Bushman Safaris

A lot of things have been said about the Bushmen; they are a separate species (no human could live here), they can change themselves into animals and they have extrasensory perception. For many years, it has been impossible to offer a genuine non-patronising Bushmen experience due to the threat of exploitation. Now, through a community project, traditioanl Bushmen communities offer a dignified and culturally sensitive experience. A fascinating insight into their unique way of life, almost extinct.

Camp consists of traditional style Bushmen grass shelters designed to provide comfort as well as authenticity. Guests sleep on proper beds between pure cotton sheets. Wooden ladder shelves for hanging and stacking clothing and a wooden trunk for a bedside table provide space for storage. Private bucket showers and long-drop loos are situated adjacent to each shelter. An essential part of any successful expedition, meals are beautifully prepared and presented by a skilled kitchen team.

Bushmen have been finding their food in the dry and seemingly unproductive desert for thousands of years. Bushman societies are a loose collective and work like a pyramid of cards: everyone relies on everyone else and the structure only stands with everyone bearing the weight of the whole. So the first rule is that all food is collected individually, but it is owned and consumed collectively.

Guests have the opportunity to learn about Bushman culture as well as how they manage their hunting and gathering to sustainably utilize their wildlife environment. Hunter-gathering splits neatly, as you'd imagine, into hunting and gathering. Men hunt, women gather. The Bushmen's ability to track is legendary, and is indeed one of the most miraculous things you'll ever see.

The central mystery of Bushmen life is the trance dance. This is part religious ceremony, part party, part outpatients' clinic- it can go on all night and few people outside the loose-knit groups of the Kalahari have seen it. During trance dances, the Bushmen believe that they become imbued with animal potency and enter a spiritual realm where they can contact God, fight evil spirits, gain healing powers, and see visions.

The clapping and chanting sounds like the song and heartbeat of the desert. In the black night, the fire casts long, flickering shadows and the moon is so huge you see every mountain range on it. The ceremony is older than bricks and mortar, older than handprints on walls, older than memory; it has in it the seeds of all future religion and belief. Visiting the Bushmen isn't just another safari with wild people instead of wild animals. The Kalahari Bushmen are our oldest relatives, the people who stayed behind. Visiting them is like coming home.

Listed is one set itinerary - 4 nights with the Bushmen. However, fully customaziable itineraries are available. Please contact Global Basecamps to build your very own itinerary.