Oct.

24

Uncharted Africa: San Camp

Once you’ve experienced a proper safari in one of South Africa’s game parks and you’re ready to up the ante with a truly unique desert safari experience, then Uncharted Africa’s San Camp, with its spectacular vistas and old world safari style and charm might be for you.

In my interview with Catherine Raphaely, we talked about her award winning safari camps in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana and her design process for the camps, so I thought you might like to see photos and get an idea of what a day might be like at San Camp.

San Camp is on the northeast edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans which are an enormous remnant of a superlake that use to cover most of South Africa. Some even believe that the salt pans may be the birthplace of humankind.

A day at San Camp starts when you wake up in the privacy of your own tent complete with ensuite bathroom.

And you might decide to take your coffee sitting on the deck as you search the vast grey and white surfaces for signs of life. Until you spot one of America’s most beloved creatures in Africa….

The infamous Meerkats! The cool mongoose emerge from their night’s slumber to enjoy a day of fun in the sun and may sit next to you or use your head as an elevated place to scout for a morning snack.

After a delicious breakfast, you may decide to spend the day with a Zu’hoasi Bushmen exploring the far reaches of the salt pans learning about plant life, animal behavior or how the Bushmen have adapted and survived in the desert for generations.

Along the walking journey you may spot exotic animals like the brown hyena which I can tell you from experience are mesmerizing to watch. These little guys may look cute and cuddly, but you have to respect their space and remember that they are a wild animal.

Or maybe a guide, some of which are geologists, archaeologists and anthropologists, may spend the day teaching you about the great history of the salt pans as you discover artifacts and other signs of previous life.

Another option is a day spent traveling to and learning about the third oldest tree in Africa, the famous Chapman’s baobab, which explorers used as a marker or guidepost when they first started traveling across the desert decades ago.

When the rain comes for a few months every year during wet season, you get the opportunity to witness clouds of flamingo, herds of wildebeest and thousands of zebra who come to drink from the gathering water.

After a day of exploration during dry season, you might decide to go duning with your buddies over the salt pans on specialized quad bikes!

As you ride across the salt pans you realize the desert landscape is vast and endless as far as the eye can see, just as nature intended.

After a quad ride, you can lie under the stars and watch the planetary light show unfold because seeing the stars in Africa is incredibly awe inspiring. Or you can take a seat and enjoy a sunset cocktail before you enjoy a beautifully prepared dinner after which you retire to your private tent to unwind and dream of tomorrow’s adventures in Africa.