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San Camp, Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Botswana


San Camp is situated on the edge of the vast and mysterious Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, the remnant of an extinct super lake that once covered most of Botswana. Pared down safari elegance with minimal ecological impact is combined with spectacular vistas. Soothing and serene - San Camp is the perfect place to relax, unwind and retreat.

San Camp continues the Bousfield family’s passion of exploring a stark and seemingly-endless wilderness, opening it up to an exclusive group of visitors fortunate enough to witness the wonder of the Makgadikgadi in the heart of the Kalahari Desert.

Embark on an adventure in the pans, speeding across the salt on quad bikes or horseback, or take a night-time safari in the jeep to see the nocturnal wildlife moving around under the stunning night sky. With no light pollution in the desert, this is a phenomenal sight and one can lie out on the ground and spot the southern constellations whilst immersed in the silence of the desert.

A safari in the Makgadikgadi brings fascinating and diverse desert-adapted wildlife, offering a completely different experience to elsewhere in Botswana. One may see the third-largest carnivore in Africa, the brown hyena, a plethora of migratory waterbirds when there is water in the pans including flamingo and great white pelicans. Of course, not to forget the colony of habituated meerkats which you can visit and, if you stay still for a few minutes, may come straight up to you and use you as a look-out point!

After a day out in the pans searching for wildlife, why not relax and stretch out your muscles in the yoga pavilion? Whilst unwinding here you may spot some straggling herds of zebra or ostrich far off towards the horizon, the only interruption to the vast flats apart from the occasional baobab or desert palm.

One of the most fulfilling experiences one can have at San Camp is to take a walk with the San people, learning about their way of life and how they survive in this harsh environment. They will show you how to start a fire with the few materials on hand, how to find water and track the desert wildlife. Whilst on these walks you may also find stone-age tools simply scattered on the ground, evidence of habitation by the ancestors of today’s San tribes who live in a way that has barely changed over millennia.

For those yearning for adventure, why not take an overnight excursion to Kubu Island in the heart of the pans? You speed across the landscape by quad bike with your private guide before settling down for a meal under the stars. Listen to stories around the campfire before laying out your bed rolls and sleeping out in the vast wilderness with nothing between you and the stars above.

What sort of accommodation is on offer at San Camp?

This is a small and intimate luxury tented camp of only seven tented rooms, which could be taken exclusively for a family or group of friends, should you wish. The classic white tents are light and airy and offer 360°views of the glistening pans.

Inside the canvas walls, each tent is appointed with Persian rugs, beautiful four-poster beds with sumptuous blankets and exquisite furniture. Sit at the mahogany writing desk to record your experiences in your journal, or relax on the day bed outside and lose yourself in the views. The en suite bathrooms have hot running water and flush toilets.

A stay at San Camp is a culinary delight and three-course feasts are served in the central pavillion. Meals are made using delicious fresh ingredients by the chefs, who also create a range of sweet delights to try with your tea, such as velvety chocolate brownies!

Environmental responsibility is important to San Camp and they are entirely solar powered. At night, the paths are dotted with lanterns twinkling in the darkness.

Conservation and community support

During the coronavirus pandemic, San Camp has initiated a new community support project to support local people while their usual sources of income are interrupted. Tourism especially is vital to many livelihoods and this abrupt decline in revenue has impacted many communities across Africa. At San Camp, through support from their network of former guests, travel partners and friends, they are delivering food parcels to remote villages to improve nourishment, as well as deliver vital information to communities to help them keep themselves healthy and safe during the outbreak.

San Camp was created in partnership with the local Zu/’hoasi San people who are part of the family at San Camp. The camp’s purpose is to exist within the harsh landscape rather than to tame it, and the experience and memory it creates is that of immersion in nature, connecting with the pans. The camp is impermanent and could be completely dismantled leaving no scar on the landscape; Nwetwe Pan would be almost exactly as it was before the camp arrived.

Does San Camp cater to families with young children?

San Camp is a wonderful option for a family safari to Botswana as ages are welcome. Children particularly enjoy experiences such as meeting the San people, sleeping out under the stars and watching the meerkat colony go about their work.

When is the best time to visit San Camp?

San Camp is open from April to October inclusive. The dry season usually runs from mid-May and visiting during this time allows one to explore the pans on foot, horseback, by safari vehicle or on the quad bikes!

What should I pack?

The light aircraft flights that transport you to the Kalahari Desert have a strict weight limit and your luggage should be packed into soft-sided duffle bags with no wheels or hard sides. Laundry is complimentary in the camp so it is possible to pack lightly! Cool safari clothing is recommended for daytime safaris but the temperature does drop at night so a jacket is recommended for early mornings and night time game drives. We can provide you with a complete packing list before your safari to Botswana.

For further information, please do feel free to contact Nicola directly or at The Explorations Company for further inspiration and unforgettable safaris and holidays to Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Or, if you would like to just dream some more for now then you can by visiting our Video Library.

 

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As a guide, the cost of our extraordinary and utterly bespoke journeys tends to start from $1200 per person per day excluding international flights.

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