Botswana, AFRICA
Airing Date: Oct 18th, 2004
At the top of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana in Southern Africa are the Makgadikgadi Pans. These salt pans are nearly devoid of human habitation and are dry for most of the year, but during wet season they fill with water, attracting flocks of flamingo and other migratory birds as well as tens of thousands of wildebeest and zebra. A visit to the area is essential for anyone interested in evolution and the origins and explanation of Botswana's big picture.
Guests to the area can stay at Jack's Camp, located on the edge of the salt pans. Jack's Camp was founded by Jack Bousfield, a 'Great White Hunter' turned conservationist from Tanzania.
While on a trapping expedition in the Makgadikgadi Pans during the 1960s, Jack found a site that captured his imagination and led him to establish the first safari camp in this area. The choice of such striking locale owed much to his original taste for the remote beauty of Africa.
The camp is set up in the style of a 1940s safari camp. Guests stay in luxury tents, but in keeping with the environment there is no electricity, no phones or television. You can also take a look at some of the game that Jack hunted. He's even in the Guinness Book of Records for killing 53,000 crocodiles.
Each guest at the camp gets their own personal guide who will show them around. Guests can head out on a quad bike to take a look at the archaeological sites in the area.
There are also Zhu//wazi (often referred to as Kalahari Bushman) hunting shelters and sacred sites and the shorelines of Makgadikgadi are littered with archaeological relics.
It's also possible to visit the Zhu//wazi people. They have lived in the Kalahari for 80,000 years and are one of the world's oldest living cultures. Visitors can learn about tracking and hunting methods.
For groups of four or more on five night safaris, they offer the option of fly-camping by quad-bike to Kubu Island. Kubu Island is a fascinating granite island studded with baobabs growing from the pan floor, inhabited by pan salt miners until as recently as the 1950s.
The facts
South African Airways flies to Johannesburg. Prices start from $2028 ex Sydney and $1931 ex Perth. Includes taxes. Subject to exchange rates. Conditions apply.
Travelworld
Tel: 13 14 35
Air Botswana to flies Maun, Botswana. Prices start from $568 ex Johannesburg. Includes taxes. Subject to exchange rates. Conditions apply.
Air Botswana
Tel: 02 9244 2111
The African Travel Centre and The Classic Safari Company offer a four day package to Jack's Camp. Prices start from $2300 a person. This includes charter flights, meals, drinks, park fees and activities.
The Classic Safari Company
Tel: 1300 130 218
Suggested reading material: Lonely Planet
Prices correct at 18/10/04
