Greater Kalahari
San Camp
San Camp in Botswana has 7 billowing beige tents in the stark concession of white, flat desert of the Makgadikgadi Pans. Originally part of an ancient lake bed, the terrain is characteristically dotted with shallow depressions enclosing islands of stunted acacia trees. This is also the domain of the brown hyena, a shy and elusive creature - as well as suricates, aardvarks and small bustard species. Here, you only have to camp on the crest of some forgotten dune, watch the shadows lengthen as the sun sinks, listen to the cry of the jackal as the shroud of darkness settles, to know that you have touched the soul of Africa.
The large tents have spacious en suite bathrooms furnished with Edwardian colonial antiques and romantic four-poster beds. The dinner table is set with candelabras and white linen and the living room is adorned with Persian rugs and cabinets of curiosities with anthropological finds.
Game drives, walks and quadbiking bring you close to unique species such as Kalahari Black-maned Lions, Honey Badgers, Bat-eared foxes and Brown Hyena.
Encounter some of Kalahari's most intriguing residents—the meerkats. Thanks to an ongoing habituation program, guests have the unique opportunity to observe the captivating Meerkats up close and personal. It's important to note that while habituated, meerkats remain wild animals and are merely accustomed to our non-threatening presence. On brisk mornings, you may even find a meerkat seeking warmth by snuggling up to you or utilizing your head as a lookout post in the absence of a termite mound or tree. Spending quality time with these highly social and remarkably adapted animals allows guests to witness their fascinating interactions with each other and their environment.
San Camp Diaries
Astounding 6,200 square miles of the world’s largest soda lake all around: One of the only remaining places on earth where the silence is so complete you can hear the blood circulating through your ears! Camp owner Ralph Bousfield and his guides have made many important finds in the field of palaeontology, with stone implements and other evidence of Stone Age dwellers. This is a very fragile environment filled with fascination and interest. The management and guides have an approach of maximum care for the environment and this is a destination for the true lover of remote experiences.
Field Notes
Rare Desert Species
This is the domain of the rare brown hyena, a shy and elusive creature - as well as suricates, aardvarks and small bustard species. Enjoy a game drive to search for desert species such as Aardwolves, Pink Flamingo and perhaps even the elusive Honey Badger.
San Camp
Safari Film
San Camp
Flying
We offer daily scheduled flights from all major African airports to our private airstrip. Private charters on our fleet of luxury aircraft as well as helicopters are available by request.
San Camp
Safari
The true luxury at San Camp is going completely off-the-grid to enjoy the desert silence. Elegantly re-designed in 2020, San Camp opens tents out to mesmerizing views of the serene Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. On the edge of the mysterious Makgadikgadi you can enjoy pared down, rustic desert elegance. Acitivities include walks with Zu/’hoasi San Bushmen, guided quadbiking in remote Botswana and visiting groups of habituated meerkats, as featured in the documentary Meerkat Manor.
GUIDED SAFARIS®
Set on the edge of the shimmering, sparkling makgadikgadi salt pans, san camp is an impossibly romantic hideaway where the magic is in the minimalism. The cold, dry months treat all to awe-inspiring night skies and morning drives where ponchos and gloves are welcome. Evening quad biking on these clear nights never fails to amaze guests, setting off after tea the light is still so sharp and the reminder to bring fleeces and jumpers seems almost excessive - yet come sunset the chill factor sets in and woollies are very welcome. Guests are always amazed by the night sky while on the pans - most have never even imagined the textures possible in a night sky which is un-illuminated. Morning quadbiking is the opposite - layers are peeled off as it warms up, and the hallucinatory mirages which dance on the pans appear as if by magic.
San Camp
Meeting the
The Zu/’hoasi community embraces a semi-traditional lifestyle, generously sharing their ancestral hunting, food-gathering techniques, as well as the craftsmanship involved in jewelry and hunting equipment. This offers a precious glimpse into their rapidly fading traditional way of life, while acknowledging that their culture evolves with time rather than being static. Our culturally-sensitive initiative fosters a collaborative environment within the community and our guests, facilitating the exchange of knowledge, ensuring the wisdom of the older generation is passed down to the next.
