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 combines 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 vast horizons of the Makgadikgadi Pan. Travelling by private plane with naturalist guide Alpha Tjai-Tjai-Mau, you’ll stay in exceptional lodges and simple wilderness camps, chosen for the incredible access they offer.
A fixed-departure journey for a small group of just 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 Safari Camp, 2 nights Khaudum National Park, 2 nights Tsodilo Hills, 3 nights Madgadikgadi Pan
What makes this small-group journey special?
- Spend three nights near a Ju/’hoansi village, learning about tracking, plant knowledge, craft and daily life through time with your San hosts.
- Travel with Namibian naturalist guide Alpha Tjai-Tjai-Mau, whose expertise in natural history and anthropology brings depth and continuity to the journey.
- Reach remote corners of Namibia and Botswana by private plane, with helicopter transfers into and out of Botswana's Tsodilo Hills.
- Explore little-visited Khaudum National Park in far north-eastern Namibia, 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 Pan.
Your exclusive small-group Namibia and Botswana itinerary
Into the bushveld
Days 1-2: Windhoek & Omaanda
Your naturalist guide, Alpha Tjai-Tjai-Mau, will meet you as you land in the Namibian capital of Windhoek and accompany you to Zannier Omaanda. Set within a private wildlife conservancy, the lodge offers a peaceful introduction to Namibia, with thatched accommodation looking out across a land home to elephant, rhino, African wild dog and a variety of big cats. 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, a non-profit organisation dedicated to wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. 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.
The world of the Ju/’hoansi
Days 3-5: Nhoma Safari Camp
Fly by private charter to Tsumkwe and transfer by road to Nhoma Safari Camp in the remote Bushmanland area of north-eastern Namibia. 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.
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. You may also be invited to observe a healing dance, one of the most important spiritual and social ceremonies of the Ju/’hoansi people.
The untamed Kalahari
Days 6-7: Khaudum National Park
After a short private flight to Khaudum, transfer to Xaudum lodge, set on a prehistoric sand dune overlooking a dry riverbed in the northern reaches of 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 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, with encounters with African wild dogs also possible. 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.
Stories in stone
Days 8-9: Tsodilo Hills
Fly by private plane to Shakawe in Botswana, from where a private helicopter will whisk you into 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 will lead you past 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.
Endless horizons
Days 10-13: Makgadikgadi Pan
Depart by helicopter for Shakawe, take a private flight to the Makgadikgadi and transfer to Jack’s Camp, a luxurious hideaway on the fringes of the salt pans and your home for the final three nights. After settling in, head out with your private guide and vehicle for a first taste of this remarkable landscape.
Set out on foot the next day 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.
On your final full day, spend time 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. Then 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, reflecting on the people and places that have shaped the journey.
Enjoy a private flight to Maun the following morning in time to connect with your flight home. Or continue to the Okavango Delta for our optional three-night safari extension, exchanging the Kalahari’s open horizons for a landscape of islands, floodplains and winding channels (see below).
Where you'll stay
Great journeys need great places to lay your head. These are our tried and tested suggestions.
Zannier Omaanda
Set in a private reserve within easy reach of Windhoek’s airport, Zannier 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 appeal 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.
Okavango Delta Extension
Continue from the Makgadikgadi into the Okavango Delta for three nights of wildlife exploration among its palm-fringed islands, reed-lined channels and seasonal floodplains.
After the cultural encounters and open landscapes of the main journey, the Delta offers a beautifully contrasting finale, with time to seek out wildlife by vehicle and explore the waterways by boat or mokoro where water levels and your chosen camp allow.
We will recommend a camp to suit your interests and preferred balance of land and water activities, arranging the onward flights and transfers around the end of the group programme.
The extension is optional and runs from 10 to 13 May 2027, with departure via Maun on 13 May. The price will depend on your chosen camp and is available upon request.
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.
