Kalahari Plains Camp

Kalahari Plains Camp

Kalahari Plains Camp sits on the edge of an enormous pan, south-east of Deception Valley in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (also known as the CKGR), which offers some of Botswana’s best summer game viewing. It is one of just two camps in a reserve approximately the size of Switzerland, and the views from across the pan are exceptional. The camp was moved here from its original location in 2009, taking it away from the more accessible public roads in the reserve.

Kalahari Plains Camp is well situated close to the CKGR’s most famous area, Deception Valley. We loved the big gauze windows in the tented chalets and the sleep-out decks on the roofs. We were surprisingly impressed by the ‘behind the scenes tour’ and the camp’s eco-credentials. The guiding was good and we felt that the camp offers a relatively unexplored wilderness with the potential for great game sightings between about December and March. However, we’d be less enthusiastic when the park is drier, and the game less visible, between about June and November.

Geographics

• Location: Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana
• Ideal length of stay: Stay two nights during the largely dry season of April to November and three nights during the Kalahari’s most productive season, between about December and March.
• Directions: Access to Kalahari Plains Camp is usually by air. It is approximately a 1¼ -hour light-aircraft flight from Maun, followed by a 30-minute drive to the camp. Alternatively, the camp can be reached by 4WD on a self-drive itinerary but you still need to pre-book.
• Accessible by: Self-drive or Fly-and-Transfer

Health & Safety

• Malarial protection recommended: Yes
• Medical care: The manager and guides at camp are first aid qualified. Anyone with serious medical issues will usually be flown from camp to the nearest hospital for treatment.
• Dangerous animals: High Risk
• Security measures: Guests are escorted to their chalets after dark in case of animals wandering through the camp.
• Security measures: Guests are escorted to their chalets after dark in case of animals wandering through the camp.
• Fire safety: Fire extinguishers are situated outside each tent and the main area. Kalahari Plains Camp also has a ‘fire station’ with buckets, fire beaters and other equipment needed to help put out a fire.