Camp Kalahari

Camp Kalahari is nestled among the acacias and the Mokolwane palms of Hyaena Island, on the edge of the ancient super lake and adjacent to the Makgadikgadi National Park. Camp Kalahari is a return to the traditional safari style of the old explorers, and is the best way to experience the Makgadikgadi in a fresh and affordable way.

It is the ideal camp for those who want fun, comfort, style and adventure. Camp Kalahari accepts children of all ages and makes for a fantastic family safari destination.

Camp Kalahari offers a large and comfortable thatched library and a lounge and dining area; here guests can relax and enjoy the serenity and peace of this enchanting area.

Camp Kalahari has 10 Meru-style tents with a choice of twin tents, double tents or a family unit comprising two twin tents with an inter-leading bathroom. All tents have en-suite outdoor bathrooms, flush loos and showers. The tent interiors are classic old-safari style, complete with comfortable beds, crunchy cotton sheets, stripy African blankets and hot water bottles in winter.

Camp Kalahari's chef is a talented chap, noted for his tasty soups and particularly for his lethal concoction of chillies marinated in sherry and gin. Smeared over one's breakfast eggs, it's just the thing to sharpen sleep-dulled wits in preparation for whatever adventures await.

There are two distinctly different seasons in the Makgadikgadi; the dry season and the wet season. When the rains arrive at the beginning of the wet season, the landscape is transformed. Water gathers on the saltpan, algae bloom, crustaceans breed, and clouds of flamingo descend to feed on them. Then herds of zebra and wildebeest materialize, drawn by the lush grass, and for several months, the desert is teeming with game and predators. Guests visiting Camp Kalahari during the wet season can witness the last surviving migration of zebra and wildebeest in southern Africa.

When the waters dry up, the birds and animals migrate and the extraordinary ecosystem of the Makgadikgadi becomes the main attraction. It is during the dry season that guests can experience the vast Makgadikgadi Salt Pans on quad bikes.

The guides at Camp Kalahari team up with a small group of bushmen to guide our guests on a morning walk, offering a window into the past. The Bushmen teach us how they have survived in this harshest of environments, using their vast and ancient knowledge of plants, animal behaviour and survival skills.

Close by is the famous Chapman's Baobab which is acknowledged to be the third-largest tree in Africa, and was the campsite of early explorers like Livingstone and Selous when they pioneered the area.