24 Hours At Tuludi

Pru Allison
October 14, 2019

So, you’ve chosen your lodges and packed your bags, but what can you really expect from your time on safari?

Typical days don’t really exist on safari and that’s part of the charm, but here’s a rough idea of what you might be able to look forward to in 24 hours at our luxurious Delta treasure, Tuludi.

A Warm Welcome

Botswana is blessed with some wonderful people, and since we hire locally you can expect beaming faces to welcome you into camp.

A refreshing drink and wet cloth will offer much appreciated reprieve from the African heat. With thirst quenched and sweat mopped, you’ll meet the friendly team who are ready to make your stay unforgettable.

Guests are typically then shown around the camp – and there’s plenty to see at Tuludi, and given a short briefing on how everything works and what’s on offer. After this you’ll head to your room to freshen up and prepare for the afternoon’s activities.

Your First Afternoon

Afternoon tea is a much-loved safari tradition, and ensures that tummies are well filled before you head out with your guide for an afternoon activity, so help yourself – there’s no need to be polite!

Our guides are passionate about the bush and dedicated to ensuring that guests have a brilliant time, so yours will be keen to discuss your interests and experience to ensure the best possible stay.

Activities vary with seasonality of course, so those we’ll cover here are examples, but you might well find yourself on a game drive that first afternoon. A game drive is a great way to familiarize yourself with the area and get some great game viewing under your belt. Tuludi is in Khwai Private Reserve and this is a fantastic area for species such as lions, leopards, cheetahs and African wild dogs.

There’ll be a sundowner stop, allowing your party to indulge in a drink (or two) and some snacks as you watch the hot African slip silently behind the heat haze ready for a new day tomorrow. With the sun’s disappearance, chances of spotting nocturnal species increase, so keep your eyes peeled.

Bear in mind that it’s worth taking some extra layers with you as our vehicles are open, and temperatures will drop as the hours pass.

Dinner

You’ll have the opportunity to head back to your room, drop off your camera and have a shower before heading back to the main area for dinner.

Tuludi boasts an incredibly beautiful handcrafted bar, so you might choose to enjoy a drink there before sitting down to tuck into your evening meal. The food is locally sourced with food miles kept to a minimum, and dishes are inspired by local Tswana culture with an international twist.

Meals vary from night to night, as does the setting in which it’s served. Dietary requirements can always be catered for as long as we’re made aware of them in advance.

After dinner, why not take a seat around the roaring campfire and exchange safari stories of the day with guides and fellow guests as you get a taste for Amarula, savour a glass of red wine or relax with a hot chocolate?

Your guide will escort you back to your room when you’re ready for bed, just in case there are any pesky elephants blocking the way.

Rise and Shine

You’ll have agreed upon your morning activity the night before, and settled on an appropriate hour for your wake up call. Expect a jovial “knock knock,” accompanied by hot drinks to herald the new day.

It’s worth heading out early for your morning activity to watch the animals before they wind down through the middle of the day.

A morning at Tuludi might be spent on foot, taking in the bushlife at a slower pace and seeing everything up close. Nature walks are a wonderful way to feel completely at one with your surroundings, and our experienced guides are well versed in even the most diminutive flora and fauna, with fascinating insights into species that might be easily overlooked.

Back at the lodge, a hearty breakfast will await, along with an array of juices and hot drinks to wash it all down.

Time To Relax

The middle of the day is when temperatures peak and predators hide themselves away in shady havens. Fortunately Tuludi is well equipped to keep guests entertained through this time. There’s both a main swimming pool for those who fancy a few laps, and a private plunge pool outside each room for a little more privacy. Indulge in a light and refreshing lunch, kick back on a lounger on the spacious verandah outside your room, or sip at a drink at the bar. There’s also a serene treehouse library in which to hide yourself away with a good book or a field guide, and for those in search of something a little more active, there’s always the famous Tuludi slide to whizz down! Wherever you position yourself, you’ll have a great view of the Delta surroundings and will be able to watch those animals who venture out in the middle of the day, such as zebras, giraffes, buffalos and elephants. For those who really want to recharge their batteries there’ll be time for a siesta too.

On The Water

Around mid afternoon the welcome aroma of freshly made afternoon tea will waft through the lodge, luring guests away from their home comforts.

With everyone feeling full and relaxed, it’ll be time to venture out on your afternoon activity. Khwai Private Reserve is in the watery wonderland of the Okavango Delta, so when water levels are high, what better way to explore your environs than afloat?

Whether you head out in a mokoro (a traditional dug out canoe) with a poler pushing you through the depths, or instead opt to navigate the waterways by boat, this is a delightfully peaceful way to take in wildlife, animals and the sights, sounds and scents all around you in this extraordinary and magical place.

Sundowners will be taken in a suitably picturesque spot alongside the water where you’ll be able to watch the sun’s reflection ripple away into the darkness.

That’ll end your 24 hours, but not your experience. Dinner, drinks and fireside stories await, and tomorrow is a brand new day.