Makgadikgadi Pans: Icon of the Kalahari
Botswana is famed as the home of some of Africa’s most beautiful reserves and exceptional wildlife. Fans of stark and dramatic landscapes are particularly captivated by the country’s majestic Kalahari Desert, with its iconic Makgadikgadi Salt Pans as a central attraction.
To the southeast of Botswana’s Okavango Delta and surrounded by the Kalahari, Makgadikgadi Pans National Park spans 16 000 km² of stretching savannah, comprising one of the largest salt flats in the world. It’s all that remains of the once vast Lake Makgadikgadi, which evaporated over 2 000 years ago.
The breathtaking panorama of white sand and salt transforms into a vital habitat for migrating animals (including wildebeest, gemsbok, springbok, zebra and the lions, cheetahs and hyenas that prey on them) after the rains. The migratory birdlife is similarly impressive, with the area playing host to one of only two breeding populations of Greater Flamingos in Southern Africa.
Aside from the impressive seasonal game viewing, the area is characterised by magical isolation, pristine silence and a night sky covered in a spectacular display of stars.
Jack’s Camp: A Home in the Heart of the Pan
While on an expedition in the Makgadikgadi Pans in the 60s, adventurer Jack Bousfield set up camp under a mighty acacia tree amidst the savage beauty of the striking locale. Years later, after his untimely death, his son established Jack’s Camp as a way of paying homage to the site that so captured his father’s imagination.
Jack’s Camp is a stylish oasis harkening to a time of traditional colonial-style safari. Accommodation is comfortable and spacious, with ten private luxury tents boasting ensuite bathrooms, alfresco showers and private verandas set in a leafy palm grove offering an oasis of comfort and civilization in the otherwise stark wilderness.
Communal areas include a comfy sitting room, an African library and an unforgettable dining area overlooking the best of the Kalahari. Many an hour can be spent here, feasting on the Camp’s hearty food and gazing out at the other-worldy surrounds.
Activities at Jack’s Camp: A True Desert Adventure
Discover the magic of Makgadikgadi on a morning walk and game drive or quad biking expedition, discovering the area’s stark landscape, impressive wildlife and even authentic Bushmen. A highlight is the Camp’s signature Meerkat Adventure, in which lucky guests can get up close and personal with the playful little desert dwellers. Botanists will marvel at the presence of an over 5000-year-old Baobab tree, and cultural enthusiasts can participate in rare Bushmen rituals.
Make your visit to Botswana a truly unforgettable one with an exploration of the great Makgadikgadi from the world-class base of Jack’s Safari Camp.