JACKS CAMP | MAKGADIKGADI PANS | BOTSWANA

Client Journey:

THE FAMILY SAFARI

THIS CLOSE-KNIT FAMILY WANTED AN INTREPID SAFARI TO MARK THE END OF AN ERA – THE KIDS FLYING THE NEST. WE ENSURED IT WAS A HOLIDAY TO REMEMBER.

Creating the journey

With the whole of Africa at his fingertips, Ben Oxley-Brown used his encyclopaedic knowledge of this vast continent to find off-the-beaten-track experiences for this adventure-hungry family. Ben’s experience showed a combination of locations in Botswana would deliver the best game viewing to suit their needs and added in a trusted guide who knows each of these areas like the back of his hand and would provide access to the wilderness with a lightweight mobile camp, as well as to a remote outpost of the San Bushmen. This family’s safari included…

Off-the beaten-track camps – lightweight mobile camps in the wildest spots paired with some luxury in the form of world-class safari lodges
Private guiding – a knowledgeable guide for the entirety of the trip
Unforgettable animal sightings – large herds of elephants, the thundering Victoria Falls and a zebra migration
Quality family time –private charter flights between remote airstrips maximised time on African soil
Cultural exchange – an unrivalled opportunity for interaction with the San Bushman to understand their unique lifestyle

Unforgettable Botswana

This intrepid family started their adventure at one of Africa’s most iconic sights – the majestic tumble of water known as Victoria Falls. Staying away from the bustle of Livingstone, at a small lodge upstream on the Zambezi River provided their first animal sightings with an introduction to their guide who would accompany them across Botswana.

Travelling by light aircraft gave the family an unforgettable bird’s eye view over the Okavango Delta and allowed them access to a remote water camp at the head of the delta. Here elephants swam through the river channels, birds drifted overhead, and the evening chorus was of Pel’s fishing owls and hippos splashing. Days were spent exploring by boat – a profoundly relaxing way to start the safari.

Onwards to a mobile camp in pristine wilderness, this time for more land-based activities. Staffed by just a cook, porter and driver, the camp was chosen for its proximity to wild dog denning sights as well as known large concentrations of the big cats and predators. The family headed out on walking safaris as well as by 4×4, sleeping in classic safari tents with mealtimes centred around the campfire. This is arguably the purest form of safari where they were immersed in the sights and sounds of the bush.

Finally, the foursome spent time on the silent plains of the arid Makgadikgadi Pans. Following the advice of their experienced guide, the family were privy to the awe-inspiring zebra migration and a sensitive introduction to the San bushmen led to a truly thought-provoking cultural exchange.

“Simply perfect. Never in a million years could we have planned this trip without Ben’s first-hand experience. We’re so grateful for his help –we will never forget meeting the San bushmen or the true sense of being on a proper safari in such beautiful places with no other humans.” The Thompson Family. July 2019

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