Jacks Camp (Makgadikgadi)

Jack’s Camp in Makgadikgadi Pans National Park offers stylish accommodations in iconic 1940’s style luxury canvas tents. Activities on offer include quad biking, horse riding, and also game drives. It is ideal for honeymooners and also family safaris are great. The new Jack’s Private Camp delivers an elevated level of exclusivity and flexibility. To create a personal space for families, groups of friends, or a privately guided small group. More details on Jack’s Private Camp to follow shortly.

Makgadikgadi Salt Pans in Botswana are the remnants of an enormous super lake. That used to cover most of Southern Africa. It’s a landscape of space and remoteness. The spectacular vistas, unique desert wildlife, and old world glamour of Jack’s Camp all come together. To create an experience that is unlike any other on the continent.

Jack’s Camp is part of the original Uncharted Africa Safari Company, which also includes San Camp and Camp Kalahari. Each one as quirky and eccentric as the next. Kept as authentic and real as possible. With no electricity, steaming water in gleaming copper jugs, and showers under the stars. These properties now fall under the Natural Selection Collection.

Skip to Jack’s Camp Accommodation Rates or Specials and Packages

Why You’ll Love Jack’s Camp:

• Jack’s is one of Africa’s most iconic camps with a classic style we all know and love.
• Enjoy the ultimate in space and exclusivity. The camp is one of only three in a one million acre private wildlife reserve.
• If you’re looking for adventure; then look no further! There’s a blockbuster of activities to be enjoyed. Including quad biking, bushman walks, classic desert game drives, meerkat visits, and horse rides.
• Jack’s Camp has one of the most comprehensive collections of ancient artifacts in Botswana.
• Indulge in a lazy afternoon in your private plunge pool watching the world go by with G&T in hand.
• Keep your eyes peeled for the year round desert wildlife. Brown hyena, oryx, Kalahari lion, and, after dark, aardvark, porcupine, honey badger, and bat-eared fox.

Accommodation at Jack’s Camp:

The new Jack’s Camp pays homage to the property’s enduring and much-loved 1940s style. The guest tents; seven twins and two doubles; are a whopping 270 square meters in size. 135 sq m inside, and 135 sq m outside. The iconic interiors have green canvas and muslin draped walls. Intricate textiles from all over the world, Natural History Museum cabinets, and an overhead bed cooling system. En suite bathrooms have both an indoor and outdoor shower and each veranda has a private plunge pool.

Jack’s Camp Activities ↓

Year Round activities:

Get up close and personal with habituated meerkats who like nothing more than to use guests as lookout points.
Discover the secrets of the pans with the Zu/’hoasi Bushmen on a fascinating bush walk. Gain insight into their incredible way of life, especially being in this rather harsh terrain.
Take game drives and night drives in custom built 4x4s and spot the unique desert wildlife that inhabits the pans.
Embark on an adventurous horseback safari beside herds of zebra or wildebeest. For all levels of riders; an additional charge applies. 1 x two hour safari is included if staying for three nights or longer. Multi-day riding safaris are also available for experienced riders; please contact us for more information.
Enjoy a spot of R&R with a spa treatment (additional charge).

Activities in the Dry Season (16th April until 31st October):
Take a radical sabbatical and quad bike across the salt-crusted pans; for an adventure to be remembered. We also offer a 2-night quad biking expedition at an additional charge. Please inquire with us for more details on the Quad Bike to Kubu Island Safari.
Lie out on the pans as the sun sets and watch the planetarium of stars unfold above you. The stars above start appearing in the sky at this time.

Activities in the Green Season (1st November until 15th April):
Witness the second largest migration of zebra and wildebeest in Africa. It’s also the last remaining migration in Southern Africa.

Safari:

The Makgadikgadi is the perfect complement to Botswana’s traditionally game-rich areas.

The rare brown hyena is found in Makgadikgadi. With only 8000 of these special hunters left in the world, there aren’t many other places you’ll encounter them. Other carnivores that know how to eke out their survival here include aardwolves and bat-eared foxes.  Plus honey badgers, and black-maned Kalahari lions. Then there are aardvarks, gemsbok, springbok, and black-backed jackals to look out for. And perhaps even an elephant or two. And last, but not least, the habituated meerkats. The cheeky creatures are still very wild, but they do enjoy coming to say hello.

