Jack's Camp & San camp

The eponymously named Jack’s Camp and the more recent San Camp are the first permanent camps in the Makgadikgadi Pans and allow the Guest to gain a comprehensive understanding of Botswana’s Kalahari desert environment. Both camps are renowned for their style as well as their informative and holistic guiding by a lost tribe of debonair desert desperados and hold true to the traditional East African ideals of ‘Safari’ as originally envisioned by Jack.

Guides are hand-picked from only the most talented and out-going Biology and Zoology Graduates who are keen to further their studies in the Kalahari region. Part boffin, part adventurer, part Hemingway and not a little mad, these Guides have proven one of our greatest assets in establishing Uncharted Africa as a safari experience without equal.

Jacks camp

Accomodation is in eight green canvas tents fashioned in a classical 1940’s style. The ens are authentic, spacious and exceptionally comfortable with en suite bucket showers , persian rugs underfoot and cool cotton sheets forming a striking contrast with the rugged wilderness viewed from the comfort of one’s own veranda.

The Makgadigadi is one of the most important wetland sites remaining in Africa. In the wet season, the Makgadigadi Pans fill with water which attracts huge flocks of Flamingos and other wading birds. The area is also the only place in Southern Africa where one is often able to see migration herds of tens of thousands of Wildebeest and Zebra, followed by predators. Although the migrations do occur in other areas of Botswana, the tree cover prohibits a view of the magnitude that you are able to see at Jack’s camp because of the exposed nature of the surrounding grassland.

Wet Season activities (February, March, November and December): Game drives to experience annual zebra and wildebeest migration, Bird walks to observe migratory waterfowl breeding/feeding sites (Flamingo, storks, wattled crane, duck, terns etc), Limited usage of 4WD quad bikes and vehicles on pans, Night drives, Game walks with Bushman trackers, Visits to the historical baobabs, Fly camp on the Pan under the stars for trips of more than two nights (weather permitting)

Dry season activities (April to October): Extensive usage of 4WD quad bikes, Explore undocumented archaeological sites and discover early hominid settlements, Night drives to view unique desert wildlife (brown hyaena, aardvark, aardwolf etc), Game walks with Bushman trackers to observe desert wildlife (gemsbuck, suricate/meerkat, springbuck), Visit the historical baobabs (the campsites of Livingstone, Selous and Baines), Fly camp on the Pan under the stars for trips of more than two nights (weather permitting), Fly Camp (weather permitting) to Kubu Island with bikes for 5 night trips

San Camp

San Camp nestles amongst scattered clusters of palm trees located on a grass covered bay that overlooks the endless white salt sea of the extinct Makgadikagadi superlake and directly adjoining the National Park. Six white canvas tents in the same style as Jack’s, twinned with a dramatic location, combine to present one of the most romantic camps in Africa.

After the rains (December to April), there can be enormous herds of Wildebeest, Zebra and Springbok (with the accompanying predators) on the open grasslands. The summer rains also leave a warm shallow layer of water that entices waterfowl and flamingos.

San Camp is a dry season camp, open from April to October each year.

Activities include: Extensive usage of 4WD quad bikes, Explore undocumented archaeological sites and discover early hominid settlements, Night drives to view unique desert wildlife (brown hyaena, aardvark, aardwolf etc), Game walks with Bushman trackers to observe desert wildlife (gemsbuck, suricate/meerkat, springbuck, Visit the historical baobabs (the campsites of Livingstone, Selous and Baines)
Fly camp on the Pan under the stars for trips of more than two nights (weather permitting), Fly Camp (weather permitting) to Kubu Island with bikes for 5 night trips