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San Camp

San Camp on the Makgadikgadi Pans

Highlights

  • Get unbelievably up close and personal with the family of meerkats
  • Walk with Zu/'hoasi (San) Bushmen Trackers when at San Camp
  • Game drives to experience unique desert wildlife, such as the elusive and rare brown hyaena
  • A visit to Chapman's Baobab
  • Lie out on the pans at night and watch the planetarium show unfold overhead with horizon-to-horizon stars
  • Quad biking on Nwetwe Pan
  • Experience the spectacular migration of zebra and wildebeest
  • San Camp is as unique as its surroundings

Information

  • Lodge type; Tented Safari Camp
  • Location; Makgadikgadi Salt Pans
  • Lodge size; 7 safari tents
  • Recommended stay; 3-7 nights

A Luxury Camp, Explore The Makgadikgadi And Meerkats And Walk With The San Bushmen

San Camp offers the Earth stripped naked. And, such restraint holds its own charms.

San Camp and Jack's Camp are unique in that they are the only permanent camps to offer a chance to explore and understand the Kalahari.

The concession adjoins the Makgadikgadi National Park with its endless vistas of rolling golden grasslands. Desert palms line the horizon. Through the tent flaps, the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans run over the horizon like the mother of all Norfolk beaches.

San Camp could not be more different from everywhere. The Tented Desert Camp is the Stewart Granger Memorial Collection of 1940s safari tents with no running water or electricity.

Rooms and Suites

Seven pale khaki canvas tents twinned with a dramatic location combine to create an oasis of civilisation in what can be the harshest of stark environments.

The result: San Camp is one of the most romantic camps in Africa!

There are comfortable four poster beds, cotton sheets, paraffin lamps, excellent food and personal service. Bathrooms are en-suite with bucket showers and flushing loos.

Cuisine and Wine

The best beef Wellington you’ve ever had, fresh tomato tartlets followed by a three-layer banana and caramel cake - as an example. This is what meals at San Camp are all about.

The cuisine on offer at San Camp is delicious and innovative; the camp has one of the best reputations in Botswana for offering up only the finest.

Lodge Facilities

A magnificent mess tent at San Camp contains a small natural history museum and library.

A tea tent spread with cushions provides a sheltering sanctuary, and the tented yoga pavilion overlooks a small plunge pool and sun deck.

Safari Activities

From San Camp, venture far into the centre of the Makgadikgadi on 4wd quad bikes, and explore remote archaeological sites, periodically discovering never-before-documented fossil beds of extinct giant zebra and hippo.

The fact that you can travel across the salt pans at great speed and still arrive nowhere only underlines the pan's immensity. There is nothing out here. Nothing. No outcrops, no features, no grass, no trees, no sound but the crunch of your boots in the crust.

Nature and cultural walk with San Bushmen is a must; the amount of information on the surrounding bushveld is utterly amazing.

The Kalahari desert is its own universe, and on saying that, so is fantastic, San Camp.

It is the only place where guests are virtually guaranteed to see the rare and elusive brown hyaena and be able to walk through the Kalahari with a gang of habituated but wild meerkats (suricates)!

Family Friendly

Children of all ages are most welcome at San Camp, with numerous child and family-friendly activities and accommodation options available. We do, however, recommend that children be at least eight years and older to enjoy all the activities.

Spa and Wellness

No spa facilities are on offer when at San Camp, but there is a "Tented Yoga and Meditation Pavilion" available with daily yoga options (perfect for de-stressing and unwinding).

In Conclusion

San Camp is a safari camp located in the Central Makgadikgadi Salt Pans of Botswana. It offers visitors an opportunity to experience unique desert wildlife and landscapes, as well as participate in various safari activities.

The camp's cuisine and wine are excellent, and it features comfortable accommodations with en-suite bathrooms and bucket showers.

Families are welcome at San Camp, and children aged eight or older can enjoy all of the activities on offer.

There is no spa on-site, but there is a "Tented Yoga Pavilion" available for relaxation and de-stressing.

If you're looking for an off-the-beaten-path safari adventure in a stunning location, San Camp should definitely be on your list!

Rates From

Rates form part of a safari itinerary

Rates Information

San Camp Rates
Per person per night sharing
Rates are in US Dollars (US$)
*Rates may vary according to season

Rates Include
  • Accommodation
  • All meals
  • Local drinks
  • Activities (NB some activities at an extra surcharge)
Rates Exclude
  • Flights
  • Transfers
  • Premium brand beverages
  • Tips & gratuities
  • Travel insurance

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