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South camp Nxai Pan
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Navaid
July 4, 2016
Rooms9 chalets Traveller's ratingGood (89%) From 18 reviewsChildrenBest for 6+OpenAll year Nxai Pan Camp was opened in February 2009 and is still the only permanent camp within Nxai Pan National Park. It faces east over the open plains of Nxai Pan, a grass-covered fossil lake-bed that was once part of the great lake that covered central Botswana. In the 'green season', between about late November and April, this area attracts large numbers of plains game, especially zebra. Nxai Pan Camp is built in a semi-circle, with all the chalets and the main area facing towards an active waterhole. The main area is a solid, crescent-shaped structure under a tall thatched roof, completely open to the front and slightly raised on a wooden deck. There are canvas blinds that can be rolled down in case of cold or inclement weather. It's a fairly similar design to its sister camp, Tau Pan Camp, in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. The dining area, with an exceptionally long communal table, plays host to brunch and dinner. This flows seamlessly through a simple little lounge area to the well-stocked bar at the other end of the building. Here you'll find a 'help-yourself' drinks fridge, as well as tea- and coffee-making facilities. White-washed floors blend in with the lighter-coloured earth around the camp, and add to the overall light and airy feel. Outside, the wide, wooden viewing deck at Nxai Pan Camp leads down to an open, sandy firepit area. Guests often enjoy pre- and post-dinner drinks around the fire, and an early breakfast is usually served here too, before the morning activity. Off to one side of the deck is a small plunge pool, with sunloungers offering front row seats to the action at the permanent waterhole in front of the camp. On our last visit, it was bustling with elephants and we were entertained for hours watching their comings and goings, and the argy-bargy while they jostled for the best position at the waterhole. The curio shop was well stocked when we visited, with a good range of items available. We were particularly grateful for our complimentary fleeces on a chilly morning game drive during a previous visit in March. The nine chalets at Nxai Pan Camp, including one family unit, flank the main area, and are linked by raised wooden walkways. Inside, the chalets are wide, airy and spacious. Thick walls constructed of polystyrene with chicken wire and plaster afford good insulation, and these, together with an overhead fan, help to keep the chalets cool in summer and warm in winter. Although the lighting is quite poor at night, this is offset a little by light-coloured wood and white-washed floorboards. The chalet décor is quite minimalist which seems in keeping with the surrounding sparse environment. At one end of each chalet is a sitting area and writing desk. In the centre, oversize twin beds, or a double, face out through sliding doors with full-length gauze screens onto a wooden deck, most with good views of the permanent waterhole in front of the camp. At the opposite end, hidden behind a wall, is a very spacious en-suite bathroom complete with twin basins on a polished wooden counter, a large mirror, plenty of shelving and hanging space for clothes, an electronic safe, indoor and outdoor showers and a separate flush toilet. You'll also find shampoo, conditioner, body wash, bath towels, dressing gowns and a little pot of washing powder for your smalls. The family unit has exactly the same facilities as the chalets but there is an additional twin-bedded room leading off the main bedroom. Note that there is only one shared bathroom for the whole family. Game viewing in Nxai Pan National Park can be erratic, but is often exceptional in the so-called 'green season', usually from late November to April. This is when the area receives the annual rains, and the pans become covered in lush, sweet grass. The abundance of nutritious food attracts swathes of plains game, including zebra, springbok, wildebeest and gemsbok: a veritable buffet for predators – including lion, cheetah, black-backed jackals and (because of the woodlands dotted around the pans) even leopard. Of note are the unusually large herds of giraffe that have been spotted here, sometimes more than 30 in any one group. It was interesting to us that, because of the mixed vegetation, this is one of the few places in Botswana, and probably the most northern part of the country, where you are likely to encounter impala and springbok together. Activities at Nxai Pan Camp centre around morning and afternoon game drives in 4WD vehicles. Game drives here feature a guide and tracker team which can really help to maximise possible game sightings. Because the camp is in a national park, however, no off-road driving or night drives are allowed. On the afternoon safari, game drives must return to camp before dark, and so tend to be a little shorter than those in the Delta camps. On our most recent visit in ea
Rooms9 chalets Traveller's ratingGood (89%) From 18 reviewsChildrenBest for 6+OpenAll year Nxai Pan Camp was opened in February 2009 and is still the only permanent camp within Nxai Pan National Park. It faces east over the open plains of Nxai Pan, a grass-covered fossil lake-bed that was once part…
Staðsetning
North-West District