Central Kalahari, Botswana

Surprisingly the Central Kalahari Game Reserve was not founded to conserve the wild animals, but to protect an endangered human culture, the San (or Bushmen). This desert environment is their natural habitat and your visit and interaction with these unique people will be something very unusual. They have been nomadic residents in and around this area for thousands of years and they now live in settlements.

The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is characterised by vast open plains, saltpans and ancient riverbeds. Located in the Kalahari Desert in the central part of Botswana, this reserve is the largest conservation area in Botswana and at 5 million hectares, the second largest in the world. The tented Kalahari Plains Camp and the oasis of Deception Valley Lodge are our recommended luxury accommodation options.

Contact us and we'll make sure you get the most out this remote and fascinasting region. 

Also known as the San people, the Kalahari Bushmen live in one of the most inhospitable places in the world. They survive by hunting wild game and digging for roots. The film, 'The Gods Must Be Crazy', created international awareness for their click language. One of the  oldest cultures in the world, their beautiful rock art can be seen at numerous sights in Southern Africa. Today the communities are threatened by modern development. 

The best time is April to October, when the days are sunny and warm. Evening temperatures drop sharply to as low as 5'C. During the summer months from November - March, temperatures can rise to over 40'C. During the summer rains, grasses on the pans and riverbeds such as Deception Valley attract plains game and predators. In the dry winter months game viewing is still good as the animals move into the vegetated dunes and pan systems surrounding the valleys.

A tented camp in a remote area of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Kalahari Plains Camps is situated on a low sandy ridge on the edge of a Kalahari pan. 10 en suite tents overlook grasslands and dunes of the game reserve. There are many antelope species and large predators on either the grassy plains, seasonal pans and scrub-covered dunes. In the dry winter months (April to October) game viewing in the camp is excellent as the animals move into the isolated area.

An oasis in the harsh desert landscape, Deception Valley Lodge offers a unique Kalahari experience. Interact with local Bushmen and learn about the lives of these nomadic desert dwellers. You will learn how they adapt to survive in this harsh environment; they will also show you their hunting skills. Star gazing at night is spectacular at Deception Valley Lodge. You can also hear nocturnal calls of the wild. All luxury suites, including family suites, have private decks to gaze out over the Kalahari vistas.