Jack’s Camp

This isn’t a place to see the Big Five, other than the desert lion; game viewing is about appreciating the environment. However, Jack’s offers compelling desert fauna – including black-maned desert lion, brown hyena, ostrich, families of habituated meercat, and at night, aardvark and the rare aardwolf.

In the desert, everything happens at night. You need three days at least to go to a Bushman walk (and if you’re lucky to time it right, a Bushman trans-dance), take in the stars over dinner (lamplight dinners can be arranged in the desert), and go out on a nocturnal game safari.

Zu’hoasi bushmen take guests for guided walks into the desert to learn about medicinal use of plants, firemaking and animal-trapping. Jack’s employs guides to sit with meercat colonies so they’re habituated. Guests can sit with them, follow them hunting, and be photographed with them sitting on their heads.

There’s quad-biking, which is great fun. It’s the easiest place to learn, with no roads, no other cars, and just a desert to explore. Trips last about 3 hours, but adventures up to a week-long can be arranged.

For quad biking and walking, go from April to October when the salt pans are dry. Twitchers should visit from November to March when the salt pans are flooded – and teeming with birdlife.

Children of all ages are welcome, but families with kids under 10 are required to book a private game vehicle. Children can interact with Bushman families in the local village and learn games.

The meercat visits are always a favourite with children, as the creatures can sometimes be tempted onto their heads!

It’s a one-hour flight from Maun (which is a two-hour international flight from Johannesburg). They’ll pick you up from the airport.