Jack's Private Camp

Located in the starkly beautiful Makgadikgadi Pans and the Kalahari Desert, Jack's Private Camp is steeped in history, with a narrative spanning five generations of the Bousfield family. The camp houses original antiques, including paintings, drawings, and maps dating as far back as 1660, infusing the space with a sense of heritage and authenticity.

Jack's Private Camp is a secluded two-bedroom villa offering unmatched exclusivity. The villa features two master suites, each with an en-suite bathroom, a private veranda with a daybed, and over-bed cooling systems. The master suite boasts an extra-length king-size bed, while the second bedroom is designed for families with two extra-length king-size beds. The en-suite bathrooms are luxurious, complete with dual indoor showers, a brass bathtub, and an outdoor shower. The villa also includes a safari library, a well-stocked bar, and the famous 'Cabinet of Curiosities.' A spacious private veranda, complete with a large swimming pool, offers stunning views of the Makgadikgadi Pans, perfect for spotting wildlife against the desert's silent backdrop.

The camp’s new look includes a shift from paraffin lamps to antique Middle Eastern lanterns, which once illuminated mosques. Restored and repurposed, these chandeliers now grace the mess tents, adding a mystical ambiance to the camp at night. Combined with Persian rugs, brass accents, and mahogany campaign furniture, Jack's Camp captures the elegance of a classic African safari, with a touch of old-world glamour. The spacious rooms are designed to remain cool during the day, ensuring comfort amidst the desert heat.

A walk with the San Bushmen offers a profound and dignified journey into cultural anthropology, providing a rare opportunity to engage with the ancient traditions of the San (Basarwa) bushmen trackers. This immersive experience allows guests to witness the San's way of life, where beliefs, art, morals, laws, and customs remain preserved in their authentic, natural state, untouched by the influences of modern civilization or the pressures of colonial farming practices.

As one of the last remaining hunter-gatherer tribes, the San people represent a living connection to a Paleolithic past. These indigenous communities are the last vestiges of a once widespread San population across Southern Africa. Remarkably, the San are one of 14 known extant "ancestral population clusters," from which all modern humans are believed to descend. Genetic studies, particularly those focusing on Y-chromosome analysis, reveal that the San carry some of the most divergent and ancient human Y-chromosome haplogroups, highlighting their deep historical roots in the story of humankind.

This enriching cultural encounter offers not only a glimpse into the San’s rituals and daily life but also a deep appreciation for their enduring connection to the natural world, providing an invaluable ethnographic insight into one of humanity's oldest and most resilient cultures.