Jack's is one of Africa's most storied and iconic camps and just one of three in a one million acre private wildlife reserve. It’s the only camp in Africa with a swimming pool tent - and a tea tent! There’s a blockbuster of activities including quad biking, horseback riding, bushman walks , traditional game drives and meerkat encounters with some of the best and most experienced guides in Botswana. Check out over 50,000 zebra and wildebeest as they migrate through the area from January to April. Year round wildlife includes zebra, wildebeest, springbok, steenbok, elephant, brown hyena, oryx, Kalahari lion and cheetah. The camp has one of the most comprehensive collections of ancient artifacts in Botswana, collected by the Bousfield family over decades.
Jack’s Camp pays homage to the much-loved 1940s campaign style offering nine guest tents, 7 twin tents (each with two extra length queen size beds) and 2 double tents (each with one extra length king size bed), all adorned with a classic East African safari feel. The iconic green canvas and muslin-draped walls are embellished with Persian and North African rugs, paraffin lamps, brass fittings, luxuriant textiles and mahogany campaign furniture.
There is a comfortable living area, with a sofa and day bed for relaxing on and the outer deck has a private plunge pool, with swing beds for exquisite views overlooking the Makgadikgadi Pans. You’ll discover Natural History Museum cabinets curated by Ralph Bousfield himself, an over-bed air-conditioning system to ward off the desert heat and an en-suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers.
Jack's Camp Double Tent
(2 ROOMS)
The 2 double tents are made up of 1 x extra length king sized bed which includes an overhead cooling system. As you walk into your 135sqm tent, you will be greeted by a beautiful lounge area, which leads out to your own private plunge pool. All tents include private indoor & outdoor showers, charging points and all tents offer 24 hour solar-powered electricity Max: 2 adults Children of all ages welcome
Jack's Camp Twin Tent
(7 ROOMS)
All 7 twin tents are made up of 2 x extra length queen sized beds which include an overhead cooling system. As you walk into your 135sqm tent, you will be greeted by a beautiful lounge area, which leads out to your own private plunge pool. All tents include private indoor & outdoor showers, charging points and all tents offer 24 hour solar-powered electricity Max: 2 adults Children of all ages welcome
The desert is never a place of abundance. But we’ve spent many years here (not quite as many as Jack, but a good number!) and it still surprises us. The Makgadikgadi is full of elusive species and desert-adapted animals and the perfect complement to Botswana’s traditionally game-rich areas, like the Khwai Private Reserve and the Okavango Delta.
The brown hyena is a symbol of what’s to come in the Makgadikgadi. There are only 8000 of these special hunters left in the world, and there aren’t many other places you’ll encounter one. Other carnivores that know how to eke out their survival here include aardwolves and bat-eared foxes, honey badgers and black-maned Kalahari lion. Then there’s aardvark, gemsbok, springbok and black-backed jackals to look out for on game drives, and perhaps even an elephant or two. And last, but definitely not least, the meerkats. We’ve been busy pioneering a meerkat habituation project with some of the world’s pre-eminent researchers. The cheeky creatures are still very wild, but they do enjoy coming to say hello.
Game Drives at Jack's Camp
Take game drives and night drives in custom built 4x4s to spot the unique desert wildlife that inhabit the pans, like the elusive brown hyena or Kalahari lion. Your experienced safari guide will help you discover a desert landscape, pulsating with life. Complete with bush picnics, morning coffees and chilled drinks.
Meet the Meerkats at Jack's Camp
Get up close and personal with our families of meerkats. Leaving camp as the sun begins to rise you will accompany these inquisitive members of the mongoose family as they set off in search of their breakfast. Walk amongst them (you're not allowed to touch or feed them) and if you take a seat you might be lucky enough to be mistaken for a termite mound, where you'll be used as a look out point for predators.
Jack's Camp Bushman Walk
Discover the secrets of the pans with the Zu/’hoasi Bushmen on a fascinating bush walk. See this ancient desert landscape through their eyes. These skilled hunter gatherers will show you how to survive, using their extraordinary tracking skills to uncover a smorgasbord of culinary delights... from bulbs, to scorpions, to berries. Spending time with them is a very rare privilege.
Jack's Camp Horse Riding
Saddle up to explore this wild, unspoilt area in the same way many of the earliest explorers, hunters and missionaries did – on horseback! You’ll embark on an adventurous outride (for all level riders). This is an exhilarating way to spot wildlife, cantering along the crusty salt flats and following the animal highways that bring life to the Makgadikgadi Pans. This is an additional cost.
Jack's Camp Quad Biking
This is pure desert adventure! Take an exhilarating quad bike across the salt-crusted pans (all pan activity is weather permitting). You’ll feel total freedom as you trek across this vast and ancient landscape, discovering so much about the remnants of this once super lake.
Fallen Baobab
A visit to the Fallen Baobab - one of the three largest and oldest trees in Africa and reputedly the campsite of Livingstone and Selous.
Zebra and Wildebeest Migration - Green Season
Witness the second largest migration in Africa. A stonking spectacle of black and white stripes as approximately 30,000 zebra and wildebeest migrate across the Makgadikgadi Pans, followed closely by stalking predators, waiting for the rich pickings of tired hooves. This is a wildlife explosion and an experience not to be missed!
Scenic Helicopter Flights
This really is an unforgettable experience. Enjoy a helicopter flight over the Makgadikgadi Pans, doors off (or on), to take in the vastness of this desert landscape. You’ll go in search of the zebra and flamingo migrations (if timed correctly), get dropped on an island of baobabs for lunch, do a bit of sunset sky surfing as you follow the palm tree linings and tell all your friends about it all when you get home. At an additional cost.
For more information on Jack's Camp, click HERE
Travelers planning an international vacation look to Botswana for its vast, scrub-covered savannah that is teeming with wildlife. This African destination brings visitors who want to view the majestic plains and their natural inhabitants, including zebra and wildebeest. Several National Parks offer great locations to view the landscape and experience the wonders of the Botswana environment. Vacationers in Botswana are thrilled and charmed by the sites. For volunteer vacationers and humanitarians packing for Botswana, there are many non-profit groups and service projects in the area that accept donations.
Many of the service projects in Botswana are focused on improving education in African communities. These groups work to provide underprivileged children with basic classroom supplies. Visitors can donate school supplies, including writing utensils and notebooks, to these groups. Other groups work to improve the physical and mental wellness of the communities; these groups work with at-risk and orphaned youth by providing education, counseling, food, and medical attention. Travelers interested in responsible tourism can donate medical supplies and clothing for children.
To find out more about these vital programs and to see what you should pack along on your trip, click HERE
Jack’s Private Camp was built for travelers who desire all of the above, but who are wanting the freedom to safari on their own terms. This is an under-canvas villa where privacy is the name of the game. You’ll be given a private guide and vehicle, dedicated chef and host and, like Jack, the freedom to explore the Makgadikgadi Pans in your own way.
Set apart from the main Jack’s Camp and away from other guests, it includes a central lounge and dining area with a separate kitchen and library, two expansive bedroom suites; each with a private deck and additional day bed, en-suite facilities with a central chaise lounge, two indoor showers, a brass bathtub and an outdoor shower. The villa faces out onto an expansive deck with a large swimming pool and endless views across the Makgadikgadi Pans.
Tailor-made to a tee, this is the ultimate safari experience. With no set schedules, dining at your own time and total privacy it is perfect for discerning multi-generational traveler, adventurous families, privately-guided small groups and those who are simply seeing a desert safari out of the spotlight.
