San Camp, the smaller, satellite sister camp of Jack's Camp, is only open from April through to the end of October. It's set in a sparse forest of real fan palms, in grasslands on the edge of Ntwetwe Pan, overlooking the awesome Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.

Visiting most recently in May 2007, we absolutely loved San Camp – with its very simple, relaxed atmosphere and incredible feeling of space. It has a vast 360 degree horizon and we were sure that we could actually see the curve of the earth when looking out onto the pan. While we were there we were treated to the spectacle of the full moon rising as the sun was setting.

The environment here is similar to that around Jack's Camp as are its activities. They aim to give an understanding of the area's geology, archaeology and anthropology, as well as an opportunity to observe its wildlife. You'll find nature drives and walks (some guided by Bushmen trackers), night drives, and visits to sites of archaeological interest, including Chapman's Baobab, considered to be the largest and oldest tree in Africa at an estimated three thousand years old.

When the season permits, 4WD quad bikes can be used to explore the surrounding saltpans without damaging their fragile crust. This was a real highlight of our trip – having been taught how to wrap our kikoys á la Jack Bousfield, we set off in convoy – and drove and drove and drove right into the Ntwetwe Pan, which covers an area the size of Switzerland. It's awe-inspiringly enormous and the horizon seems to melt into the sky.

Our extremely knowledgeable guide, Kevin, explained the historical geology of the pans – they are the most visible remnants of a superlake that was formed more than five million years ago. Makgadikgadi was once a superlake some 30m deep, covering a massive area of over thirty thousand square miles. The lake started to dry up as recently as 10,000 years ago, due to climactic shifts. As the lake dried up more and more, the surface became pans with a glittering salt crust.

But Makgadikgadi is not always dry. The pans often fill with water during the rains, from mid-November, and may retain their water as late as April or May. The "thirstlands" are then transformed into great sheets of water, which attract a spectacular array of waterbirds and trigger dramatic migrations of wildebeest and zebra.

We split up and spread out for a walk on the pans to see what we could find – and came back with an assortment of stone age tools which are scattered over the pan, left over from the time the lake shore was colonized.

(We recommend that if you visit San Camp, you stay for three nights; two nights here is too short.)
In recent years, researchers have been studying a den of brown hyena and also a family of meerkats in the area of San Camp. Both have become habituated to human observers, which allows for some exceptionally close and relaxed sightings of both species.

The main area of San is a simple, white canvas tent, and inside you'll find a long table with chairs, surrounded by bookcases. There's an interesting collection of tortoise shells, arrow heads and other artefacts displayed around the edge of the room.
San has six Meru-style tents, spread out quite widely, and facing the pan. These are cream-coloured, comfortable, and each has an en-suite bucket shower and a flush toilet. In the bathroom is an extensive range of toiletries.

The rooms are very comfortable with high beds giving a great view of the pans, a canvas set of shelves with a pile of towels each, a desk with water and peanuts and two trunks at the end of each bed. Lighting is simple, using traditional old spirit lamps which give a gentle glow.