San Camp
Highlights
- Total isolation
- Bushmen guides
- Rare game
- Family friendly
Speak to someone who's been there
Start planning your tailor-made trip by calling one of our specialists on 855 686 7694
Enquire
Highlights
- Total isolation
- Bushmen guides
- Rare game
- Family friendly
Start planning your tailor-made trip by calling one of our specialists on 855 686 7694
Enquire
If you have ever looked up into a clear blue sky and been struck by a serene sense of the sublime in its encompassing emptiness, then you will want to experience San Camp. Located on the brink of the endless vistas of Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, the stylistically minimalist Camp is characterised by its neo-colonial white tents, its family-friendly feel, and by its peacefulness.
San Camp is the personification of elegance in simplicity. Plated food served in the large mess tent mirrors the camp's unadorned surroundings. The Camp is comfortable, clean, and calm. The purpose? To clear the mind. Helping facilitate this are the spacious tents looking out across the vast expanse of the Salt Pans, the cool cotton bed sheets and feather bedding, and, of course, the tea and yoga pavilions, which are designed in every way to accommodate guests that like to relax.
Run mostly on solar energy, with no more than lamps for light and each other for warmth, guests are immersed in a by-gone colonial age. The Camp’s time-travel experience is complimented by its expeditious activities: trips into the heart of the Makgadikgadi on quad bikes, morning walks, and game drives, are led by guides who work alongside small groups of Zu/’hoasi Bushmen to make for an insightful journey. Of course, going back to basics is not for everyone: the Camp has limited electricity and water, and often the only sounds you hear are nearby footsteps or far-off rustles from animals enjoying the Salt Pan.
What the Camp lacks in big game-seeking opportunities, it makes up for with the fact that guests are able to see and be close to habituated meerkats and rare brown hyenas, which are the focus of a project in the San Camp area to protect the vulnerable species. This provides guests with a great opportunity to observe vital conservation efforts first-hand.
San Camp is part of the renowned Unchartered Africa portfolio of remote camps along with Camp Kalahari and Jack's Camp. Like its sister camps, San Camp is very accommodating towards families. Children of all ages are welcome although families with under8s will need to take a private vehicle and guide at extra cost. Children are able to do all the activities, such as quad-biking and visiting the Camp’s natural history museum. However, those under 12 years of age will have to share a quad bike with an adult driver whilst children 12 years and older are allowed to drive a quad bike but only at the Guide / Camp Manager discretion. Children using the swimming pool must be accompanied by an adult. There are no family tents, a family of three can share one tent with a bed roll for the child, whilst a family of four will have to split across two tents with one parent in each tent.
San Camp's uniqueness comes from its remoteness. It feels exclusive because only 12 guests are accommodated at any one time. San Camp’s intimacy comes from its relative emptiness, and thus it stands as a fantastic attraction for couples and families that want to simply get away from it all.
We had a great time - even with the flight between Governors and the coast being two flights and a car! We also experienced a power cut At Nairobi airport on the way home so 2+ hours late taking off. Governors. Wonderful people and dealt with the flight delay very well - taking us back and letting us know that we could stay there if the flight was delayed overnight. The game drives were excellent and our guide (Erick) obviously very experienced and managed to find all the key animals - no rhino in that part of the Masai Mara but everything else in abundance - never seen so many herbivores (many many elephants as well as all the others) as well as two prides of lions. Could not have asked for more. The ‘tent’ was excellent and comfortable and well serviced. The only ‘complaint’ would be that the food - especially dinner - could be improved (I think we got a bit bored of soup as a starter for every meal bar one) and the main courses were not at the same level as Kinondo Kwetu and while all were explained there was no choice offered. The breakfasts were just what was needed after an early game drive. Kinondo Kwetu. What a great location and the welcome when we arrived at just gone 11.00pm was better than you could have ever thought possible - they we’re disappointed that we did not at that time want the full dinner experience! The rooms we’re comfortable. The food was excellent but again no choice was offered - other than for allergy reasons (which we do not have). May be some choice would be nice. Having said that the food we did have was excellent as were the wines (albeit a short list!) and other drinks. There were (as you know) lots of facilities/sports options - but we spent our time relaxing which was exactly what we needed and there were lots of places to do that. Overall. We would go back to both places - perhaps a few more nights at Kinondo Kwetu next time but 3 nights at Governors was perfect for us. Thank you for organising and recommending both places. That you and your colleague for trying to find out about the plane (flat tyre) but communication by the flight company left a lot to be desired (Governors were furious that they were not told and had taken us to the airstrip). Phil
Philip R
reviewing Masai Mara Safari & Kenya Beach
on 01 September 2023