During the green season; spectacular numbers of zebra and wildebeest migrate here. As well as spectacular flamingos in the rainy season (Best seen between March and April).

Cheetahs, wild dogs, and leopards are certainly present throughout the year.

Jack’s Camp Facilities

The mess tent is impressive. With the renowned Natural History Museum, library, antique pool table, and a well stocked drinks chest. There is an iconic nomadic Persian tea tent. The shop is stocked with treasures and there is a dedicated spa tent. The swimming pool pavilion is still the only one of its kind in Africa.

Best time to visit:

Jack’s Camp is a year-round destination; and yet; the two seasons couldn’t be more different.

The dry season; from April to October; is the desert as you know it. A shimmering whiteness envelops the scorched landscape. Like a mirage floating over the crusted salt, you’ll spot nomadic herds in the distance as if an illusion. This is the time of year for whizzing across the pans on the back of a quad bike. Or, sleeping under the stars, and enjoying the pans in their most iconic state.

When the rains start to fall in November; the Makgadikgadi Pans are transformed into watery grasslands. Almost unrecognizable from the previous months. A layer of emerald green grass stretches out in every direction. Flamingos and flocks of migratory birds arrive to nest. Not to mention Africa’s second largest mammal migration of wildebeest and zebra floods the plains. The green season in the desert is a magical time to visit. The safari activities are similar in these months although you usually won’t travel as far. On many days you can see the wildlife directly from your veranda. This green season continues until mid-April and corresponds with the off season for tourism in Botswana. Consequently, a slightly cheaper time to travel.

Family safaris at Jack’s Camp

Children up to 5 years old stay free of charge when sharing with adults.
For families with children between 6 – 18 years; kids pay 50% of the per person rate per night. When sharing with adults.
19 years and over are charged at the full adult rate.

Children of all ages may join the bushmen walks. 6 years & older may join quad bike expeditions. Children under 12 may not drive the quad bike.

Jack’s Camp Accommodation Rates

Stay longer at Natural Selection Camps in Botswana and Namibia to get discounted rates. These include:
Botswana:
Jack’s Camp, San Camp, Camp Kalahari, Meno a Kwena, Hyena Pan, Sable Alley, Skybeds, Little Sable, Tuludi, Mokolwane, Tawana, North Island Okavango, Thamo Telele, or Duke’s Camp including Duke’s East.

Namibia:
Safarihoek Lodge, Etosha Mountain Lodge, Kwessi Dunes, and Hoanib Valley Camp

It excludes Natural Selections Shipwreck Lodge

Rates Include:
Accommodation, all meals, beverages, guest laundry, daily activities, expert guiding, park entry fees, and VAT. All 3 or more night stays at Jack’s Camp will receive a complimentary 2 hour horse riding activity.
Rates Exclude:
Premium brand drinks, gratuities, flights, and fully comprehensive personal travel insurance. In addition, a Conservation, Community & Reserve Fee is charged per night.

Jack’s Private Camp Accommodation Rates

Guests may also make use of all Jack’s Camp facilities at their leisure.

Rates at Jack’s Private Camp also include a private vehicle and guide.

Jack’s Camp Accommodation Special Offers:

Botswana Premier Circuit Safari

Natural Selection Botswana Premier Camps are:
Tawana, Jack’s Camp, Tuludi & North Island Okavango

Combine at least 2 of the premier camps (spending 3 nights at each camp), and get a night free at each property. This means that if you choose to stay at all four of Natural Selections’ camps, you will get 4 complimentary nights on us!

This offer is valid for bookings made before 31st January 2025 for travel between now and 31st March 2026.
Based on the 1 – 5 night stay rates.
Transfers to camps are not included.

Mbamba Opening Special

Book 3 nights at Mbamba and a minimum of 3 nights at any other Natural Selection Botswana camp and get a complimentary night at Mbamba on us.

Book by 31st January 2025. Valid for travel until 31st December 2025 (all year, even peak season).

Mbamba only opens in April 2025.

Honeymoon Offer:

Partner stays for 50% off accommodation at Jack’s Camp in Makgadikgadi Pans. Valid all year for an unlimited number of nights. Honeymooners must produce proof of marriage at the time of booking (up to 12 months after the wedding).

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