We wouldn’t be lying if we told you that Khwai was one of the most consistent areas in the Okavango Delta region for year-round fabulous wildlife encounters. As a result, Tuludi is open all year and along with excellent game viewing, each season brings its own quirks and charms.

In the winter dry season from June to October, the Okavango Delta is in flood. The rivers and waterways are full and flowing making this the best time of year for water-based game viewing from traditional mokoros and boats.

The summer season brings the much-longed-for rains and alongside mind-bogglingly beautiful sunsets and thunderstorms, you’ll notice plenty of newborns springing around the plains. Birding at this time of year is also excellent as the migrants return from their various corners of the globe.

Seasonality

• Green season: 10 January – 31 March
• Shoulder season: 01 April – 31 May | 01 November – 19 December
• High season: 01 June – 30 June | 01 September – 31 October | 20 December – 09 January
• Peak season: 01 July – 31 August

• Game drive through the concession for close-up encounters with a range of animals that are as diverse as the landscapes whizzing past.
• Enjoy a slower pace of life on a walking safari with one of the experienced guides (seasonal).
• Drift through the lily pads on a mokoro safari and reach all the corners of the Delta that a vehicle simply can’t reach.
• Float along the waterways and rivers on a boat safari, keeping an eye out for the wildlife wandering beside you.
• Try your hand at a spot of fishing (01 Mar – 31 Dec); fishing is not permitted from January to February due to breeding season).
• Relax by the swimming pool and wildlife watch from the comfort of your sun lounger.
• Be part of the KPR Ranger Experience and spend time tracking predators, capturing data, patrolling and visiting conservation projects (if time allows). This activity is at an additional cost and proceeds from this experience go back into the conservation efforts in the concession.

Landscape

The Okavango Delta may be known for its wildlife, but sometimes, it’s the landscapes that really steal the show. In the Khwai Private Reserve, in the secluded, northern reaches of the Delta, this couldn’t be truer and the real magic of the 200,000-hectare reserve is its astonishing diversity. Think vast, flowing floodplains that stretch out like the prettiest of emerald-green carpets; pockets of verdant forests and battalions of enormous Leadwood trees; pockets of lily-covered lagoons and meandering waterways. And in the middle of it all is the fast-flowing Khwai River, the lifeline of the reserve and one that attracts herds of wildlife in their droves.

As for location, the reserve is bordered by the world-famous Moremi Game Reserve to the south, and the vast Chobe National Park to the east. Together the three reserves are part of the greater Okavango Delta World Heritage Site. We are particularly lucky in Khwai however, as visitor access is somewhat limited and you’ll only ever bump into a handful of guests (if that) – and all from Natural Selection camps! Tuludi itself is located in the southern reaches of the reserve, far from the public areas.

Wildlife

The floodplains around Tuludi aren’t simply beautiful, they’re also the perfect location for enormous herds of elephant and buffalo who wander amongst the grass undisturbed. Whilst the Khwai River is the main water source in the area, the waterways that spindle out through the grasslands attract game from far and wide, and there’s no shortage of zebra, giraffe, antelope and other plains game.

But really, it’s the predators that steal the show here and the concentrations are superior to most in the area. Expect prides of lion on the hunt as dusk falls, leopard lazing in the forest and cheetah stalking their territories – and have your cameras at the ready at all times! The area is also home to a good number of endangered wild dog and if you’re lucky enough to spot them in the wild, you’ll never want to leave. The reserve is diverse even by Okavango terms and the birdlife here also reflects this. You can expect specials like longtoed lapwing, black and slaty egrets, wattle cranes – while the woodlands supper an entirely different suite of species.

The name ‘Tuludi’ is a Tswana word that describes the colours or markings of the leopard, and is also sometimes also used to describe cattle with spotty or flecked skin. It is in fact a ‘royal’ colour or marking that is held in very high regard in Botswana. So, what’s that got to do with our camp? we hear you cry. Well, the day that our partners in Khwai, Kevin and Shannon Lang, set out to find a spot to build Tuludi, they found themselves camping in a grove of enormous leadwood trees. With their low-hanging boughs and shady leaves the trees are first choice for leopards and lo and behold, a beautiful female walked straight past the team after only a few minutes. Later, as the sun began to drop, the rays created a stunning, dappled ‘tuludi’ pattern on the ground all around them – and it was at that moment that they knew this was the spot for Tuludi

Khwai Private Reserve* is a great conservation triumph and we are extremely proud of what we have achieved in the region, and helping us make the area such a success are our outstanding partners: the Khwai Development Trust, the communities surrounding Khwai itself, and Kevin and Shannon Lang.

*This concession and its eco-tourism (non-consumptive) designation, relies on the sustainable use of areas in which eco-systems are intact and, in the process, provides important refuge to countless species and biodiversity under threat, important corridors for migration as well as buffers between wildlife and surrounding land uses. It wasn’t always like this, historically it was utilized for hunting. The conversion from hunting to ecotourism was made a success story by Natural Selection and the KPR management team. At Natural Selection, we recognize the important role that eco-tourism plays in the protection of wilderness areas, and therefore continue to promote and expand our conservation efforts.