San Camp
Imagine a smattering of billowing white tents, shaded by desert palms and surrounded by a thousand acres of shimmering, sparkling nothingness. You’ve just dreamt up San Camp, our impossibly romantic, seven-bedroom camp on the edge of the Nwetwe Pan in Botswana’s Makgadikgadi. San isn’t a place for frills and fluffiness. The magic is in the minimalism, both at the camp and in the mysterious desert landscape. You can forget the tourist crowds and over-stuffed 4x4s too; it’s just you, the wildlife, and a handful of local San Bushmen, waiting to share their secrets with you.
Of all the Makgadikgadi pans, we think Nwetwe is the most iconic. Meerkats pop up from the desert dust, brown hyaena hide in the grass, and you’ll see red hartebeest, springbok and gemsbok scurrying between them. But San Camp isn’t just about wildlife-watching – it’s about the atmosphere and the ethereal surroundings. Disappear into a remote world, a million miles from glowing screens and fruit-themed devices, where the 360-degree panoramas are so vast, you can see the curvature of the earth…
About the San Camp
- Elegant and impossibly romantic, San Camp's classic white tents offer 360 degree views over the sparkling salt pans.
- Take game drives and night drives in custom built 4x4s to see the unique desert wildlife, spend time with the cheeky meerkats, and join the Zu/'hoasi Bushmen on a bushwalk.
- Travel across the salt-crusted earth by quad-bike. The fact that you'll travel at great speed, yet arrive nowhere underlines the true immensity of this remarkable area.
- San Camp has a reputation for delicious and innovative cuising - think fresh tomato tartlets, three-layer banana and caramel cake, and the best Beef Wellington you've ever tried.
- Lie out on the pans as the sun sets and watch the planetarium of stars unfold.
- Retreat to the yoga and meditation pavilion and absorb the compelling energy of your surroundings. This is the perfect spot to relax, unwind and retreat.
The lodge is located in the of the Central District.
Features
Room facilities include Balcony / Deck, En-Suite, Fan, Laundry Service (Complimentary), Shower,
The lodges appeals to a number of special interests such as Adventure, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Star Gazing, Wildlife,
There are numerous activities on site such as Game Drives, Game Viewing, Night Drives, Quad Biking, Safaris, Sleep Outs,
Activities off site include Helicopter Scenic Flights, Horse Riding,
The property boasts a number of facilities Battery Charging Facilities, Communal Dining, Eco Friendly, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Service (Complimentary), Pool, Private Vehicle Available,
Languages spoken include and available services are Credit Card,
Activities
The lodge offers some unique activities to suit your tastes.
Game Drives
Take game drives and night drives in custom built 4x4s to spot the unique desert wildlife that inhabit the pans, like the elusive brown hyena or Kalahari lion. Your experienced safari guide will help you discover a desert landscape, pulsating with life. Complete with bush picnics, morning coffees and chilled drinks.
Meet the Meerkats
Get up close and personal with our habituated meerkats, the cool cats of the Kalahari! Hanging
out with them at their burrow is a once-in-alifetime experience. As they dig and play around you, your head could become the perfect lookout point and part of the fun and games. This is where you’ll truly feel like one of the gang.
Bushman Walk
Discover the secrets of the pans with the Zu/’hoasi Bushmen on a fascinating bush walk. See this ancient desert landscape through their eyes. These skilled hunter gatherers will show you how to survive, using their extraordinary tracking skills to uncover a smorgasbord of culinary delights... from bulbs, to scorpions, to berries. Spending time with them is a very rare privilege.
Horse Riding (additional cost)
Saddle up to explore this wild, unspoilt area in the same way many of the earliest explorers, hunters
and missionaries did – on horseback! You’ll embark on an adventurous outride (for all level riders). This is an exhilarating way to spot wildlife, cantering along the crusty salt flats and following the animal
highways that bring life to the Makgadikgadi Pans.
Quad Biking (seasonal activity)
This is pure desert adventure! Take an exhilarating quad bike across the salt-crusted pans (all pan activity is weather permitting and dependent on the dryness of the pans). You’ll feel total freedom as you trek across this vast and ancient landscape, discovering so much about the remnants of this once super lake.
Seasonal: April - October
Fallen Baobab
Visit the site of the Fallen Baobab, one of the three largest and oldest trees in Africa and the camp site for Livingstone and Selous..
Zebra & Wildebeest Migration (November - April)
Witness the second largest migration in Africa. A stonking spectacle of black and white stripes
as approximately 30,000 zebra and wildebeest migrate across the Makgadikgadi Pans, followed closely by stalking predators, waiting for the rich pickings of tired hooves. This is a wildlife explosion and an experience not to be missed!
Scenic Helicopter Flights (additional cost)
This really is an unforgettable experience. Enjoy a helicopter flight over the Makgadikgadi Pans, doors off (or on), to take in the vastness of this desert landscape. You’ll go in search of the zebra and flamingo migrations (if timed correctly), get dropped on an island of baobabs for lunch, do a bit of sunset sky surfing as you follow the palm tree linings and tell all your friends about it all when you get home.
Spa Treatments (additional cost)
If you are in need of some serious time out, then one of our spa treatments is your perfect escape. Our professional therapist will put you in seventh heaven. Book a back massage overlooking the Makgadikgadi Pans or enjoy a relaxing spa treatment from the privacy of your tent. Whichever you decide, you’ll walk away feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
Fat Bikes
Grab a fat bike and peddle around the Makgadikgadi Pans. This is a really fun activity for the whole family, and an ideal way to get some exercise. These bikes can easily cruise over the desert terrain, taking you along 4x4 tracks and around the crusty salt flats. Keep a look out for sightings of wildlife, while breathing in the beautiful scenery, alongside the desert silence.
Flamingo Migration (additional cost)
The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans are one of the most important breeding sites in southern Africa for
the lesser and greater flamingos. These flying flame birds, arrive in their millions during seasons of good rain, when millions of small shrimp and other crustaceans crack through the salty pan crust to spawn. The result, a pink extravaganza in the heat of the desert. You can also heli to Sua Pan to view the flamingos in Mar - Apr (scenic helicopter flight must be booked).
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