A faint track in the sand, a plant that holds water, a story shared beside the fire. Travelling with San hosts and guides reveals a landscape filled with meaning, shaped by generations of close observation and experience. This exclusive small group journey brings together three nights with the Ju/’hoansi community in Namibia, the remote wilderness of Khaudum, the sacred rock art of Botswana’s Tsodilo Hills and the immense horizons of the Makgadikgadi. Accompanied throughout by naturalist guide Alpha Tjai-Tjai-Mau, travel between these extraordinary places by private charter, staying in exceptional lodges and simple wilderness camps chosen for the access they offer. There is time to listen, ask questions and discover a more personal understanding of southern Africa.
A fixed departure journey for a small group of six guests, beginning in Windhoek and ending in Maun.
The price is based on six guests travelling for 12 nights, sharing accommodation. It includes accommodation, guiding, activities, meals and transfers as specified in the programme. International flights and the optional Okavango Delta extension are additional.
2 nights outside Windhoek, 3 nights Nhoma Village, 2 nights Khaudum National Park, 2 nights Tsodilo Hills and 3 nights Madgadikgadi Salt Pans.
What makes this small group safari special?
- Spend three nights near a Ju/’hoansi village, learning about tracking, plant knowledge, craft and daily life through time with your hosts.
- Travel with Alpha Tjai-Tjai-Mau, whose guiding experience and interest in anthropology bring continuity and depth to the journey.
- Reach remote corners of Namibia and Botswana by private charter, with helicopter transfers into and out of Tsodilo Hills.
- Explore little-visited Khaudum National Park, looking for elephants, roan antelope and African wild dogs amid Kalahari woodland.
- Walk among Tsodilo’s ancient rock paintings with local guides, hearing about a landscape of enduring spiritual significance.
- End at Jack’s Camp with San-guided walks, encounters with meerkats and the extraordinary space and light of the Makgadikgadi.
Your exclusive small group Namibia and Botswana itinerary
Days 1-2: Windhoek and Omaanda
Your guide, Alpha Tjai-Tjai-Mau, will meet you as you land at Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport and accompany you to Omaanda. Set within a private conservation reserve, the lodge offers a peaceful introduction to Namibia, with thatched accommodation looking across the savannah. Settle in, meet your fellow travellers and, if arrival times allow, head out on a conservation drive as the afternoon light softens across the plains. Your first evening is an opportunity to hear more about the journey ahead.
Spend the following day discovering the reserve and its wildlife, with a guided conservation drive offering insight into the work undertaken in partnership with the N/a’an ku sê Foundation. Learn about the challenges of protecting Namibia’s wildlife while looking for the animals that inhabit this landscape. For those wishing to explore further, specialist rhino, elephant or predator tracking experiences can be arranged at an additional cost. Between outings, enjoy the lodge’s pool, far-reaching views and quiet spaces before gathering for dinner.
Days 3-5: Nhoma Safari Camp
Transfer to Nhoma Safari Camp. Your home for the next three nights is a simple tented camp near the Ju/’hoansi community of //Nhoq’ma. Begin getting to know your hosts through whatever the afternoon brings, perhaps craftwork, preparing hides or making arrows and quivers. Encounters are shaped by village life and the people sharing it, with a local guide helping translate conversations. As the light fades, return to camp and the sounds of the surrounding bush.
The following morning, walk into the bush with Ju/’hoansi guides, discovering how much information lies in a broken stem, a footprint or a patch of disturbed sand. Along the way, your hosts may identify edible and medicinal plants, show you water-bearing roots or demonstrate ways of making fire and rope. There is no fixed route: an interesting spoor or the discovery of honey can change the direction of the morning. These walks may follow a genuine hunt if fresh tracks are found, offering an insight into skills that remain part of local life. The duration and pace can be adapted to the group.
A second full day allows conversations and shared experiences to develop at an unhurried pace. Spend
time with your hosts as they make crafts, prepare tools or demonstrate traditional games, and hear about
both inherited knowledge and the realities of contemporary San life. There may be another opportunity to
walk together and deepen your understanding of the bush.
Days 6-7: Khaudum National Park
Set above an ancient sandy river valley, Xaudum lodge looks out across one of Namibia’s least-visited national parks. Settle into your room before exploring by vehicle, following tracks through woodland and open clearings in search of elephants, antelope and the park’s more elusive predators. After your days with the Ju/’hoansi, the landscape may already feel richer in detail. Return for an evening around the fire beneath a sky largely undimmed by artificial light.
The next day, morning and afternoon nature drives give you time to explore Khaudum’s Kalahari woodlands and seasonal river valleys. Elephants and roan antelope are among the animals to look for, while African wild dogs may reward a fortunate encounter. The park’s remoteness is part of its appeal, with conditions on the tracks and wildlife movements setting the pace. Between drives, watch the waterhole from the photographic hide or spend time identifying birds with your guides. These quieter hours can be as revealing as the journeys through the park.
