Tau Pan Camp

Tau Pan Camp has eight standard suites and one family suite, all built under thatch and designed for the Kalahari climate. Each suite is positioned for privacy and enjoys views across the surrounding landscape from a private deck.

Facilities include a swimming pool, firepit area and small safari shop. The atmosphere is informal, and many guests spend time between activities watching wildlife around the waterhole below camp or enjoying the views from the main deck.

Meals follow the rhythm of the safari day. Guests enjoy an early breakfast before activities, brunch on return, afternoon tea and dinner in the evening. Dining is usually communal, with guests and guides sharing a long table.

The Central Kalahari offers a very different environment to the Okavango Delta. Open plains, fossil river valleys and seasonal pans define the landscape.

Guests usually arrive by light aircraft into Tau Pan airstrip, followed by a road transfer of approximately 15 minutes to camp. Flights take around 55 minutes from Maun.

Game drives are the primary activity and explore the surrounding pans, valleys and open Kalahari landscape. Longer outings may include visits to Deception Valley. Vehicles are limited to six guests, ensuring everyone has a window seat.

San-guided walks take place in the area around camp and focus on tracking, plant life and understanding the smaller details of the Kalahari environment. They also provide insight into traditional knowledge and the long relationship between the San people and this landscape.

Guests staying three nights or longer may also have the opportunity to use the sleepout deck, subject to availability.

Seasonality is particularly important here. During the summer months, typically from December to March, rainfall attracts wildlife into the area and game viewing is often at its most productive. During the dry season, wildlife is more dispersed. The experience becomes quieter, with greater emphasis on tracking, birdlife and the landscape itself.

Wildlife viewing is seasonal and generally differs from the experience found in the Okavango Delta. During and after the summer rains, grazing animals move onto the grasslands in greater numbers, often attracting predators into the area. At this time, the reserve can offer some of Botswana’s most rewarding game viewing.

During the dry season, wildlife is more dispersed and sightings can require greater patience. The focus shifts towards tracking, understanding animal movements and appreciating the scale of the landscape. The permanent waterhole below camp may provide additional wildlife viewing opportunities throughout the year, with animals regularly visiting the area around Tau Pan.

Birdlife can also be rewarding, particularly for species associated with open grassland and semi-arid environments. Regular sightings include kori bustard, black korhaan, ostrich, sandgrouse and a variety of raptors.

I have always loved the Central Kalahari for its immense skies and sense of wilderness. This is the heart of Botswana, where dramatic summer storms and towering cloud formations become part of the safari experience. While many travellers think of the Kalahari as a desert, the summer rains transform the landscape and create some of the best game viewing in the country at that time. We often recommend Tau Pan to more adventurous safari-goers looking to venture beyond the traditional safari circuit. It particularly suits those who appreciate landscape as much as wildlife and who value excellent guiding. The San-guided walks are a particular highlight.