Kaelo Destinations Details the Solar Power and Conservation Behind Its Stays

When summer sunshine floods southern Africa in November, two very different properties in the Kaelo Destinations collection put it straight to work. Most of the camps at Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana run on solar power, and Pambele Beach House in Mozambique is fully off-grid. Kaelo Destinations is using the start of the summer season to explain how its properties operate behind the scenes, and what a guest's stay contributes to the land and communities around them.

Kaelo Destinations brings together a growing collection of places defined by natural beauty, authenticity and purpose, beginning with Mashatu Game Reserve in Botswana and Pambele Beach House in Mozambique. The name Kaelo comes from a Setswana word meaning "to guide", "guardian" or "to nurture", which reflects the group's aim to lead travellers and partners on a journey of care and respect for the land and its people. The collection was founded under the vision of Maggie and Stephen Lansdown CBE, and is built on conservation-first tourism, authentic experiences and community upliftment.

Green camps in the Tuli

Mashatu Game Reserve covers 42,000 hectares of privately owned land in the Northern Tuli Game Reserve in eastern Botswana. According to Kaelo Destinations, five of Mashatu's six camps are solar powered and classed as green camps, an approach supported by Botswana's high number of sunshine days each year. Laundry is sun-dried, gardens are planted with indigenous species, and guests receive refillable flasks to reduce single-use plastic and water use.

The operation also leans heavily on the local economy. Mashatu sources 95% of its supplies, from food and beverages to building and vehicle supplies, from within Botswana. A central recycling plant at Merryhill, the reserve's headquarters, handles glass, tins and the reuse of waste across the reserve. For guests booking a Botswana safari lodge, these systems are mostly invisible, yet they shape how each camp runs from day to day.

A refuge without fences

Wildlife at Mashatu moves freely along corridors drawn by the presence of eight rivers, and no animals are hunted or culled. Conservation levies, included in every stay, support projects that the collection says have resulted in around a million litres of water saved each month and the protection of more than 86 of Mashatu's iconic trees. Ongoing work covers erosion rehabilitation, alien plant control and elephant-safe fencing around those trees.

The levies also fund anti-poaching units, human-wildlife conflict management and restoration work through the Tuli Conservation Trust and NOTUGRE. Spatial data from tracking systems supports research into elephants, big cats and migratory birds. A Botswana safari at Mashatu is therefore also a contribution to long-term work in one of the region's most diverse wilderness areas, known for large elephant herds and strong big cat sightings.

An off-grid house by the sea

On Mozambique's San Sebastian Peninsula, Pambele Beach House takes the same thinking to the coast. The exclusive-use house sits in the Vilanculos Coastal Wildlife Sanctuary, overlooking the Bazaruto Archipelago, and runs entirely on solar energy with no connection to city power. All lodge water is produced through desalination, and drinking water is generated directly from the atmosphere by converting humidity into fresh water for guests and staff.

Each guest receives a biodegradable wheat-straw refillable bottle, removing the need for single-use plastic bottles. Wherever possible, Pambele works with nearby island suppliers and small-scale local producers, supporting livelihoods while keeping its environmental footprint low. Ongoing projects include the development of a new community clinic. Among Mozambique beach resorts, few can describe a stay that is powered, watered and supplied in this way.

Why it matters for travellers now

November marks the start of summer in southern Africa. In the Tuli, temperatures rise, migrant birds return and young antelope appear on the plains. On the Mozambican coast, the dry season draws to a close with warm days and clear skies. Both are seasons when sunshine is plentiful, and both show how the collection's properties are designed to work with their climate rather than against it.

For travellers, the practical benefit is simple. A stay at any Kaelo property includes the conservation levy, so every booking supports the conservation, community and culture work described above without any extra step. Guests also experience properties designed with small guest numbers, private access and décor that blends with the landscape.

A collection of camps and homes

At Mashatu, the Kaelo collection includes Euphorbia Mashatu, a five-star lodge with eight private villas; Kolokolo Safari Home, an exclusive-use home for up to eight people; Mashatu Lodge; Tuli Safari Lodge Mashatu, with eight luxury tented suites on the bank of the Limpopo River; and Mashatu Tent Camp. Shalimpo Safari Home and Fika Futi Safari Camp are exclusive-use, self-catering options for groups of eight. WalkMashatu offers an immersive safari walk with nights under the stars in custom-designed tents.

In Mozambique, Pambele accommodates up to 10 guests with direct beachfront access and a full range of land and sea activities, from snorkelling and kayaking through mangroves to bush drives in the sanctuary.

Many guests combine the two, pairing time in the Botswana bush with days on the Indian Ocean coast. Doing so links two destinations that share the same approach to conservation, community and design.

Looking ahead

Kaelo Destinations has said it will unveil new journeys, new destinations and new ways to experience meaningful travel, and that it is curating a portfolio of places that share the same sense of purpose. For now, its two founding destinations show how that purpose plays out in practice, from solar panels and sun-dried laundry in Botswana to water made from sea air in Mozambique.

Full details of the collection, current offers and the group's conservation work are available at https://kaelodestinations.com/.

About Kaelo Destinations

Kaelo Destinations is a collection of luxury safari lodges and beach retreats in southern Africa, founded under the vision of Maggie and Stephen Lansdown CBE. Its founding destinations are Mashatu Game Reserve, a 42,000-hectare private reserve in Botswana's Northern Tuli Game Reserve, and Pambele Beach House, an exclusive-use, off-grid beach house in the Vilanculos Coastal Wildlife Sanctuary in Mozambique. Every stay includes a conservation levy that supports conservation and community initiatives.

Media Contact
Kaelo Destinations
Email: reservations@kaelodestinations.com
Phone: +27 31 761 3440
Website: https://kaelodestinations.com/