San Camp

AREA & ACTIVITIES

Habitat & Wildlife

The Makgadikgadi Pans are not a mainstream safari destination. Together with the adjacent Nxai Pan, the Makgadikgadi Pans cover an area of nearly 5500 sq. miles. The pans, remnants of a huge inland sea, are largely void of vegetation except for a few areas of open grassland and isolated baobab islands. During the rains, from December to March, the pans fill up and attract large numbers of water birds including flamingos and pelicans. Great herds of wildebeest, gemsbok, springbok and zebra also gather, as do predators such as lion and cheetah who move in during this time of plenty. This is also the time that the zebra migration traverses the plains of the concession and is the second largest migration in African. Even the occasional elephant is seen passing through! However, once the dry season sets in, the water reliant species migrate to leave an empty wilderness with an eerie silence and only specialist species remain in the grassland and scrub bush that fringe the pans. Brown hyaena and meerkats are two of the key species of interest found within the Kalahari ecosystem, whilst others include ostrich, aardvark, aardwolf, spring hare, black-backed jackal, African wild cat and porcupine.

The recent introduction of pumped water holes on the local concession is supporting the resident wildlife and encouraging more game to remain in the area during the long dry season. In particular, elephants are being seen more regularly. However, it is a delicate balance and it will take a few years to discover what the carrying capacity of the area is during the dry season.

Activities

As San Camp only opens during the dry season activities include game drives (by day and night), bushman walks and exploring the pans by quad bike which is a key experience and often undertaken in the afternoon ending with sundowner drinks overlooking the pans. The guided walks are usually hosted by Bushman trackers who can show you how they survive in this harsh landscape, whilst night game drives are very productive and good for specialist species such as brown hyaena and aardvark) and the exploration of undocumented archaeological sites. A further highlight available throughout the year is a dawn visit to a local habituated meerkat colony where you can sit quietly and watch the meerkats at close range. Beware, they may use you as a lookout point!

Horse-back safaris are also available as a local activity, or for more experienced riders it is possible to arrange multi-day riding safaris across the pans.

For anyone really keen to explore the salt pans in depth by quad bike, camping excursions to a rocky outcrop in the middle of the pans known as Kubu Island may be arranged (this should be booked in advance and is only available during the dry season).

The most recent addition to the portfolio is a small helicopter which is available for hire to undertake scenic flights over the pans, the surrounding grasslands and to Kubu Island.

Seasons

San Camp is open during the dry season only from mid-April to mid-October.