Reviews of Tau Pan Camp

"Tau Pan is the last remaining permanent camp in the CKGR and as such is a great place from which to explore the NP. The rooms are large and well appointed on a ridge looking out over Tau Pan and to the Kalahari beyond. There is a large communal lounge and dining area, plus a small pool. It's a great place for star gazing, and there is the option of an overnight in a star bed. The food was excellent and plentiful.

NB There is no mobile signal nor wifi at the camp. There is a very weak internet connection at the office. No big issue unless you're the guest who blew the emergency horn 4 times because they couldn't get online....

We specifically came to see the desert in bloom and that's what we got. Wildflowers were plentiful amongst the grass and trumpet thorn. We saw good numbers of Oryx, Steenbok and various other game. The local Tau Pan Pride were about but we saw no other cats. We had some great sightings of Bat Eared Fox and clocked up 10 different raptor species in 3 days which is pretty impressive!

One of the challenges at Tau Pan for wildlife viewing is that you are restricted to the roads so wildlife is often at a significant distance. This can make it extremely challenging for photographers (a 600mm doesn't touch it). We knew this going in, but were still slightly surprised at the relatively few roads and that, for example, there wasn't a single track across Tau Pan - plenty of game but just dots in the distance. The animals can also be quite skittish - herds of Oryx mostly turned tail and ran, which may be a result of self drivers chasing them or simply a lack of confidence around safari vehicles.

One of the activities is a day drive out along Passarge Valley and across Deception Valley. This was good for getting a feel of the landscape and the beauty of Deception Valley, but again was characterised by pretty low animal sightings, particularly the last 90 minutes (an observation shared by other guests).

Overall we were pleased we went to the see the area, and having visited Botswana twice before the compromise on close encounters was ok for us. Just set your expectations accordingly, particularly if you are visiting in green season." See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana

"On arrival at Tau Pan we thought we’d made a mistake as, from the air the area looked devoid of wildlife, however we were soon proved wrong & I believe we saw more different species, especially of birds than we had in the Delta. We found the landscape fascinating, the subtle changes & spaciousness, being in an area unaffected by man apart from a few roads is a privilege.

Our guide KB & spotter Scouper were the best we had, very keen to share their extensive knowledge. In particular on our final morning, we were disappointed to be leaving at 9.45 & thought they would take us on a short drive close to camp, but instead, they gave us their best & it was our favourite drive of the trip, & we spotted so many species including a black-maned lion.

The camp location is perfect, being able to view the waterhole both from our chalet as well as the dining area was an added bonus.

If we have one disappointment it’s that, as the Guides accompany guests in the dark, we felt rushed to bed. A good way instead to end the day would have been sitting round the fire chatting with fellow guests." See all these reviews: 13n in Botswana

"Our stay at Tau Pan was very good. The facilities were great and the staff were so welcoming and friendly we felt very much at home. The lodge overlooks the waterhole and watching giraffe kudu and other animals and birds visiting was very interesting
Our guide Skills and tracker Scouper were informative and made the best of the harsh conditions in the Kalahari. Due to the area being a national park there was no off roading so often the wildlife was in the distance. However we were lucky enough to see lions by the roads as well as other large wildlife" See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana; 2n in South Africa

"Great location. very helpful staff. Food was amazing.

Not as much game as the other camps, or at least a bit harder to spot, but so long as you know that it is fine and actually sometimes more fun and rewarding.

The landscape is so different, and there is different game." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 3n in Zambia

"Tau Pan has 1 huge unique selling point: the magnificent view from the main deck. Absolute stunning! The rooms ('tent' > canvas walls) are spacious and have thatched roofs which looks nice but also house a lot of 'life': we had a bat in our room and also very large creatures with 8 legs.... :-/

We missed the fan in our room. The windows and doors have mesh which is perfect against insects.

During the drives we unfortunately did not see many animals. The staff uses abbreviations for their names: OP, PK, MP, etc. Food was good.

This camp has NO Wifi; perfect for a digital detox! The airstrip is close buy." See all these reviews: 12n in Namibia; 5n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe

"Very different from the Okavongo Delta. Fewer species but larger herds.

We came to see snakes and we had three sightings of very interesting ones. Our tracker and guide were super knowledgable.

We had hoped to stay in the outdoor open-air room but apparently there was a lion incident and it was closed." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 5n in Namibia; 1n in Zimbabwe

"Tau Pan is in a lovely setting. The staff were very welcoming. The food was ok but not quite as good as our previous two camps. It rained fairly heavily for the majority of our stay but we still went out on all the game drives wrapped up in the fantastic waterproof ponchos that were provided. Tau Pan itself is a beautiful area which reminded me of East Africa. Oryx and springbok were very plentiful. Also the resident pride of eight lion were very entertaining. Saw bat-eared fox for the first time too. Excellent bird life. Our guide and tracker were both exceptional." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana

"Great location overlooking fertile plains and a waterhole. It would be much better if the waterhole was closer to camp.

Extensive carpets of silvery grass spread between trees and shrubs.

Plenty of game around Tau Pan. Daily sighting of Gemsbok, Springbok, Giraffe, Wildebeest, Steenbok, Black back Jackal, Ostrich, Kori Bustard, Korhaan, Lilac Breasted Roller, Pale Chanting Goshawk, Hornbill, to name a few.

The camp is situated in thick scrub and often we saw tracks of Leopards and Lions on the same path that we took on our way to breakfast." See all these reviews: 13n in Botswana

"The guides and trackers were excellent, the camp staff could not not have been kinder or more helpful after I experienced a particularly bad insect bite." See all these reviews: 3n in Botswana

"Disturbed by lions on our decking one night chasing prey across it. Was concerned they could have skidded into the netting of the door which did not appear very strongly fixed - the door mat was askew.

Because there was no night driving we enjoyed sitting by boma with a drink in the evening before dinner. There was no big map of Botswana there which we made use of in the other camps during initial briefing.

Scupa the tracker was very good and informative about bush life and tracking - we enjoyed our walk with him." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 3n in Zambia