Camp Kalahari

Highlights of Camp Kalahari

• Camp Kalahari is a family friendly camp
• Spending time with the Bushmen of the area
• Getting to know the unique desert wildlife
• Visiting Chapman’s Baobab, one of the three largest and oldest trees in Africa,
• Getting unbelievably up close & personal with some incredibly friendly habituated meerkats.

Camp Kalahari is a return to the traditional safari style of the old explorers, and is the best way to experience the Makgadikgadi Pans in a fresh and affordable way. It is the ideal camp for those who want fun and adventure without sacrificing comfort and style. Camp Kalahari lies in the acacias and Mokolwane palms of Brown Hyena Island on the edge of the Pans.

A thatched central library, living and dining area featuring an eclectic mix of original African furniture and textiles paired with traditional campaign style pieces and colonial antiques provide the perfect area in which to relax and enjoy the serenity of this enchanting area. For those who'd like to cool off, or enjoy a lazy siesta in or out of the sun, the thatched swimming pool pavilion is ideal.

This traditional bush camp has ten spacious Meru tents (six twin tents, three double tents and one family unit which has two adjacent tents with an inter-leading bathroom). All tents have en suite bathrooms, hot and cold running water and flush loos along with four poster beds, crunchy cotton sheets, rich textiles, Moroccan kilims and hot water bottles in winter for those cold Kalahari desert mornings.

Wet & Dry Seasons in the Makgadikgadi

There are two distinctly different seasons in the Makgadikgadi: The dry season, lasting from approx. mid April to October and the wet season, lasting from November round to mid April. 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 are drawn to the area by the lush grass, and for several months, the desert is teeming with game and predators. If you visit Camp Kalahari during the wet season, you may be lucky to witness the last surviving migration of zebra and wildebeest in Southern Africa. Most people associate the migration with East Africa and don't know about this, the second largest migration of African ungulates, with an estimated 30,000 animals, the majority being zebra.

When the waters dry up, the birds and animals migrate away from the area 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. Get dressed up in dark glasses and Lawrence of Arabia headgear and race out on to the pan. Fat tyres skim over the surfaces where heavier vehicles would sink. The fact that you can travel across the pans at great speed and still arrive nowhere only underlines the pans’ immensity. There is nothing out here. Absolutely nothing.

Other activities at Camp Kalahari

Year round activities at Camp Kalahari include spending time with the Bushmen of the area, getting to know the unique desert wildlife, visiting Chapman’s Baobab, the campsite of Livingstone & Selouss as well as getting unbelievably up close and personal with a gang of incredibly friendly habituated meerkats.

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

A safari to Camp Kalahari is also a complete desert experience focusing on species unique to the area such as aardvark, gemsbuck and springbuck. You are also virtually guaranteed of seeing the rare and elusive brown hyaena and are able to walk through the Kalahari with a gang of habituated but wild meerkats! As the sun rises, these pixie-faced creatures emerge from their burrows and join you, sunning themselves with paws behind their backs, completely indifferent to your presence. A baby might sit on someone's toe or a sentinel hop onto your head! As they all scurry off to forage, you follow. The meerkats dig up scorpions and pounce on beetles while your guide maintains a running commentary on their social habits and survival strategies.

Camp Kalahari accepts children of all ages and makes for a fantastic family safari destination.