A woman with blonde hair lying on the ground to take a close up photo of meerkats around a burrow. Two meerkats grooming each other in peace along side the woman's presence.

Meet the Meerkats

Most people travel to Africa hoping to see the Big Five or some of the other impressive large animal species. In the Kalahari, however, there are diminutive little creatures with buckets of charisma, charming all those who have the privilege of spending time with them: the Makgadikgadi meerkats.

Spend time with semi-habituated meerkats in the Kalahari

Meerkat experiences take place at sunrise or sunset

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A unique, intimate experience with some of Africa’s cutest creatures

Best Time to Go

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What to expect

Seeing Meerkats in the Wild

While they aren’t tame, years of research have made these meerkats semi-habituated. You’ll set out from your lodge at sunrise or sunset, the time when these quirky characters are at their most playful and active.

Nothing quite prepares you for the endearing sight of a tiny little meerkat wriggling out of its burrow in the middle of the surreal Makgadikgadi Pans. Although you’re not allowed to touch the meerkats, they do tend to treat human visitors as handy props while they go through their everyday activities.

Don’t be surprised if a little meerkat curls up on your lap on a chilly Kalahari morning or mistakes you for a termite mound, climbing onto your head to use you as a viewing platform for keeping an eye out for predators. The trick is simply to keep as still as possible and revel in the company of these animals.

Two camps that offer private meerkat-viewing experiences we highly recommend are San Camp and Jack’s Camp. A chance to meet the meerkats simply shouldn’t be missed. A few hours in the company of these gorgeous animals is totally unique and offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of one of Africa’s cutest creatures.

Related Lodges

All accommodation in Botswana

Botswana
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Semi-Tented (Hybrid)
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Luxury

Jack’s Camp
From AU$4,018 – AU$5,563 pp
Jack’s Camp is an iconic safari camp set within the otherworldly landscape of Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Pans. Quirky, unique, and eclectically styled, this is a year-round experience with a wide range of unusual activities, not least meerkat encounters, quad…
Botswana
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Luxury

San Camp
From AU$2,740 – AU$5,198 pp
San Camp is a small, romantic camp with an impossibly beautiful location on Botswana’s lunar-like Makgadikgadi Pans. The camp is run by Natural Selection, which has an impressive portfolio of properties throughout Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. Among…

Talk to someone who’s been there

Real expertise doesn’t come from a few trips to Africa. All our specialists have either been guides, run the camps, or grown up and lived in Africa. That’s over 600 years of genuine safari experience.

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