Jack’s Camp

Jack’s Camp Botswana Location: Makgadikgadi Salt Pans
No. of rooms: 10
Style: Old fashioned ultra luxurious elegant safari tents, reminiscent of a by-gone era.
Highlights: One of Africa’s best camps, the sheer size and beauty of the Pans, habituated meerkats
Dining: In the mess tent
What’s the difference: Everything, there is nothing about this camp which is not different – set on the site first pioneered by one of Botswana’s great explorers it is romantic, decorated wholely in campaign furniture. Quads, habituated meerkats, horses, bushmen, delicious food – we could talk about this for ever.
The Luxury Safari Co Award for: Best museum of wildlife and archeological artefacts in Africa.

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Jack’s Camp Botswana was made famous by its namesake Jack Bousfield who was on a trapping expedition in the Makgadikgadi Pans during the 60’s when he stumbled upon this unique location of beauty and serenity – he set up camp there and lived there until his tragic death in an aircraft accident in 1992. As a homage to the vision of his father, Ralph, his son, established Uncharted Africa Safari Co starting with Jack’s Camp which was refurbished at the beginning of 2003 – in a traditional East African 1940’s safari style.

Ten green roomy and stylish canvas tents with en-suite bathrooms and indoor and outdoor showers (for those who want to feel the Kalahari breeze) have been fashioned in classical style and are set into a palm grove creating an oasis of civilization in what can be the harshest of stark environment. Persian rugs underfoot and cool cotton sheets form a striking contrast with the rugged wilderness viewed from the comfort of one’s own verandah. During the wet season the landscape transforms. Clouds of flamingo and other migratory birds descend from the heavens to decorate the watery grasslands.

Venturing far into the centre of the Makgadikgadi, on 4wd quad bikes, you are able to explore remote archaeological sites, periodically discovering never before documented fossil beds of extinct giant zebra and hippo. The fact that you can travel across the pans at great speed and still arrive nowhere only underlines the pans immensity. There is nothing out there. Absolutely nothing. A safari to Jack’s Camp is also a complete desert experience focusing on species unique to the area such as aardvark, gemsbuck and springbuck. It is the only place where guests are virtually guaranteed to see the rare and elusive brown hyena and be able to walk through the Kalahari with a gang of habituated but wild meerkats.

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