Opened at the beginning of 2009, Tau Pan Camp is one of only two camps in the remote Central Kalahari Game Reserve. It was the first of these to open, securing a great location on the edge of a low ridge from where it overlooks the extensive Kalahari Plains.
Tau Pan is a small and charming eco-lodge that complements its natural surroundings. Its main mess area consists of a simple thatched building with canvas blinds, set on raised wooden decks overlooking the plains. Other guest areas include an extensive viewing deck with cosy fire pit, and a separate pool deck with sun loungers. Extending either side of the mess area are nine spacious chalets.
Though it is open throughout the year, Tau Pan is very much a seasonal camp. The best time to visit is during the green season (Dec to Apr), when the plains burst into life, attracting game from the Delta and Chobe NP in huge numbers, in what is Botswana's closest equivalent to the East African annual migration. During the dry season, the game-viewing is much more limited, confined to the permanently resident desert-adapted species such as gemsbok. The landscape remains stunning, however, and, with so few visitors, your experience of the Kalahari will always be a very exclusive one.
Accommodation
Tau Pan has nine spacious chalets, of which one is a family room. The rooms are raised on high wooden platforms and feature a private balcony area. Thick walls enclose the rooms on three sides, while a gauze screen extends across the front, allowing for wonderful views from inside (including a direct view of the plans from the double beds). Each room has a connecting en-suite bathroom with flush loo and both indoor and outdoor showers.
Dining
Tau Pan's main public area has a communal dining table, bar and small lounge. A light campfire breakfast starts the day, followed by a generous buffet brunch on return from the morning’s game-viewing activity. Dinner is a 3-course meal served around a shared dining table.
Facilities
- Bar and lounge
- Dining area
- Plunge pool
Activities
- Game drives
- Nature walks with Bushman guides
- Star gazing
- Bush picnics on Tau Pan
Child Policy
Tau Pan Camp accommodates children over the age of six, though they do ask that you book (at additional cost) a private safari vehicle if travelling with children under the age of twelve.
There is a family unit suitable for small families of four.
Environmental Policy
As one of only two camps with a licence to operate in the Central Kalahari Reserve, Tau Pan follows strict environmental guidelines. All power is solar generated. Water is pumped from bore holes in the ground and solar-heated. All waste water is treated in a small sewerage plant and returned to the sands.
