Jacks Camp (Makgadikgadi)

Jack’s Camp and Jack’s Private Camp are in the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. They offers stylish accommodations in iconic 1940’s style luxury canvas tents. They are ideal for honeymooners and family safaris. For those seeking exclusivity amid one of the world’s most remarkable desert landscapes.

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. Activities on offer include quad biking, horse riding, and game drives.

Jack’s Camp is part of the original Uncharted Africa Safari Company, which also includes San Camp and Camp Kalahari. Each one is 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:

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 Private Camp

This private retreat combines the signature style of Jack’s Camp with exclusivity and flexibility unmatched in this extraordinary corner of Africa. With a private guide, and full staff complement on hand to curate each day, guests at Jack’s Private Camp can expect a truly bespoke discovery of the otherworldly Makgadikgadi Pans.

Jack’s Private Camp is a 2 bedroom stand-alone under canvas villa facing out onto an expansive deck with a private swimming pool. Set apart from the main Jack’s Camp to ensure absolute privacy for guests. The central lounge and dining area is flanked by two expansive bedroom suites. Each offering a private veranda with endless views across the Makgadikgadi Pans. One bedroom features a king bed, while the other has two extra length queen size beds. Both bedrooms include an additional day bed and have over-bed cooling systems. Jack’s Private Camp can accommodate a maximum of 4 x adults and 2 x children.

Each bedroom offers indulgent en-suite facilities, with a central chaise lounge, two indoor showers and private outdoor shower. And after a day of desert adventure, settle in for a soak in the deep freestanding bath of shimmering brass.

Throughout Jack’s Private Camp the aesthetic pays tribute to the timeless charm and 1940’s campaign style that has long defined Jack’s Camp. Expect a colorful blend of unabashed majesty and casual luxury. From Persian and North African rugs to the shimmering abundance of brass, and luxuriant hand woven African textiles.

You’ll also find Jack’s Camp’s famous ‘cabinet of curiosities’ in your private abode. A mahogany cabinet filled with treasures of natural history drawn from the main museum hosted at Jack’s Camp.

Jack’s Camp Activities ↓

When you visit Jack’s Camp, you will be directly supporting many of the Natural Selection conservation initiatives.

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:
Premier: Jack’s Camp and Jack’s Private (exclusive-use), Tawana, North Island Okavango, Tuludi.
Classic: Duke’s Camp including Duke’s East, Mbamba, Sable Alley, San Camp.
Explorer: Elephant Pan,  Camp Kalahari, Little Sable, Meno a Kwena, Mokolwane, Skybeds or Expeditions Camp.
Adventure: Thamo Telele

Namibia:
Shipwreck Lodge*, Skeleton Coast,
Safarihoek Lodge, and Etosha Mountain Lodge in Etosha National Park,
Kwessi Dunes in Sossusvlei,
Nkasa Linyanti in Kavango-Zambezi Conservation Area (ex-Caprivi Strip),
Hoanib Elephant Camp, and Hoanib Valley Camp in Kaokoland.

*Long stay rates cannot be combined with any other special offers. They exclude Shipwreck Lodge*. However, any nights booked at this camp will qualify towards the minimum night stay.

NB: The single supplement is wavered between 10th January – 31st March and 1st October – 19th December.

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

Jack’s Private Camp is priced per unit per night, the above rates are based on 2 x adults and 2 x children, or 3 adults sharing. Any additional adults and/or children will be charged per the standard Jack’s Camp per person per night 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:

Special offers can be used at Natural Selection’s portfolio in Botswana and Namibia except where specified.

Tawana Complimentary Access*

Book 3 nights at Tawana in combination with a minimum of 3 nights at any other Natural Selection Botswana camp & receive complimentary flights between Tawana and Maun/the Delta/Linyanti.

Mokolwane Complimentary Access*

Book 3 nights at Mokolwane in combination with a minimum of 3 nights at any other Natural Selection Botswana camp & receive a complimentary arrival helicopter transfer (one way) from Maun/the Delta/Linyanti.

*Direct flights to/from the Makgadikgadi, Chobe and Kasane are excluded.

Honeymoon Offer:

One spouse receives 50% off the accommodation rate at Natural Selection camps. Botswana excludes Jack’s Private Camp, Planet Baobab and the Okavango Spirit (Northern Okavango Houseboat). Namibia excludes Etosha Safari House.
Offer is valid all year for an unlimited number of nights and will apply up to 12 months from the date of marriage.
Proof of marriage is required.

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