Tau Pan Camp

AREA & ACTIVITIES

Habitat & Wildlife
The Central Kalahari is an area of semi-desert, where trees, bushes and grass do exist within an otherwise hostile desert environment. This allows a variety of birds and animals to exist in the region, including the rare brown hyaena, lion, cheetah, leopard, wild dog, giraffe, oryx, red hartebeest, eland, kudu, wildebeest, springbok, steenbok, black-backed jackal, meerkat, ostrich and a variety of smaller game including the nocturnal species such as aardwolf, honey badger, bat-eared foxes, serval, caracal, porcupine, African wild cat and genet. There are no elephant, hippo, buffalo or rhino in the region (very occasionally an elephant wanders through, looking a bit out of place). The region is best visited during and just after the ‘green’ season from November to April, when game congregates on the various open ‘pans’ within the reserve. During the dry season, the landscape is harsher and game is more spread out throughout the reserve (especially the late dry season from August to October). However there is a ‘pumped’ waterhole in front of camp which attracts wildlife.

Tau Pan Camp is built on a ridge in the heart of the reserve. Game viewing in the immediate vicinity around camp is very good and the lions are usually the main focus (they often come through camp). Further afield there are numerous pans that can be visited.

Activities
Activities focus around game drives (by day only), though a short guided walk is also available from camp with the emphasis on learning about bushman skills and the culture that is key to their identity. The trackers that conduct the activity are from the San bushman tribe and the older trackers have lived the earlier part of their life nomadically in the Kalahari. A longer day trip exploring various other pans in the park, possibly including the famous Deception Valley, is usually possible for guests staying 3 or 4 nights. It is also possible to sleep under the stars on Tau Pan Camp’s sleep out deck which is offered on a first come first served basis (although pre booking is possible for those staying at the camp for three nights or more).

Seasons
Tau Pan is closed in July each year and in contrast to most of the rest of Africa, game viewing is best during the rainy season from late November through to early April. At this time the game avoids the thicker bush and congregates in the more open areas where they feel safer and there is plentiful grazing. During the dry season when the landscape is more barren, game spreads out.