Description
A visit to San Camp is all about the isolation. Turn 360 degrees and nothing will cross your eyeline but the huge bowl of the sky. Views stretch for miles and you can practically see the curvature of the earth from here.
Set on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, the camp is a collection of 1940s safari tents, with four-poster beds, mosquito net canopies, cambric sheets, paraffin lamps and butlers. It's beautifully eco-friendly, being run entirely by solar power and leaving barely a sign of its existence.
Alongside Jack’s Camp, San Camp is one of only two permanent camps that offer a chance to explore the Kalahari. Here the wildlife viewing consists of rare species such as the elusive brown hyena as well as aardvark, meerkats, gemsbok and springbok.
Game walks and drives take place every day with qualified zoologists and biologists to show you the unique desert flora and fauna. Guests can explore the inner pans on specially adapted vehicles and learn about their ancient history, both geological and human.
A relic of one of the world’s largest super-lakes, the Makgadikgadi dried up thousands of years ago as a result of the continued shifting of the earth’s crust. It's possible to explore the pans by 4WD quad bike.
You should also not miss the opportunity to join a Bushmen safari and learn about their fascinating way of life at first hand.
Accommodation
San Camp is the Stewart Granger Memorial Collection of 1940s safari tents. Each of the six white tents has a bucket shower, flush loo, four-poster bed, mosquito net canopy, percale sheets, and paraffin lamps. There is no electricity at San Camp.
Childcare
Children are most welcome at San camp but the very nature and setting of the camp may not suit very young children and there are no specific child care facilities.
Activities
The activities all revolve around game viewing and the guides at San Camp are often graduate students who combine research with guiding, they team up with a small group of Zu/’hoasi Bushmen to guide guests on morning walks and game drives. Venturing far into the centre of the Makgadikgadi, on 4wd quad bikes, guests are able to explore remote archaeological sites, periodically discovering never before documented fossil beds of extinct giant zebra and hippo.
When to travel
Botswana’s winter is during our British summer, and the weather is hot during the day, but it isn't a stifling heat, and cold at night. The summer months (British winter) can be hot and humid and there is a chance of rain. Botswana has one rainy season which runs between mid-December and runs through to mid-March.
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Average time to visit
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Location and directions
Makgadikgadi, 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.
How to get there
The nearest international airport is Maun, which is an 11 hour international flight to Johannesburg, followed by a 2 hour international flight. From there you will need a short flight (30 minutes) to get you to the camp.
