7 Day Yoga Safari Retreat in the Tuli Game Reserve
“Find your way back to nature on this 7-day yoga safari retreat in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve”
“Find your way back to nature on this 7-day yoga safari retreat in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve”
Come with us on a Yoga Retreat in the wild of the African bush. We practice yoga out in the bush while discovering the treasures of Botswana’s best kept secret, Northern Tuli Game Reserve.
Find your way back to nature on this 7-day yoga safari retreat in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, Botswana. A spectacular rugged and wild area that has been described as Botswana’s best kept secret. We offer you a truly unique experience, dedicated to the little things of the environment, but not forgetting the big ones. We combine this unique wilderness experience with a yoga retreat and practice meditation, pranayama and asanas while exploring the nature around us. The Northern Tuli Game Reserve is a game reserve spanning some 72 000 hectares of privately-owned land in the north-eastern sector of Botswana’s Tuli Block. It is bordered by South Africa to the South and Zimbabwe to the East.
The Northern Tuli Game Reserve is an integral part of the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area. Tuli wilderness is home to a diverse range of wildlife and the Tuli area boats the world’s largest elephant population on privately owned land (over 1 800 elephants). The reserve encompasses riverine thickets, mopane veld, open plains and boulder-strewn sandstone ecosystems, complete with the game one would expect. The landscapes are breath-taking! As this is private land and off the beaten track, you can be sure that there will be no crowds and you can revel in an authentic wilderness experience.
4 Nights Mohave Bush Camp
2 Nights Serolo Safari Camp
Yoga is a part of Sabrina’s practice for years. The feeling yoga gives her is the reason why she likes to share her practice with other people. She joined a 200h yoga teacher training in Berne, Switzerland. With it Yoga became an even more important part of her life, not only on the mat but in her daily life. Visiting southern Africa in 2016 for the very first time Sabrina fell in love with the wild African bush and its inhabitants. Since then she regularly traveled to South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and to Kenya. The enthusiasm for the bush led her to her Field and Trails Guide training.
Jan Hendrik is a passionate Professional Field Guide with over 12 years of experience in the African bush which took him to many countries across Africa. By walking more than 2 000 hours in over 15 different Reserves and National Parks with Big Five qualified Jan Hendrik as a Professional Trails Guide and Tracker. He has a passion for birds and flowers. Walking with Jan Hendrik is always an adventure and his enthusiasm for the African bush is contagious.
Guests typically arrive around 1 pm at the camp. We offer transfers from Johannesburg as well as pick-ups from the border points. Or we meet you directly at the camp. You will have time to settle and freshen-up in your hut prior to a light lunch followed by a safety briefing and a talk about the program for the upcoming days – setting expectations and prepping you for what will be an epic wildlife and yoga experience.
Then we will depart for a relaxed walk from camp, slowly introducing everyone to the environment and stretching our legs after a long day of travel. After dinner we will have a fire ceremony. Fire is symbolic of change and transformation. We set a personal intention for the upcoming days together.
Our days will start early, typically before sunrise, for a meditation practice and a cup of coffee/tea and some cereals prior to meet for our Game Walk. Every of our walks is dedicated to a different topic all around the nature that there is to discover. Potential target mammal species in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve include: Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Wild Dog, Spotted Hyena, Brown Hyena, Eland, Giraffe, Burchell’s Zebra, Blue Wildebeest, Kudu, Impala, Klipspringer, Bushbuck, Common Duiker, Steenbok, Black-backed Jackal, Bat-eared Fox, Warthog, Bushpig, Small-spotted Genet, Large-spotted Genet, Civet, Caracal, Porcupine, African Wildcat, Banded Mongoose, Slender Mongoose, Selous’ Mongoose, Rock Dassie, Yellow-spotted Dassie, Hippo, Crocodile, Aardwolf, Aardvark, Honey Badger, Vervet Monkey, Chacma Baboon, Springhare, Scrub Hare, Lesser Bushbaby.
Eventually, we will slow down from chasing down the larger, rarer iconic mammals as we start to focus more on the birdlife and other creatures that call this reserve home. Target bird species are far too numerous to mention them all, but a few specials include: Meyer’s Parrot, Meve’s Starling, Southern Black Tit, African Mourning Dove, African Scops-Owl. Summer brings visitors like Broad-billed Roller, Eurasian Golden Oriole, Woodland Kingfisher and Levalliant’s Cuckoo. Raptors include Little Sparrowhawk and Gabar Goshawk. Futhermore there is a resident breeding pair of Verreaux’s Eagles at Eagle Rock. The morning game walks are typically 3 to 4 hours in duration.
