Kalahari Plains Camp

Location: Makgadikgadi & the Kalahari | Botswana

Price guide: £££££ More than £500 per person per night

Kalahari Plains Camp is a simple yet comfortable tented camp in one of the world’s most harsh and unforgiving landscapes. In the heart of the 5 million hectare Central Kalahari Game Reserve, this is the African wilderness at its most pristine. For game drives on an endless expanse of emptiness, and nights under the Milky Way, this is your camp.

Perfect forAdventurous safari second or third timers who want a remote wilderness experience.

In the knowWell, we told you there wasn’t tons of game in the Central Kalahari, and this is true. Mostly. However, the summer rains (end of November to April) bring the desert to life, with Botswana’s “mini-migration”. Short grasses attract hundreds of thousands of animals such as springbok and gemsbok to graze. Wildebeest, steenbok and red hartebeest join in the feast, and all these are followed in turn by predators such as lion, cheetah, and jackal.

Recommended for...

Cultural Immersion
Eco-tourism
Family-friendly
Guiding

Hotel Overview

Where

Deep in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

Rooms at Kalahari Plains Camp

There are 10 traditional canvas safari tents in camp. Comfortable, and big enough to stand up in, they’re all raised slightly off the ground on their own deck to take in the views over the bush. Natural, muted colours make the tent feel like it’s almost an extension of the outdoors, and for those with an adventurous streak, a night sleeping on the rooftop deck is not to be missed. And if you can’t sleep? Well, just count the shooting stars....

Food and Facilities

Meals are eaten both indoors and outdoors, depending on Mother Nature, and are always jolly communal affairs. Food is simple, but wholesome, and if you look at your surroundings, and consider that the whole camp’s solar powered, it’s really quite impressive. In the main mess area of camp, there’s a cosy lounge and dining area, and a pool to splash in during the heat of the desert summers.

Activities at Kalahari Plains Camp

We’d never really pretend the Central Kahalari’s a big game Mecca (for that, you should definitely combine this camp with the game reserves further north). However, the great joy of exploring here is the certainty that you’ll see few (if any) other vehicles. So, when you do see a cheetah, unusual bat-eared foxes and honey badgers, or those infamous black-maned lions, chances are, you’ll be all alone. We’d also recommend the chance to do a Bushman Walk for a unique insight into the lives of the local San community.