It was certainly a holiday of a lifetime for us and we loved every minute!! The standard and location of each accommodation was excellent, as was the variety of each different accommodation type. Our schedule was perfect and we managed to achieve everything on our to-do task list. Your documents were also really helpful, as were the driving directions. We all thank you for making this such a wonderful holiday. Happy to leave a review publicly if you point me the right way. Best Steve
Stephen H
reviewing Classic Garden Route & Eastern Cape Safari
on 01 September 2023
Hi Lisa, Thanks for your email! It was amazing thank you! We had the best time, everything ran smoothly (aside from a break-down due to faulty clutch on day 1 of the tour, but our guide / driver sorted that and we were back on track by that evening). Saw all the things we wanted to see, even a mum and cub cheetah. Our boys have had such a different holiday and a fab taste of the world! Thank you so much for organising this for us. We’d definitely recommend our guide/driver (Tuhafeni) and assistant (Frans) again. Nicola
Nicola T
reviewing Highlights of Namibia - Family Group Tour
on 18 August 2023
We had a great time - even with the flight between Governors and the coast being two flights and a car! We also experienced a power cut At Nairobi airport on the way home so 2+ hours late taking off. Governors. Wonderful people and dealt with the flight delay very well - taking us back and letting us know that we could stay there if the flight was delayed overnight. The game drives were excellent and our guide (Erick) obviously very experienced and managed to find all the key animals - no rhino in that part of the Masai Mara but everything else in abundance - never seen so many herbivores (many many elephants as well as all the others) as well as two prides of lions. Could not have asked for more. The ‘tent’ was excellent and comfortable and well serviced. The only ‘complaint’ would be that the food - especially dinner - could be improved (I think we got a bit bored of soup as a starter for every meal bar one) and the main courses were not at the same level as Kinondo Kwetu and while all were explained there was no choice offered. The breakfasts were just what was needed after an early game drive. Kinondo Kwetu. What a great location and the welcome when we arrived at just gone 11.00pm was better than you could have ever thought possible - they we’re disappointed that we did not at that time want the full dinner experience! The rooms we’re comfortable. The food was excellent but again no choice was offered - other than for allergy reasons (which we do not have). May be some choice would be nice. Having said that the food we did have was excellent as were the wines (albeit a short list!) and other drinks. There were (as you know) lots of facilities/sports options - but we spent our time relaxing which was exactly what we needed and there were lots of places to do that. Overall. We would go back to both places - perhaps a few more nights at Kinondo Kwetu next time but 3 nights at Governors was perfect for us. Thank you for organising and recommending both places. That you and your colleague for trying to find out about the plane (flat tyre) but communication by the flight company left a lot to be desired (Governors were furious that they were not told and had taken us to the airstrip). Phil
Philip R
reviewing Masai Mara Safari & Kenya Beach
on 01 September 2023
It was certainly a holiday of a lifetime for us and we loved every minute!! The standard and location of each accommodation was excellent, as was the variety of each different accommodation type. Our schedule was perfect and we managed to achieve everything on our to-do task list. Your documents were also really helpful, as were the driving directions. We all thank you for making this such a wonderful holiday. Happy to leave a review publicly if you point me the right way. Best Steve
Stephen H
reviewing Classic Garden Route & Eastern Cape Safari
on 01 September 2023
Hi Lisa, Thanks for your email! It was amazing thank you! We had the best time, everything ran smoothly (aside from a break-down due to faulty clutch on day 1 of the tour, but our guide / driver sorted that and we were back on track by that evening). Saw all the things we wanted to see, even a mum and cub cheetah. Our boys have had such a different holiday and a fab taste of the world! Thank you so much for organising this for us. We’d definitely recommend our guide/driver (Tuhafeni) and assistant (Frans) again. Nicola
Nicola T
reviewing Highlights of Namibia - Family Group Tour
on 18 August 2023
We had a fantastic time. Thank you for all your help, advice and guidance in organising our holiday. As this was not our first booking with Tourdust we were confident that all our transfers would work perfectly and they did - everything ran so smoothly! The riad in Marrakesh was stunning - a truly beautiful oasis of calm in such a busy, bustling city. As you can imagine, we were very grateful for the air conditioning in our room as outside was so hot! I was nervous about walking through the souks at night, but as they were well lit we felt perfectly safe and found our confidence grew in navigating the journey home each time we ventured out. When we arrived at our lodge in the Atlas Mountains we were blown away by the scenery. The views were amazing and the beautiful lodge gardens were the perfect place to sit and relax before taking a dip in the pool. Our day trek was truly amazing - no small thanks to our guide Rashid, who was so helpful and knowledgable. The lunch in the traditional Berber village was delicious and we were were made to feel so welcome. The home owner showed us how to make bread and then cooked it for us in her traditional clay oven. This was a memory we will never forget as we stood surrounded by her chickens and goats watching her use her bare hands to prepare the fire! Our night in the desert was breathtaking. The camel ride at sunset was so incredible and the quad biking the next morning was brilliant fun. I am so glad we added in these extras as they really made the experience! We finally made it to our hotel at the coast, where the surf lessons were a hit and the hotel was a great place to relax and read! Thank you again for all your help. We would definitely recommend Tourdust to all our friends and family. Tanya