Arriving back in camp you will have a chance to return to your rooms and freshen up briefly before we have breakfast. There is then a break during mid-day. You can use this break to relax, to cool down in the splash pool, to read a book or just to observe the animals that pass by in camp. At around 1 pm we will meet for a yoga practice. While inhaling the fresh air of the wilderness we follow an asana sequence. We incorporate in our asana practice as well pranayama and meditation. Those sessions throughout the week are dedicated to specific topics. After the practice we will have lunch and at around 3.30 pm we will meet for a cup of tea or coffee prior to our afternoon walk. Back in camp you have some time to rest and freshen up prior to dinner.
Our days are similar structured but contain special activities like star-gazing, game drives, night drives as well as asana and meditation practices out in the bush. Let yourself be surprised! On the 5th day we will move from the rustic Mohave Bush Camp to the more luxurious Serolo Safari Camp for another two nights.
We will end our yoga safari retreat with a morning yoga session and a light breakfast before we pack and leave camp at around 10 am.
During our yoga safari retreat we stay first for four nights in the more rustic Mohave Bush Camp in traditional huts before spend the last two nights in the beautifully set up safari tents in the Serolo Safari Camp. This gives us the opportunity to discover two different areas of the Reserve. Find out more about the two camps and what they offer.
Mohave Bush Camp is a small and private rustic bush camp, comprises of three rustic huts, communal outdoor bathrooms and a main lapa / kitchen area. The camp is located on the banks of the Mohave River. The unfenced Mohave Bush Camp offers accommodation in three rustic huts, each sleeping between two and four persons in single beds. There is no electricity so lighting is provided using gas, paraffin and solar. Shower water is heated by a solar geyser and the cookers and a freezer are gas operated. The ablutions are open-air and sited within close proximity to the huts. There is a central lapa / dining area with a fire-pit. The camp has a small splash pool. The night sounds at Mohave are magical and game such as Elephants, Lion, Brown and Spotted Hyena, Civet, Genet and African Wild Cat may possibly be seen in and around camp. The Mohave River is a hotspot for game movements and the remoteness of the camp ensures that you will truly feel that you are deep in the wilderness.
Serolo Safari Camp is a small and intimate tented camp, located along the shady floodplain of the Limpopo River. It is just 600 m from the river itself, under the many massive riverine trees, including the magnificent Mashatu and tall Apple-leaf trees. The unfenced Serolo Safari Camp offers accommodation in five fully-serviced safaristyle tents with each tent sleeping two people. All of the tents have two single beds, electric lamps and electric lights. There are en-suite showers with hot water and flush toilets and all bed linen and towels are provided. There is a central lapa / dining area with a fire-pit on the main deck and a splash pool. The camp has 220V electricity and a spotlight overlooks the waterhole. Game such as Elephants, Leopard, Hyena, Bushbuck, Bushpig, Warthog and African Wild Cat may possibly be seen drinking at the waterhole just below the camp.
The camp is unfenced and situated within a wildlife area with all sorts of creatures venturing through. Expect warm to hot temperatures during the day with cold to very cold nights. Electricity is only available in the Serolo Safari Camp. As with any safari, unfortunately we cannot control the weather or indeed the wildlife. The itinerary will be flexible to make the most of the weather and any target species. Travel insurance is a must.
Visas/Passport: Please ensure: 1) that you have pre-arranged your entry visa if required; 2) that your passport is valid for at least six months after your scheduled departure date; 3) that you have a minimum of 2 consecutive clear pages. If this is not the case, there is a danger of being turned away by the Immigration Service on arrival at the airport or at the border post. Please ensure that you have your vehicle papers or police clearance papers and let us know if you require any further information regarding customs and excise allowances. Vehicle entry into Botswana costs approximately BWP 152 and this may only be payable in cash with Botswana Pula but credit card is also accepted as a payment. Health: No vaccinations are mandatory but please consult your doctor for medical advice. Tuli is officially in a low risk malaria area although cases are exceptionally rare. We recommend consulting your doctor about the use of anti-malarial prophylactics (normally Malarone), especially if visiting during the summer (December to April) – subject to advice from your own doctor.
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