Makgadkgadi & Nxai Pans National Park

The Makgadikgadi & Nxai Pans National Park is a 3,900 km2 protected area located southeast of the Okavango Delta and surrounded by the Kalahari Desert. The area is one of the largest systems of dry salt pans in the world. These salt pans are the remains of a huge lake that dried up years ago. The national park is known for its extraordinary nature and multitude of wildlife. The unique landscape offers a beautiful contrast to the rest of Botswana. The most famous pans are Sua Pan, Nxai Pan and Ntwetwe Pan. From May to November, the pans are dry and you will find an otherworldly landscape of gleaming white salt pans. It is even possible to see the curvature of the earth on this vast plain. However, when the rainy season begins, the dry and lifeless land turns into lush grassland and the special area comes alive. Huge herds of zeebras migrate to the salt pans during the rainy season in search of fresh grassland. Wildebeest, lions, elephants, spotted hyenas and even the white rhino follow the zeebras to the salt pans. Migratory birds such as flamingos and white pelicans also find their way to the flooded pans. Throughout the year, you will find antelope such as springbok and gemsbok in this area, which have adapted to the desert. Cheetahs, leopards, and even brown hyenas can also be spotted throughout the year. In the forested area of the pans you will find baboons and giraffes, and in the Boteti River Nile crocodiles and hippos.

Highlights of Makgadikgadi Pans

Boababs

These distinctive trees stand out beautifully against the flat landscape. Baines Baobabs, a famous cluster of seven of these trees, can be found in the Nxai Pan. Boababs were used by explorers such as David Livingstone as an orientation point to find their way. They were also used as letter boxes by the explorers, by leaving letters for each other in the cracked trunk.

Zebra migration

The zebra is Botswana's national animal for a reason. This incredible migration rivals the huge migrations found on the Serengeti Plains. Up to 30,000 animals move twice a year from the Okavanga Delta through the Kalahari Desert to the Makgadikgadi Pans and back again in search of fresh grazing. It is the second largest migration of large mammals in Africa and the largest in southern Africa. During the dry season the zebras can be found in the Okavanga Delta, while during the rainy season they graze across the grasslands of the Makgadikgadi Pans. Migrations occur in late November and late March, at the beginning and end of the rainy season.

Flamingos

When the salt pans are temporarily filled with water during the rainy season, they attract huge numbers of migratory birds. The most unusual and photogenic is the flamingo. The Sua pan is home to one of only two breeding populations of greater flamingos found in southern Africa. The other breeding population is in Etosha, in northern Namibia.

Nxai Pan

Besides the vast salt pan, the Nxai pan consists of forest and a busy waterhole. In this area you can find famous Baines Baobabs. Cheetahs are often observed in the pan as well as unusual species such as the bat fox, ostrich and jackal. Hence, it is a popular area for safari goers. There are two campsites in this area. Because of the limited accommodation options, we recommend booking far in advance.

Meerkats

You have the opportunity to see Meerkat Manor live. In the salt pans there are large colonies of meerkats. These colonies don't care about humans, giving you plenty of time to enjoy their daily routine.