubs. Outside each of the guest tents are a sunken seating area, a hanging chair and a private plunge pool, all overlooking those enormous floodplains.
The spacious main area faces west, making it the ideal spot for a gin and tonic sundowner on a lazy afternoon after a dip in the main pool. The treehouse library is set high up in the canopy and the perfect place to curl up with a book and listen to the sounds of nature all around. The name ‘Tuludi’ is a Tswana word that describes the colors or markings of the leopard. It is in fact a ‘royal’ color or marking that is held in very high regard in Botswana. This could not be more appropriate as 1.5% of all revenue from Tuludi goes straight back to conservation projects, and in the Khwai Private Reserve itself, Natural Selection has partnered with the Botswana Predator Conservation Trust to collect data on the leopard population on the fringes of the reserve about which very little is currently known of.
Days at Tuludi will be spent exploring the iconic Delta landscape, but here guests are not limited to the usual game drives. The waterways are best experienced from a mokoro, Botswana’s equivalent of Venice’s gondolas. Cruise along gently on the water and learn about the small things that are so easily missed from the 4×4 Landcruiser; reed frogs and dragonflies, lilies and pygmy kingfishers. Boating safaris are also available, and a great way to see pods of hippo and elephant in an unobtrusive way. Another option is walking safaris for those looking for an adventurous and active way to experience the wilderness.
Dave van Smeerdijk, co-founder of Natural Selection says, “We are very excited to open Tuludi and share this very special slice of the African wilderness with our guests. We are aspiring to open a stylish and luxurious camp that offers great value for money. But this is also about making a positive impact on the environment and communities in the area. The Khwai Reserve itself is a partnership with the local communities and the Khwai Development Trust. Almost all of the team who will be running Tuludi come from the local area and that is so important to us.”
Natural Selection believes that all camps should be “clean and green’’ – this means the camp is entirely solar powered to ensure carbon emissions are kept to a minimum. The camp will be single use plastic free and have the latest and most efficient gray water processing plant to ensure that any impact on the environment is at the very lowest possible.
Rates at Tuludi start at US$ 1,020 per person per night based on two sharing. The rate is inclusive of full board accommodation, house drinks and all safari activities.
About Natural Selection
Natural Selection may be a new safari company, but its roots in the African safari business run deep. Devoted to the simple premise that safari tourism, when done right, can be an incredibly powerful tool for conserving and protecting Africa’s last great wild places. As such, Natural Selection partners with local communities and governments to help protect and even expand protected areas and critical wildlife habitat through the development of gold-standard ecotourism projects across Southern Africa. Natural Selection donates 1.5% of its turnover revenue annually to conservation. This deep commitment to conservation is matched only by our devotion to providing our guests with truly extraordinary safari experiences.