Days 8-9: Tsodilo Hills
Travel via private charters and a short private helictopter transfer to the Tsodilo Hills. Rising abruptly from the surrounding Kalahari, these rocky hills have deep cultural and spiritual importance to the San and other local communities. Settle into your simple sleep-out camp for two nights and, as time allows, begin exploring with a local guide. An evening beside the fire offers a peaceful introduction to this remarkable setting.
Devote the following day to Tsodilo’s rock art and the stories held within this extraordinary landscape. Guided walks lead among paintings depicting animals, people and symbols, opening conversations about their meaning and the beliefs associated with the hills. The significance of the place extends well beyond the images themselves: listen to your guide’s interpretation of the landscape and its continuing place in local traditions. A hike brings broad views across the Kalahari, with the route and pace chosen to suit the group. Return to camp for dinner and another night beneath the stars.
Days 10-13: Makgadikgadi Pans
Today you travel to Jack’s Camp, your home for the final three nights. Set out on foot with San guides to explore the Kalahari through the signs and possibilities that an unfamiliar eye can so easily overlook. Discover how tracks reveal animal movements, how plants provide food and water, and how traditional fire-making skills are practised. Following your time at Nhoma, these encounters offer a chance to compare what you have learnt in different settings and hear the perspectives of new hosts. Later, explore by vehicle with your private guide, looking for wildlife among the grasslands and along the margins of the pans. The afternoon’s route follows conditions on the ground.
Spend time during your last full day in the Makgadikgadi with a habituated meerkat family as they forage for grubs and scorpions, pausing to stand sentinel over their surroundings. Their busy world provides a delightful counterpoint to the scale and stillness of the pans. Continue exploring with your guide, looking for wildlife such as springbok, ostriches and, with luck, brown hyena. The character of the landscape at this time of year depends on the preceding rains, shaping both access and the animals and birds you may encounter. Return to Jack’s Camp for a final dinner together before your flight to Maun and onwards in the morning.
Where you'll stay
Great journeys need great places to lay your head. These are our tried and tested suggestions.
Set in a private reserve within easy reach of Windhoek’s airport, Omaanda draws on traditional Owambo architecture, with thatched huts looking across the savannah. Warm earthy tones, carefully chosen furnishings and private terraces create a restful beginning to the journey. An infinity pool, spa and open-air dining offer time to unwind between conservation drives. Your two-night stay is in a One Bedroom Hut.
Nhoma Safari Camp
A simple tented camp in northeastern Namibia, Nhoma’s distinction lies in its proximity to the Ju/’hoansi community and the opportunity to spend meaningful time together over three nights. Tented rooms with en suite facilities provide a comfortable base amid the bush. Days are shaped by walks, conversations and the activities your hosts choose to share, with the surrounding landscape always close at hand.
Xaudum Lodge
Perched on an ancient sand dune overlooking the Xaudum Omuramba, this small lodge offers a rare base within remote Khaudum National Park. Raised walkways connect the main lodge with spacious rooms, each with an en suite bathroom and private outdoor space. A broad deck, firepit and waterhole views invite you to pause between drives and enjoy the quiet of the Kalahari woodland. Spend two nights in a luxury room.
Tsodilo Hills Sleep-Out Camp
Among teak trees beneath Tsodilo’s striking hills, elevated canvas pods create an intimate base for exploring one of Botswana’s most evocative cultural landscapes. Accommodation is intentionally simple, with en suite facilities, meals around the camp and little to interrupt the sounds of the night. Two nights here allow time for guided walks, rock art and a deeper appreciation of the hills’ significance.
Jack’s Camp
Set on the edge of the Makgadikgadi, Jack’s Camp brings exceptional comfort and a distinctive sense of character to the final three nights. Spacious tents combine rich textiles, four-poster beds and en suite bathrooms with views towards the open landscape. The natural history collection, library and convivial dining spaces reward time in camp, while a pool offers respite between excursions. A private guide and vehicle are included for your stay.
Customise your journey
Ask our safari specialists to add on a few nights before or after your small group journey itinerary.
Continue from the Makgadikgadi into the Okavango Delta for three nights of wildlife exploration among palm-fringed islands, reed-lined channels and seasonal floodplains (optional extension, priced separately).
Enquire about this journey
Join just six guests on a journey shaped by remarkable guides, shared knowledge and some of southern Africa’s most compelling landscapes.
ENQUIRESpeak to our Africa specialists to find out more about the 28 April 2027 departure and the optional Okavango Delta extension. Call our expert Africa team on +44 1367 850566 / 1-855-216-5040 (toll free) or submit an enquiry.
