Dinaka
With very few guests, Dinaka feels genuinely personal. It’s the ideal base for experiencing the Kalahari as part of a wider Botswana journey, offering a striking contrast to the watery world of the Okavango Delta.
Dinaka has its own private airstrip and is accessible by air or road, making it a camp that pairs well with a contrasting region such as the Okavango.
Thoughtfully spaced for privacy, each tent includes an ensuite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers and a private deck facing the bush. A generous two‑bedroom family suite provides an ideal base for small groups or families seeking comfort and space in this desert setting.
Beyond the main area, guests can enjoy a swimming pool lined with sun loungers and a number of photographic hides; a couple of which are sunken underground and equipped with toilet facilities for those committed to capturing the perfect black‑maned lion shot. A dedicated star deck offers unforgettable evenings beneath the desert’s vast, glittering canopy. Dining is relaxed and generous, often enjoyed outdoors to make the most of the Kalahari’s shifting light and endless horizons.
- Walk with the San, learning ancient !Naro tracking skills and desert survival techniques straight from those who’ve lived them for generations.
- Set out at first light on game drives to follow giraffe, oryx, springbok and the legendary black‑maned Kalahari lions across open pans and grasslands.
- Head into the darkness on night drives in search of elusive creatures – brown hyena, honey badger, bat‑eared fox and other nocturnal specialists.
- Slip into the hides, including the bunker, for extraordinary low‑angle photographic encounters at year‑round waterholes.
- Stretch your legs on bush walks, uncovering the subtle signs, smaller fauna and hardy flora that define this desert ecosystem.
- Sleep out under the stars, spending a night on the elevated deck immersed in the spellbinding stillness of the Kalahari.
- Scan the skies for rare birds on your wish list, with over 200 bird from kori bustards to crimson‑breasted shrikes making Dinaka a paradise for keen birders.
While the Young Explorers programme is available, the experience that consistently captivates older children is walking with the San Bushmen. These interpretive walks reveal the medicinal and practical uses of plants and animals, offering a rare glimpse into ancient survival skills and deep‑rooted cultural knowledge. It’s an inspiring, hands‑on way for families to connect with the Kalahari’s first inhabitants and the landscape they’ve understood for millennia.
Why We Include Dinaka in Our Journeys
Its sunken photographic hide appeals to photographers; its small scale and family‑friendly setup suit any group size; and its shared ownership with Kanana Camp in the Okavango ensures seamless transfers and consistently high standards.
Talk to us about designing your journey >
From the Team
“A black-maned Kalahari lion is something you have to see at some stage of your life. For me, though, it’s time with San Bushmen that’s the real appeal of staying somewhere like Dinaka. They welcome you with a song in the !Naro click language – an unforgettable, deeply human moment.”
Why Plan Your Safari with Journeysmiths
Every journey we design begins with listening. Whether you’re travelling as a family, a couple, or across generations, we take time to understand how you want your safari to feel – not just where you want to go. From there, we carefully weave together exceptional places, trusted guides, and seamless logistics to create journeys that flow naturally and feel entirely your own.Every journey we design begins with listening. Whether you’re travelling as a family, a couple, or across generations, we take time to understand how you want your safari to feel – not just where you want to go. From there, we carefully weave together exceptional places, trusted guides, and seamless logistics to create journeys that flow naturally and feel entirely your own.
Positive Impact
We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.
Great Places to Combine with Dinaka
Dinaka works beautifully as part of a wider journey in Botswana and beyond. We often pair it with contrasting environments to create a sense of flow and variety.Dinaka works beautifully as part of a wider journey in Botswana and beyond. We often pair it with contrasting environments to create a sense of flow and variety.
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