Fodor's Expert Review Kalahari Plains Camp

Situated in the desolate northern part of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve---one of the largest game reserves in the world and bigger than Switzerland---this solar-powered camp overlooks a huge pan, with eight en suite, innovatively insulated canvas tents designed to keep you cool in summer and warm in winter. Accommodation is simple but comfortable and if you can stand the desert sun you can sunbathe on your rooftop deck, or sleep under the dazzling desert stars. Game is particularly abundant during and just after the rains (roughly December through April) when seasonal herds of plains game move in and are followed by opportunistic predators: great black-maned Kalahari lions, leopards, and cheetahs. Other desert specialists include shy brown hyenas, endearing bat-eared foxes, and tenacious honey badgers, while birdlife is spectacular with over 220 species, including a multitude of raptors. The camp also offers a comprehensive bushman experience, offering an insight into one of the world's oldest surviving cultures.