San Camp
San Camp Diairies
Astounding 6,200 square miles of the world’s largest soda lake all around: One of the only remaining places on earth where the silence is so complete you can hear the blood circulating through your ears! Camp owner Ralph Bousfield and his guides have made many important finds in the field of palaeontology, with stone implements and other evidence of Stone Age dwellers. This is a very fragile environment filled with fascination and interest. The management and guides have an approach of maximum care for the environment and this is a destination for the true lover of remote experiences.
RARE DESERT SPECIES
This is the domain of the rare brown hyena, a shy and elusive creature - as well as suricates, aardvarks and small bustard species. Enjoy a game drive to search for desert species such as Aardwolves, Pink Flamingo and perhaps even the elusive Honey Badger.
Desert experience
The most beautiful old-world desert camp on earth. The scenery here is so spectacular that everything from iconic Pirelli calender shoots to stunning landscapes from Taylor Swift’s Wildest Dreams video were captured right here at San Camp. Enjoy the serene atmosphere of San Camp with its endless views of the Makgadikgadi Salt pans. The billowy beige canvas pavilion is the central living area offering a social hub for decadent meals at the long dining table and afternoon teas under canvas. A cabinet of curiosities, San Camp’s antique ‘wunderkammers’ are crammed with African pottery, stone-age tools and knick-knacks.
The true luxury of San Camp lies in its off-the-grid simplicity, where silence reigns and the desert’s beauty unfolds uninterrupted
Reimagined in 2020, the tents open up to mesmerizing views of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, a shimmering sea of white that stretches as far as the eye can see. This rustic elegance strips life down to its purest essence, where romance is found in the minimalism, and nature speaks in its quietest, most profound voice. The tents are a harmonious blend of comfort and romance, each with spacious en-suite bathrooms adorned with Edwardian colonial antiques and inviting four-poster beds. By evening, the dining table is set with flickering candelabras and crisp white linens, while the living room, lined with Persian rugs and cabinets of curiosities, holds treasures of anthropological finds. . The mahogany and brass structures form a striking contrast with the rugged wilderness outside.
Game drives, walks and quadbiking bring you close to unique species such as Kalahari Black-maned Lions, Honey Badgers, Bat-eared foxes and Brown Hyena.
- Only Six classic desert tents at San Camp
- On the edge of the mysterious Makgadikgadi
- Pared down, rustic safari elegance
- Walks with Zu/’hoasi San Bushmen
- Quadbiking in remote Botswana
- A group of habituated meerkats
- Elegant candlelit dinners with wine
- Enjoy the silence in the yoga tent
- Small natural history museum and library
San Camp is all persian carpets underfoot and cool linen to rest your head
LUXURY SAFARI CAMPS
Meet Meerkats
One of San Camp’s most enchanting experiences is spending time with the habituated meerkats. Through years of ongoing research, these creatures have become accustomed to human presence, offering rare close-up encounters. On cool mornings, you might even find a meerkat nestling against you for warmth or perched atop your head, using you as a lookout in place of a termite mound. Observing their complex social behavior provides a unique window into their world, a privilege only San Camp can offer.
San Camp offers more than just luxury—it offers an immersion into the wild heart of the Kalahari. Game drives, guided walks, and quadbiking adventures take guests close to the region’s unique wildlife, including the Kalahari Black-maned Lions, Honey Badgers, Bat-eared Foxes, and the shy Brown Hyena. Activities include walks with the Zu/’hoasi San Bushmen, where guests can learn ancient hunting techniques, food-gathering skills, and traditional craftsmanship passed down through generations. This cultural exchange offers a rare glimpse into their semi-traditional way of life, which gracefully evolves with time while maintaining its deep-rooted wisdom. Through this partnership, the camp fosters a sensitive initiative that ensures the stories and skills of the elder generation are shared with the next.
Quadbiking across the shimmering pans is an experience like no other. As the cold, dry months bring sharp, star-filled night skies, evening rides leave guests breathless beneath a canopy of stars they never dreamed possible. The daylight, too, works its magic, with mirages dancing on the horizon, a surreal vision that seems conjured from the desert itself. As temperatures rise, layers of clothing are shed, and the desert comes alive in a quiet, mystical way.
Derived from age-old know-how, our journeys to Africa are tailored by your imagination. The dream becomes the enchantment of a moment, the joy of a journey, a companion for life.
We’re here to inspire you to dream up your own safari story.