Jack's Camp
An oasis of comfort in the middle of Botswana's Kalahari desert, Jack's Camp is pitched on a low grassland knoll in an oasis of desert palms and Kalahari acacia, and is one of the original luxury camps in the area.
Ten stylish canvas tents with en-suite bathrooms and indoor and outdoor showers are set into a palm grove, and the camp's hub is a canvas mess tent that also houses a natural history museum, a library, an antique pool table and a well-stocked drinks chest. The latest addition to the camp is a refreshing plunge pool to cool off in the heat of the day.
The Makgadikgadi, a relic of one of the world's largest super-lakes, is unlike anywhere else on earth. A safari to Jack's Camp is a complete desert experience focusing on species unique to the area such as aardvark, gemsbuck and springbuck. During the wet season see the zebra and elephant migration and when they waters dry up speed through the bush on quad bikes.
All year round, activities include walking through the Kalahari with a gang of habituated (but wild) meerkats, walks with Zu'hoasi Bushmen Trackers for a glimpse into their ancient culture, lying out on the pans at night watching the planetarium show unfold overhead with horizon-to-horizon stars, trips to Chapman's Baobab, and game drives studying the desert adapted species.
Why We Love It
It is the only place where guests are virtually guaranteed to see the rare and elusive brown hyena
Ride Makgadikgadi Pans
Yes, yes, the Okavango Delta offers incredible scenery and extraordinary wildlife encounters, but there are other places to visit - and ride - in Botswana. Take the ancient and parched lunar expanse of the Makgadikgadi salt pans.
For the last 25 years the legendary David and Robyn Foot have been leading horse safaris in Africa, and their latest project is this fantastic five-night riding safari, combining three nights at Camp Kalahari (sister property to Jack's Camp) with two nights fly camping out on the salt pans themselves.
As you meander along the shoreline of the remote and mysterious Makgadikgadi you are exploring this wild, unspoilt area the same way as the earliest explorers, hunters and missionaries did - on horseback. The highlight, however, is spending an afternoon with the traditional Zu'Hoasi Bushmen - an unforgettable and truly wonderful experience where they impart some of their ancient knowledge.
The dry season from May to October offers fast paced riding into the heart of the pans, while during the green season from November to April riding takes place during the last surviving migration of zebra and wildebeest in Southern Africa.
Why We Love It
David and Robyn Foot, who run the safaris, give a wonderful insight into the history of Livingstone, Selous and other intrepid Victorian explorers.