Reviews of Jack's Camp

"Jack's Camp is very different, just think Lawrence of Arabla as everything is in large tents with carefully curated decoration, furniture and a museum. The accommodation tents are huge, very easy to forget where you leave things!

There is now wi-fi in the rooms as well as in the curio shop. Service was excellent with plenty of staff in the central areas who were very good with names.

Game viewing was dominated by Wildebeest and Zebra and. as we were approaching the end of the rainy season, seeing the beginning of the migration to the north was fascinating. Predator sightings were limited to a solitary Cheetah that we saw a number of times.

Walking with the Meerkats was a highlight, together with sundowners on the Pan." See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana

"I can't imagine there is anywhere else in Africa quite like Jacks Camp.

Our 250m square tent, decorated in the late Victorian / Edwardian style with a touch of Moroccan spice, was only missing Carson the butler! Two double beds, a day bed, two outside beds, a chaise longe, sofa, umpteen armchairs, bureau, in and outdoor ablutions....you get the picture! Mix in some essential modern amenities and you have great accommodation. The only issue was forgetting where you put something down! The communal area was scaled to match, with its own museum / set of 'cabinets of curiosities', vast dining area, high tea tent and lounges. Everyone should go once just to experience it.

As with all the best camps, however, all this largesse would be utterly pointless if the team of people running it were not simply outstanding and they are. They somehow make all of this 'work'. Never have we stayed in a place where every single member of staff was so 'on point' - there when you need them, slipping into the background when you are chatting with other guests, and friendly and welcoming without once seeming forced. One of the reasons we had come back to the salt pans was because of our experience at the 'more rustic' Camp Kalahari which emitted exactly the same friendly vibe - I was unsure we would find it at its bigger and posher sister camp Jacks but it was there in spades. They are of course super efficient and knowledgeable, not least our number one favourite guide in the whole of Africa - Booster. What a star and a veritable Alexa of knowledge. Thanks buddy.

We visited in green season to try and catch the Zebra migration which we did - a couple of times witnessing huge numbers which was great. The water in the pans makes for an amazing contrast with our previous winter visit, although we just missed the arrival of the Flamingoes. Plenty of game around, lots of Jackal action, although only one lion encounter despite the prolific number of young game. We witnessed the first minutes of a Zebra foal which was pretty special, and of course visited the Meerkats to see a tiny three week old pup (hats off to the Meerkat guardians who spend so much time habituating these feisty little animals).

Anyone visiting Botswana should add a visit to the pans and this concession into their itinerary - it adds some great variety to the 'standard' safari experience." See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana

"The activities at this camp were excellent - things you wouldn't experience anywhere else. The decor of the main tents and rooms were a mix of Victoriana meets Moroccan Bazaar and this made the rooms seem very dark.

It would have been helpful if the staff had worn name badges (as they did at the 2 Wilderness camps). Some rooms were a distance from the main tents which meant a drive back to your tent at times.

Also there was no menu choice (unlike at Kings Pool) and we noticed they were still using plastic water bottles - not very environmentally friendly I would have thought." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana

"A special place with remarkable experiences.
Particularly memorable for the meerkats.
Also the walk and talk with the bushmen (and women).

More wildlife than we had expected. Manager particularly engaging." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana

"Overall a good stay in a stunning location with excellent guiding and food. Our guide Villa was a very kind person with very extensive knowledge.

The concept here feels a bit formulaic though with limited flexibility to change the schedule. When we indicated that we did not want to do the quadbiking (communicated to the camp already long before our arrival by our travel agent) an alternate guide had to be arranged at last minute to accommodate our vehicle companions so that we could do a regular game drive instead.

Also one can question if the latest renovation has changed it into a better camp. The tents are now humongous and feel cavernous with very limited lighting. Although the design is very consistent 1940’s in all the details, a sense of intimacy is definitely missing and with the limited time one actually spends in the tent the space feels wasted.

Another peculiarity was the fact that the mess tent has no public toilets other than those at the main swimming pool, requiring an escorted 5 minute walk after dark; not very convenient during dinner.

Despite these observations overall all camp employees did their very best to accommodate every guests’s needs and the service level was very high." See all these reviews: 13n in Botswana

"As it was the first camp on our trip it came as a bit of a shock to me. Rather dark and overwhelming with all the tapestries and furniture. The walk to my tent, nr. 4 took more than ten minutes and was way too big and dark as well. The height of the bed was so high I had to jump on it. (they told me later there was a little stand, but I couldn't find it.) Very awkward.
The toilets were a 9-minute walk away from the diningarea and without any signs or markings. It took me (and Edgar) a day to find my way around!
Apart from this, our welcome was very friendly and warm. Our driver Villa was a great narrator about the Kalahari, the meercats, the bushman, the salt pans etc. etc. Wonderful drives and wonderful surroundings!" See all these reviews: 13n in Botswana

"We had a wonderful stay at Jack's primarily because the staff is so much fun and down to earth. The camp manager Shelia was wonderful in every way and spent a lot of time with us.

The only disappointment was not being able to spend more time with the meerkats which was our main priority. We were able to spend one afternoon with them and our guide had arranged for us to see them on our last morning. However we had a early flight out and were unable to go. Wished there had been more flexibility regarding activities but know that is difficult when other guests are involved.

Ogel and Godwin(guide) were also great and we laughed the whole time we were there. Would love to return someday just to be with the staff and meerkats. Also missed quad bikes because it was too wet." See all these reviews: 6n in Malawi; 5n in Botswana; 5n in Zambia

"The camp manager and all the staff were great. The wildlife was varied and we saw far more large animals than we had expected to. The meerkat's were amazing! What made Jack's camp exceptional was attentiveness of the staff, the pool (much needed at 42 degC), the sunset drink bar in the middle of nowhere, the quad bike trek in the evening and the pre-dinner drink location (dinner had to be cancelled because of an imminent storm) and the walk with the bush people. Of course it does come at a price, so maybe the overall value is probably only good!

We are not sure we really agree with the manmade water holes but they certainly bring in the game." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana

"Totally unique experience. The silence of the pans, listening to the bushmen's click language,their singing and laughter, sitting with meerkats on your lap and the romance of returning at night to a camp totally lit by lamp light. We loved it.

The trip to Kubu Island is spectacular. You feel like you are going to drive off the edge of the world. Beautiful location for camp, baobab trees everywhere , even one with a bucket shower! Great guides and staff. A true once in a lifetime experience." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana

"A must as an add-on to a 3+ day safari in the delta.....but not something to be done as a stand alone. The holiday relief manager from Zimbabwe, Milo, was a great host, Dabe our guide was excellent, Weda was charming and otherwise everything was great.

A shame that for two nights we were the only guests there - but it would have been worse having the camp full of HNWI Americans (all had of course cancelled because of Ebola in Africa!!!)." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe