Kalahari Plains CampKalahari Plains Camp is located in the famous Deception Valley region of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, an apparently boundless 12 million acre wilderness sanctuary in the heart of Botswana. During the Southern Hemisphere summer months of December through April the valleys and pans around Deception Valley explode with a carpet of nutritious grass that attracts an abundance of wildlife.
The landscape of the Deception Valley area is dominated by large, vegetated dunes interspersed with low-lying plains that are, geologically, the fossilized remains of ancient riverbeds and lakes. These plains feature nutrient and clay rich sedimentary soils that trap water and facilitate the growth of lush, highly palatable grasses after the season's first rains. The desert literally transforms from hard baked earth to a verdant and fecund paradise. Game moves into the area in considerable numbers, and the mystique and beauty of the Kalahari is supplemented by a spectacular procession of wildlife.
The camp itself is situated on a low sandy ridge fringing a grassy Kalahari pan, with panoramic views. The camp is classic in style, with olive green canvas tenting and smooth wooden decks. Easy armchairs, a well-stocked library and traditional African textiles contribute to the old-world safari ambiance. In keeping with the camp's commitment to conservation, solar power provides ample electricity and hot water, and the innovative insulated canvas walls and roof maintain comfortable ambient temperatures.
Each of Kalahari Plains' ten tented rooms are spacious and airy, with screened walls and eight foot ceilings. All the necessary amenities have been catered for, from the crisp cotton bedding with plenty of pillows, to a wardrobe, to a well-lit writing desk. A private balcony with comfortable chairs is the perfect place to while away your siesta-time with a cool drink and binoculars, intimately surrounded by the wildness of the African bush. Each tent also boasts a rooftop sleep-out deck from which to enjoy star-studded nights.
Morning and afternoon game drives in open-sided 4x4 vehicles are the core activities at Kalahari Plains Camp. The most obvious attraction is the abundant wildlife - literally thousands of springbuck, oryx, and wildebeest, as well as various other plains game species flock to Deception Valley to graze the nutritiouss grass and give birth to their young. They are followed by spectacular black-maned Kalahari lions, sleek cheetah, and various smaller predators (including brown hyena, jackal, and bat eared fox), setting the scene for an epic life and death drama.
But there are also more subtle highlights - phenomenal raptor viewing, special desert species like the charismatic meerkat, and expansive sunsets that reflect the scale and timelessness of the vast Kalahari. Another notable feature of the Central Kalahari is that many of the predominant species that inhabit the Reserve are either absent from or very rare in Botswana's other major safari destinations.
Kalahari Plains Camp is an ideal base from which to explore the valleys and pans that constitute the famous Deception Valley ecosystem. Located inside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, a short drive from Deception Valley itself, the camp provides easy access to the Reserve's focal point. Furthermore, the landscape, vegetation, and wildlife species of the Central Kalahari are very different from the Okavango Delta and Chobe/Linyanti ecosystems, making this the perfect destination to round out a comprehensive Botswana safari.
Conservation DimensionKalahari Plains Camp is involved with several academic initiatives to gain knowledge about the Central Kalahari’s fragile ecosystem and guides at Kalahari Plains Camp work closely with the Central Kalahari Wild Dog Project and the Okavango Kalahari Wild Dog Research Project, which track and analyze the behavior of several endangered wild dog packs in the Central Kalahari. Through these comprehensive studies, it is hoped that great strides will be made toward the conservation of this endangered species and others.
For more information about Kalahari Plains Camp call toll-free: 888.227.8311 or email us for Information | | Share |
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