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Kalahari Desert, Botswana

Kalahari Plains Camp

The Kalahari is not for everyone - but if you are interested in desert species, landscapes and bushman, you will love it. Kalahari Plains Camp is a new Wilderness Safaris property and the tent descriptions look stylish & well designed. During our winter months (December - March), the annual zebra migration makes its way through the green Kalahari, with predators close behind. Visiting with the San Bushman and the local meercats are also offered activities.

 — Mango's view

The Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) offers one of the most remote and unspoiled experiences on the African continent. At 52 800kmē this reserve is one of the largest in the world. Kalahari Plains Camp is located in a remote part of this productive and diverse protected area. This comfortable tented camp will comprise 10 Meru-style tents (9 twin and 1 family) each with en-suite bathroom.

The landscape and topography consists of flat grasslands and undulating vegetated dunes teeming with a multitude of antelope species and large predators. This area is characterized by vast open grassy plains, seasonal pans, wooded acacia islands, prehistoric scrub-covered dunes and fossil riverbeds. During the summer months the northern part of the CKGR, where the camp is situated, offers some of the best wildlife viewing in Botswana. At this time of year these verdant flat lands are alive with aggregations of gemsbok, springbok and blue wildebeest. Predator concentrations are also high and sightings of the almost mythical black-maned Kalahari lions are complemented with some of the best cheetah viewing in Africa. Wild dog and leopard are seen on occasion and other mammal possibilities include southern giraffe, steenbok, red hartebeest and charismatic ground squirrels and meerkats (suricates).

Bird life is equally diverse with over 220 species recorded to date, with a variety of arid-west endemic species such as Burchell's Sandgrouse, Kalahari Scrub-Robin and African Wren-Warbler. The vivid colors of Crimson-breasted Shrike and Violet-eared Waxbill enliven the sometimes stark surroundings.

Prime wildlife viewing areas include places with evocative names such as Deception Valley and Sunday Pan. The former is all that remains of an ancient riverbed which today is an 80km-long gentle valley floor covered with short palatable grasses interspersed with picturesque tree islands.

Includes: All meals & safari activities