Kalahari Plains Camp is situated in a remote part of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) and is set overlooking a huge pan. It offers some of the most exciting wildlife viewing opportunities in Botswana. A visit to the reserve should incorporate a larger tour that includes Makgadikgadi and Nxai National Parks, the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park or Victoria Falls. It can be reached by self-sufficient, self-drive tourists or by fly-in and transfer from Maun or Kasane airfields.

The main area of Kalahari Plains Camp is a long , narrow open-sided tent on an elevated wooden platform. Side panels can be rolled down to protect those inside against the elements if required. There is a dining area and well-stocked fridge at one end, and a comfortable lounge area with a seating area of chairs and low tables with a small reference library at the other. To the centre is a wood-top bar and stools, a popular meeting place for guests and guides to discuss the day's adventures and sightings. A couple of hammocks are strung up in nearby trees, and there is also a campfire, great for star-gazing with a night-cap.

Meals are taken in either indoor or outdoor dining areas. A buffet breakfast is served of cereals, fruit, yoghurt and tasty, freshly made muffins. Cooked options follow including eggs made to order, beans, sausage, bacon and tomato. A hearty brunch is available upon return from the morning activity, or for those on a full day game drive, a picnic of sandwiches, fruit and biscuits is taken with you.

Dinner is a group affair, eaten around a long table. A tasty onion soup accompanied by a freshly-baked bread roll is for starters, and a typical main course consists of a well-seasoned roast chicken, potato wedges, vegetables, and a simple salad. A mouth-watering dessert follows such as a custard slice. There are a good selection of beverages to compliment any meal.

Accommodation is in 10 spacious, walk-in tents, constructed on wooden platforms, each with a private deck to admire the surrounding Kalahari Plains Camp environment. They have a rustic style, each tent has zip-up doors, roll-up canvas windows, cosy twin or double beds, wooden shelving and hanging space, cotton robes, writing desk and fan.

A roll-up canvas flap leads through to the en-suite bathroom. Flush toilet, twin basins with mirror, and a large walk-in shower are standard. A double-layered canvas roof covers the tent and deck. The extra layer protects well against the strong Kalahari sun. The insulated canvas walls and airflow between the tent and the roof keep the interior relatively cool.

Solar energy provides power for the electricity and hot water in the camp.

Gemsbok, springbok, wildebeest, red hartebeest and steenbok. Predators include black-maned lion, leopard, brown hyena, black-backed jackal, caracal and a high concentration of cheetah. Meerkat (suricates), Cape fox, honey badger and many of the mongoose species can be observed.

Over 250 bird species have been recorded to date. They include herons, darters, storks, geese, eagles, vultures, hawks and cuckoos, to name but a few.

Activities centre around Deception Valley, Sunday Pan and Leopard Pan and are led by professional and knowledgeable guides.

Central Kalahari Lodges | Botswana

Game drives

Scheduled early morning and late afternoon game drives, the best time to view wildlife, are conducted in open-sided 4x4 vehicles.

Full day game drive

Enjoy a day out to Deception Valley and beyond, following game in their search for water and grasses, whist avoiding predators.

Bushman walks

The camp offers a 'Bushman Walk' accompanied by a couple of staff members who interpret their culture and traditions on the way, including info on the various Bushmen clans that have thrived in the area for centuries.

• Kalahari Plains Camp is generally recommended for children of 8 years and over.
• Although children aged 8 and above are welcome, the facilities at this desert camp are very simple, with no pool or games available to entertain youngsters between activities.