Tanya G
reviewing Marrakech, Mountains & Coast Family Holiday
on 18 August 2023
We are back home safe after a wonderful trip. Having booked with you before, it was not a surprise that everything worked brilliantly, but this trip was really special. Our trekking in the mountains was incredible - we were well looked after and supported at all times. Mohammed met us when we arrived and our guide for the 3 days was great and provided support when the trekking was tough. We were really impressed with the cooking which was tasty and healthy. All the logistics worked well. Our time at les deux tours was lovely. To finish there after the mountains was amazing. We were really impressed by the attentive service and the place and pool suites you booked were beautiful and amazing. We would love to go back. Thank you for organising such a great trip for us. And yes thank you, we are all good if a little tired! Best wishes Lucy and Mark
Mark C
reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal
on 11 August 2023
Dear Lisa, We are now back home and had a fantastic time. All the arrangements went seamlessly, transport and hotels were great. Laikipia was amazing, a very personal experience and they did all they could to accommodate everything we wanted to do. The river location was fantastic and ideal for the children as they got to swim in it. It is somewhere we would all like to return to. There might not have been the numbers that you get on the Masai Mara however we got to see lions with cubs, two black leopards, a golden leopard and the wild dogs as well as a huge number of other animals and birds. Thank you for suggesting to stay for 4 nights, it was just the right amount of time. The tamarin Hotel was a good choice as we were able to eat at the Carnivore restaurant which was an experience. Mauritius was lovely and relaxing, just what we needed after a very active time in Laikipia. Accommodation and service was great. Weather was good for most of the time, a few showers over the last couple of days. Thank you once again for organising it all. Sally
Sally M
reviewing Laikipia Wilderness and Plains
on 11 August 2023
Hi Lisa, We had a wonderful time, thank you. Sidi Kaouki is the perfect retreat from the chaos of life. We all said it was our favourite trip to Morocco, even though it's our third visit. We are already thinking of returning at Xmas. Next time we will fly to Essaouira though, because the hike to Marrakech is too long to be comfortable when we could fly to a place 20 mins away. Thanks for all your help! Alex
alex c
reviewing Family surf holiday in Morocco
on 16 July 2023
Yes everything went incredibly smoothly , excellent guide and set up u have . I might need a new pair of calves though !!! Thanks for sorting ALL the changes out. Regards Charlie
charles b
reviewing 6 Day Toubkal Circuit
on 03 May 2023
Hi Lisa, We had a fabulous time thank you. The accommodation and other ideation were all terrific - that’s so much for your help. The apartment in Cape Town was particularly good - we would never have found that: Boschendal was great as well and game lodge was superb. Thanks again, Alistair
Alistair A
reviewing Cape Town, Garden Route and Kruger
on 28 April 2023
Dear Lisa
Well, we are back and still buzzing. We have had a marvellous time. The weather helped. We left Manchester in the snow and arrived in Marrakesh at 30 degrees. We were well looked after in the Riad. I'm glad we booked a meal for the first evening - ate it on the roof terrace. We can recommend that. It was delicious. We ate at the Foundouk, as per your recommendation and on the following night we ate at Le Jardin - got lost on the way to it!. We can really recommend Le Jardin.
The following day we went to Majorelle gardens. Fortunately we had looked it up before we travelled because you have to book in advance online only from Jan 2023. We found our own way to the Medera Ben Yousef and Latifa took us to Bahia Palace - both were stunning.
The following morning our lovely taxi driver Mohammond collected us to go to the EcoLodge. Yet another Mohammond made us very welcome. Again we ate well! You were right, the pool was freezing, but I can't sit next to water and not get in. Once you're in you forget how cold it is! I wasn't the only person to try the pool.
Rashid, our guide for our walk collected us. He was brilliant. It was hard work, but worth it. I was determined I would make it. Kevin is fitter than me! The Berber family were lovely. We stopped when we were nearly there to see how rag rugs were made. When we got back Rashid and Mohammond confessed that Mohammond had said to Rashid that he should get us to a road if we got too tired and they would send a taxi (or a mule!) to collect us - or me, but Rashid was sure that I'd be OK. He was right. I think they wondered about these 2 70+ year olds. We can't praise Rashid enough. He had walked over from Imlil in the morning and was going to walk back after he left us.
Thank you so much for putting our holiday together. We never thought it would be 3 years before we went. We are so glad we persevered. We did wonder what we had let ourselves in for as 2 oldies!
Fiona and Kevin
Fiona B
reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains
on 21 April 2023
