Read 1 traveller review of Edo's Camp

Edo's Camp is a small tented camp situated on a 1,200km2 game conservancy in the northwest Kalahari. The original farmland was bought by an Italian gentleman with the idea of having his own place in Africa where he could invite his friends on holiday. Around eight years ago the camp was built as private accommodation for the Italian gentleman with the help of an old-time Botswana guide, Stephan Lewis. Around 18 months ago the camp was opened to visitors.

Edo's Camp has 4 spacious en-suite Meru tents, and so takes a maximum of 8 guests. Stephan has remained the camp's manager and he, and his staff, offer a relaxed, personal and friendly service during your stay here.

The camp's main attraction is its permanent floodlit waterhole. This uses a natural pan, Edo's Pan, is filled each rainy season and then the lodge pumps additional water into it during the drier months. In fact, this is part of an ancient river system between Botswana and Namibia, within the Kalahari's fossil dunes.

In the past, this has been one of a chain of pans which have played an important part as water points along the old trek routes. These days, an almost continuous parade of wildlife visits Edo's Pan, including kudu, wildebeest, waterbuck, impala and occasionally, rhino and eland. We recommend that you spend at least one evening here, beside the pan, watching the sunset during your stay.

Edo's Camp differs from many of the more 'traditional' safari camps of northern Botswana, most of which are found in the riverine and Delta areas. Instead Edo's stands in a classic Kalahari landscape.

Its linear sand dunes have a thin covering of bushes and trees, and all of its game and wildlife are adapted to survive without access to permanent water. Here you'll find typical Kalahari game species like gemsbok (oryx), springbok, brown hyena and meerkats.

The manager, Stephan, is an experienced safari guide and has lived and guided on this area for some time. He has quite an extensive knowledge of the area and is always keen to point out the plants and animals that are special to these drier regions of Botswana. He is busy training his up nephew, also called Stephan, to follow in his footsteps as a guide.

A real highlight of Edo's Camp is their seven white rhino – four of which were born here; tracking these rhino on foot is an optional morning activity. You'll start by driving out with the guide and trackers until you find fresh rhino spoor, and then you'll follow on foot – sometimes getting as close at 25-30m from the rhino. We found this exhilarating, and this is the only place in northern Botswana where you have a really good chance of even seeing rhino, let along tracking them.

(Other than the white rhino, Edo's has no other big game which is likely to be dangerous to walkers. Hence, as is often the practice in areas where rhino are tracked on foot, the guides here do not carry rifles when they walk.)

Other activities include 4WD safari drives and night drives guided by Stephan, and accompanied by two bushman trackers. A visit to the nearby Bushman village is a real highlight. The family here love visitors and are keen to share their knowledge with you whilst on a morning's walk, gathering herbs, tubas and fruit.

Near the entrance to the conservancy is an orphanage, set up by the conservancy's owners. This now cares for 42 children, all under the age of eight, from the surrounding area. The children live and learn here before they go on to boarding school. 10% of each night's accommodation cost is donated to the orphanage. A visit to the orphanage is possible on request and if you would like to bring any gifts, please contact us and we will help you find out in advance what is needed.

Click on a link for more details of:
Bushman Village at Edo's Camp
Meru Tent at Edo's Camp

Lodge overview

No. of bedrooms: 4 spacious meru tents.

Season: Seasonal

Ideal length of stay: 2 to 3 nights.

Geographics

Location: Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana

Directions: Edo's Camp can be reached by 2WD or by air. If you are driving yourself on a 2WD self-drive safari through Botswana or Namibia, then you will be met at the conservancy gate for a 20-minute 4WD safari to camp. The gate is 2½-hours from Maun, 5-hours from Nxamaseri, or 30 minutes north of Ghanzi. If you have a fly-in safari around Botswana, then you can transfer here by light aircraft, or fly to Maun to catch a 3-hour road transfer to camp. In this case, we recommend that you take the road transfer at least one way, to see more of Botswana's rural areas, and then perhaps fly back.

Accessible by: Self-drive or Fly-and-Transfer

Key personnel

Owner: Land is owned by Italian gentelman. Ker & Downey market and manage Edo's Camp reservations.

Staff: Camp Manager: Stephan Lewis. He helped to build the Edo's Camp 8 years ago and has pride in the camp, the look, and maintenance. The personal love of the property is noticeable and the stories of the camp's history are interesting. Guide: Stephan (Stephan Lewis' nephew). Grew up in Ghanzi and can speak the local bushman dialect known as Moloko. Trackers: China and Ivan. China is bushman who has family at the local bushman village. Ivan is Tsetswana and in training. Chef: Tshepo

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Full Board

Food quality: During our visit in 2007, the food served at Edo's Camp was simple, plentiful and well cooked. We were told that Ker & Downey, who market the camp, had recently made some menu suggestions to bring the standard of food up to the company's other camps – Shinde Camp and Kanana. Breakfast timings are flexible depending on which morning activity. Before an early morning departure, you will probably have a choice of cereal, juice and rusks with tea / coffee to drink. If your departure is later in the morning, then brunch might include a buffet of cereals, juice, toast, sausages, bacon, beans, cooked tomatoes and your choice of eggs. Lunch is usually buffet-style, and included for us a main dish like bobotie (a traditional South African farmer's beef pie), quiche or fish pie and a selection of salads (bean, potato, rice and green) with freshly baked bread. This was rounded off with a cheese and fruit platter. The 3-course dinner was a set menu beginning with a light starter or soup. Main courses included beef schnitzel served with a variety of fresh vegetables and potatoes, and a tasty chicken casserole with rice. This was followed by a desert along the lines of fruit salad, home-made amarula ice cream or a freshly baked cake. Before your afternoon activity, a selection of biscuits and a cake is served with tea and coffee. Sundowner snacks typically included sausage rolls, cheese pastries, nuts and biltong. Although the meals at Edo's were not carefully-crafted haut cuisine, which you will find at some of Botswana's camps, they reminded us of hearty, wholesome farm fare – and were all tasty and plentiful. In fact, they reflected well the relaxed and homely nature of the camp. Edo's can cater well to most dietary requirements, provided they are aware of these well in advance.

Dining style: Group Meals

Dining locations: Indoor Dining

Room service: Only drinks are available to take to tent. There is also tea and coffee supplied in each tent. No other room service.

Cost of meal e.g. lunch: Included

Drinks included: All drinks are included. There is a good selection of basic spirits (vodka, gin and whisky). All soft drinks, wine, beer, juices and bottled water are included. The tap water comes from a bore hole and is filtered so it is fine to drink.

Extras

Laundry facilities: 0

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