Tau Pan Camp
Tau Pan is the first semi-permanent camp inside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and offers truly incredible views from the elevated ridge of an ancient sand dune, an unusual experience in a land as flat as Botswana, and overlooks the famous Tau Pan - recognised for its stark beauty and remoteness.
‘Tau’ which means lion in Setswana, is so named for the pride of iconic black-maned Kalahari lions who frequent the camp - with a particular preference for the family tent!
Species that can be found in the Kalahari include oryx, the desert-adapted springbok, jackals, the rare brown hyena, red-crested Korhaan and herds of wildebeest.
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve
The CKGR was established in 1961 by the British Government to protect the traditional way of life of the nomadic San Bushman tribes. The park covers an area of 52800 square kilometres and makes up an 11th of Botswana’s total land area making it the second largest game reserve in the world, the first being the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania covering 54 000 km2. The CKGR is a scrub desert with almost no surface water available.
Home to the famous “Kalahari Lions” the area has healthy populations of cheetah, brown hyena, gemsbok, springbok, giraffe, wildebeest, bat eared fox and the tenacious honey badger.
A landscape with endless horizons, the early evening air is dominated by the never ending calls of the Kalahari barking geckos.
Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
The Makgadikgadi zebra migration moves east away from the Boteti River into the huge open grasslands of the Makgadikgadi Pans after our first good rains. Our camp will be erected in the grasslands just north - west of the expansive Ntwetwe Pans or further north at Baines Baobabs or Nxai Pan.
The salt pans cover an area of over 16 000km2 in the Kalahari Basin and form the bed of the ancient Lake Makgadikgadi which evaporated millions of years ago.
Although Nxai Pan was once part of the great super lake, it is quite different to the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans as it boasts broad hectares of short sweet grasslands with occasional “islands” of trees. The rich grassland provides good grazing and attracts springbok, impala, gemsbok, giraffe, kudu, hartebeest, zebra, wildebeest, all followed by lions and hyena, as well as a wide array of birdlife. The grasslands of the Makgadikgadi hide small colonies of meerkats that have become habituated to people and provide a few hours of rewarding interaction. Baines Baobabs, a cluster of seven Baobab trees are located within the park. The Baobabs were painted by Thomas Baines when he passed through travelling with John Chapman in 1862.
Kalahari Migration Safari will run for Private Departure Groups only with a minimum of 4 guests.
Rack US$ 5220 per person sharing
Upon arriving in Maun – guests will be met by a Moremi Air representative who will check you in for your light aircraft transfer into Tau Pan Camp. On arrival at Tau Pan our guide will welcome you at the airstrip. After settling into your rooms, the afternoon will be spent on game drive discovering what makes the Kalahari so special. Dinner will be serviced in camp and then you can relax around the campfire and reflect on the day gone by.
After breakfast we depart on a nature walk before saying goodbye to Tau Pan Camp where we depart for the CKGR. Most of the scenery en-route to CKGR is cattle country and dry savannah bush. We will spend the next three nights in the CKGR. After approx. 2 hours driving from Tau Pan, the vegetation changes and small dry pans (open areas) appear and at then the land falls gradually away to Deception Valley. The valleys in the Kalahari are extinct river valleys that occurred millions of years ago and are now covered in short dry grass. After a little rainfall the grass turns green offering the wildlife much needed nutrition. We explore areas like Deception Valley, Passarge Valley, Sundays Pans and Letiahau. To get a better idea of this unique ecosystem we recommend you read “Cry of the Kalahari” by Mark and Delia Owens. A fiercely beautiful but hostile environment - the CKGR will creep into your soul and for many months after your visit you will yearn to return.
We pack and move camp east to the huge expansive grasslands of the Makgadikgadi Pans in search of the huge numbers of zebra (up to 25000 animals) that leave the Boteti river system and concentrate on the open grasslands in search of nutritious grasses to give birth to their young. Despite their numbers they can be elusive and we spend the next three nights in search of the herds and exploring this vast open landscape. A scenic flight by helicopter is included in the safari in search of the Zebra Migration.
Following our customary early morning breakfast and early game drive we say goodbye to our back up team and camp staff and drive back to Maun. You will arrive in Maun around noon in time for outbound flights or for your onward arrangements.
DISCLAIMER: Although we make every effort to adhere to the details of this itinerary and the listed activities, these are subject to change due to changing local conditions and factors outside of our control such as the weather and the condition of the roads, as well as availability. In the event of any necessary changes, we will always keep you informed.
Safari rates are subject to National Park fees increases imposed by the Botswana Government without prior notice.
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