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Jack’s Private Camp

Start Planning Your Safari

LOCATION:

Makgadikgadi Salt Pans

NUMBER OF ROOMS:

Private Tent - 2 Bedrooms

PRICE FROM:

US$ 6,630 - $11,065

DATES OPEN:

Open Year Round

Start Planning Your Safari

LOCATION:

Makgadikgadi Salt Pans

NUMBER OF ROOMS:

Private Tent - 2 Bedrooms

PRICE FROM:

US$ 6,630 - $11,065

DATES OPEN:

Open Year Round

Enjoy the ultimate in space and exclusivity.

In an enigmatic landscape of perfect silence, discover a haven of peace, privacy and desert opulence.

Jack’s Private Camp promises a new interpretation of an iconic experience in the world of luxury African safaris. This private retreat combines the signature style of Jack’s Camp with exclusivity and flexibility unmatched in this extraordinary corner of Africa.

Created to cater for the unique demands of discerning multi-generational travellers, adventurous families, privately-guided small groups – and those simply seeking a desert safari out of the spotlight – Jack’s Private Camp offers an oasis of exclusivity amid one of the world’s most remarkable desert landscapes.

With a private guide, and full staff complement on hand to curate each day, guests at Jack’s Private Camp can expect a truly bespoke discovery of the otherworldly Makgadikgadi Pans.

Check Availability and Book

Why You’ll Love Jack’s Private Camp:

  • A blend of safari opulence and considered luxury, where vintage charm meets contemporary comfort. This is unreal style in a world of desert adventure.
  • A safari escape curated for you. A dedicated chef, host and guide team allow each day to be shaped to create your perfect wilderness escape.
  • Conceived for travellers seeking perfect privacy and a personal safari experience.
  • Private guides, personally trained by safari icon Ralph Bousfield, are skilled at bringing the remarkable Makgadikgadi Pans to life.
  • Captivating activities. Spend a quiet morning immersed in meerkat lore, ride out on a quad-bike adventure, or charter a chopper for remarkable Makgadikgadi vistas.
  • Desert picnic or al fresco barbecue? Wine pairing dinner, or family-friendly pizza night? This is dining by design - and the choice is entirely yours!
  • A multi-faceted villa space. Designed for families and small groups, blending communal living with spacious private havens.

We recommend booking Jack’s Private Camp as part of a complete Natural Selection safari, but if you want to book it separately or just check availability, click here to select dates and book.

Interested in learning more about the prices? View Rates

Explore Jack's Private Camp

Jack’s Private Camp Gallery

Jack’s Private Camp Accommodations

Jack’s Private Camp is a stand-alone under-canvas villa, set apart from the main Jack’s Camp to ensure absolute privacy for guests.

The central lounge and dining area is flanked by two expansive bedroom suites; each offering a private veranda with endless views across the Makgadikgadi Pans. One bedroom features a king-size bed, while the other has two extra-length queen size beds. Both bedrooms include an additional day bed.

Each bedroom offers indulgent en-suite facilities, with a central chaise lounge, two indoor showers and private outdoor shower. And after a day of desert adventure, settle in for a soak in the deep freestanding bath of shimmering brass.

The central area includes a lounge, dining and library space, facing out onto an expansive deck with a private swimming pool.

Throughout Jack’s Private Camp the aesthetic pays tribute to the timeless charm and 1940’s campaign style that has long defined Jack’s Camp. Expect a colourful blend of unabashed majesty and casual luxury, from Persian and North African rugs to the shimmering abundance of brass, and luxuriant hand-woven African textiles.

You’ll also find Jack’s Camp’s famous ‘cabinet of curiosities’ in your private abode; a mahogany cabinet filled with treasures of natural history drawn from the main museum hosted at Jack’s Camp.

 

 

Amenities & Services

  • Over-bed air conditioning system
  • Wi-Fi available: Yes
  • Hairdryer: Yes
  • 24-hour electricity supply (100% solar-powered)
  • Complimentary laundry service
  • Private guide and vehicle included
  • Dedicated chef and host
  • Private kitchen
  • Spa treatments available. At an additional cost

Jack’s Private Camp - Shape Your Own Safari

A safari at Jack’s Private Camp will always be a one-of-a-kind experience. Here you’ll shape your stay to your own rhythm, from when and where you dine, to what time you head out on safari. With a private guide and vehicle on hand there are no set schedules. This is a tailor-made safari at its finest.

While your private guide will suggest ways to spend your days amid the remarkable Kalahari landscape of the Makgadikgadi Pans, the hours are yours to fill as you choose.

Activities: Year-round

  • Enjoy a close-up encounter with resident families of habituated meerkats.
  • Discover the secrets of the Pans on a fascinating wilderness walk in the company of local Zu/’hoasi San tribesmen.
  • Set out on morning/afternoon game drives – and night drives – in custom-built 4x4s to seek out unique desert-adapted wildlife. Highlights include the elusive brown hyena and majestic Kalahari lion.
  • Charter a helicopter for thrilling aerial views of the Pans.
  • Saddle up for adventurous horseback rides.
  • Enjoy unique sundowners to admire the sunset across the Makgadikgadi Pans.

Activities: Dry Season (1 April – 31 October)

  • Set out on an exhilarating quad-bike adventure across the salt-crusted Pans (weather and conditions permitting).
  • Venture onto the Pans at nightfall to admire the sweep of southern star constellations.
  • Hunt for ancient stone tools in the salt flats of the Sowa Pan.

Activities: Green Season (1 November – 31 March)

  • Witness the second-largest migration of zebra and wildebeest in Africa.
  • Remarkable birding as the landscape turns green with the summer rains.
  • Indulge your flamingo fascination, as migrating flocks take to the Pans from late January.

Activities: In Camp (Year-round)

  • Relax on your private deck, admiring the views of the Makgadikgadi Pans.
  • Indulge in a wellness therapy in the privacy of your tent.
  • Explore the main Jack’s Camp at leisure.
  • Enjoy a swim in the famous Jack’s Camp pool pavilion.
  • Relax with afternoon tea in the iconic Persian tea tent.
  • Explore the Jack’s Camp Natural History Museum and its ‘cabinets of curiosities’ filled with archaeological and natural treasures.

Jack’s Private Camp Story

In the 1960s, crocodile catcher and legendary hunter Jack Bousfield set out on a trapping expedition in the desolate Makgadikgadi Pans. He soon stumbled upon a site that so captured his imagination that he set up a camp in that very spot, with the unshakeable expectation that others would feel the same… That was the first incarnation of Jack’s Camp, a simple, no frills affair in the heart of the desert, visited by guests as much to see Jack as the otherworldly area.

Fast-forward a few years to Jack’s untimely death in 1992, and Ralph, Jack’s son, established the Uncharted Africa Safari Company in homage to his father’s vision. Jack’s Camp was refurbished in the nostalgic 1940s style we know today, but kept as authentic and genuine as possible, guaranteeing every guest ‘Real Adventure in Unreal Style.’ Jack would be proud.

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