Makgadikgadi Pans
Camp Kalahari
Camp Kalahari is a return to the traditional safari style of the old explorers and is the best way to experience the Makgadikgadi in a fresh and affordable way. It is the ideal camp for those who want fun, comfort, style and adventure. Camp Kalahari accepts children of all ages and makes for a fantastic family safari destination. The camp is nestled among the acacias and Mokolwane palms of Brown Hyena Island, on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, adjacent to the Makgadikgadi – Nxai Pans National Park.
Camp Kalahari has ten meru tents comprising seven twins, two doubles and one family unit comprising two twin tents with an inter-leading bathroom. All tents have en-suite outdoor bathrooms, flush toilets and the hottest, wettest showers in the Kalahari. The tent interiors are classic safari style, replete with comfy beds, crunchy cotton sheets, stripy African blankets and hot water bottles in winter. The main area, decorated in the style of an original explorer’s camp, comprises a large and comfortable thatched library, lounge and dining area; here guests can relax and enjoy the serenity and peace of this enchanting place.
Year round activities at Camp Kalahari are all about getting up close and personal to the wildlife and locals, including a visit to a resident family of habituated meerkats; walking with Zu/’hoasi bushmen trackers to glimpse their ancient culture as they teach you how they have survived in the vast area; game drives to experience unique desert wildlife; and a visit to Chapman’s Baobab, one of the three largest and oldest trees in Africa and the campsite of Livingstone and Selous.
The best adventure of all is to travel across the pans on quad bikes during the dry season (April to October) to experience the vast Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. Other great things to do are sleep outs on the pans as the sun sets and guests can watch the planetarium show unfold with zillions of horizon-to-horizon stars. In the wet season (November to March) guests can experience the spectacular migration of zebra and wildebeest. This is the second biggest in Africa and the last remaining in Southern Africa.
Facilities
Tents with en-suite outdoor bathrooms. The central area has library, lounge, dining area and plunge pool.
Local Wildlife
Meerkats are the stars of the show but you can also see other desert wildlife such as oryx, springbok, bat-eared fox and tortoise. The desert comes alive in the rainy season bringing many zebra, wildebeest, antelopes and carnivores including black maned lion and cheetah. Honey badgers are also often seen here and around 220 bird species have been recorded.
Optional Activities
Visits to the meerkat family, game drives, night drives, quad bike riding, horse riding, bushmen visits.
Jonathan Morris
Area Specialist
Make sure to visit the local bushmen here to learn about their life in the desert. There is no electricity at the lodge, so bring a torch and plenty of spare camera batteries or a portable charger.
If you have any questions regarding our Botswana tours, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
It is long overdue, but we want to thank you for meticulously organising exceptional wildlife adventures for us for the last 26 years.
That right, 26 years! Our first trip was to Madagascar for our honeymoon in 1999. I fondly recall Alan saying, “ it isn’t a typical honeymoon destination”. You have come to know us well over the years and you know we don’t want “typical”, we want exceptional wildlife adventures.
Thank you, Reef & Rainforest, for being our agent of choice for over 26 years and for consistently recommending and organising incredible tailor-made wildlife experiences which exceed expectations.
We are passionate about wildlife and photography, whether that is on land or snorkelling happily in pristine reefs. We have been fortunate to visit some wonderful places organised by you, including Madagascar, Costa Rica, Peru, Chile, India, Africa, and Indonesia, often returning to discover new and exciting places. Each trip has exceeded expectations. This is attributable to your deep local knowledge, meticulous planning, relentless attentiveness to our wishes and generous time spent discussing the trips. You have often delighted and surprised us with personal touches such as organising a surprise birthday cake.
We just returned from Botswana having thoroughly enjoyed the wildlife adventure by tented camp. It was exceptional in all respects, and we are delighted to see that you have quoted us on your website. Apologies that we have failed dismally to acknowledge your efforts to date. We will share some pictures when we have edited them !!!
We are looking forward to Belize at Christmas and Misool in February next year.
Thank you, Reef and Rainforest.
