Covering nearly three per cent of Botswana’s land area, the Makgadikgadi Pans are an integral part of the Kalahari experience. There are two of them: enormous, flat swathes of baked mud. But their shimmering, ocean-like appearance is not too far from the truth in this landlocked country: the Makgadikgadi Pans are evidence of a giant lake that once flooded Botswana, and now they lie at the heart of a natural ecosystem offering one of the best wildlife experiences in Botswana.
It’s quite a different set of animals and plants in this part of Botswana compared to the more familiar Chobe National Park and Okavango Delta. Water-dependent species such as hippo, elephant and buffalo are rare or absent, but they are replaced by desert specialists such as springbok, the rapier-horned gemsbok antelope and the ox-sized eland. The Makgadikgadi is also home to the popular meerkat, and is well-known for its predators: lion, cheetah, leopard and wild dog.
There are three parts to the Makgadikgadi, in the sense of where you can visit, stay, and go on safari.
The Makgadikgadi Pans: dry and apparently lifeless for much of the year, the low-lying pans are flooded in the rainy season and attract large – and sometimes huge – numbers of birds including breeding flamingos. Grasslands surround the pans and so safari lodges are often located close to the pans, giving them access to the dry flats in winter (quad biking and under-the-stars sleepouts) as well as summer activities – birding and wildlife watching.
The Makgadikgadi Pans National Park: a portion of the western-most pan and its accompanying grasslands lie protected with the borders of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Kalahari wildlife numbers reach something of a peak here, especially in summer when fresh grazing and water attracts large herds of migrating zebra and wildebeest. Several lodges are located in and around the national park, offering a mix of driving and walking safaris, and the park is often included on mobile camping safaris.
Nxai Pan National Park: set to the north of the pans, Nxai Pan is a smaller version of the Makgadikgadi Pans. Lying at the very juncture between savannah and Kalahari, Nxai Pan enjoys a unique combination of animals, with its woodlands a summer home to elephants and buffalo. Nxai Pan and its lodges can be accessed by vehicle from Maun and the Okavango Delta; other Kalahari accommodation is fly-in.
Home to several excellent lodges and experienced operators, Makgadikgadi destinations can stand alone as a safari but we’d recommend combining them with some of Botswana’s other destinations for a comprehensive safari: the Chobe National Park, Moremi Game Reserve and Okavango Delta can all be reached with a single short flight, and Victoria Falls is easy to work into the itinerary.
Combine Makgadikgadi with Chobe, Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls for an unforgettable Southern Africa holiday.
Browse our recommended Makgadikgadi holidays or contact us for a tailor-made itinerary based on your needs.
Botswana’s uncomplicated climate – a long dry winter followed by a short wet summer – makes deciding when to travel to Botswana a question of your priorities.
The best time for game viewing is generally considered to be the May to October dry season. Temperatures are mild to warm with cold nights in mid-winter; September and October however can be extremely hot. Animals are easier to see at this time: concealing vegetation is much reduced and animals are increasingly concentrated around water.
The onset of the rains may deter some potential visitors but travellers to Botswana in early summer can expect some of the year’s most dramatic game viewing. Thousands of baby antelope are born, attracting the attention of predators. Migrations begin too. Elephants, buffalo and zebra move into the Kalahari and bird watching is at its best across the country.
The Makgadikgadi region has a range of accommodation that is not as broad as it is in the Okavango Delta or Chobe National Park but certainly enough to offer a variety of experiences in various settings. The standard of comfort, food and service is – like the rest of Botswana – very high.
Several lodges sit on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans: this makes it easy for them to offer activities such as quad-biking and sleepouts on the pans. Other lodges take advantage of a savannah setting for wildlife but are some distance from the pans themselves. In this case, you’ll need to book a minimum three-night stay if you want to experience a sleepout.
Activities at Makgadikgadi lodges are mainly focused on the game drive experience: morning and afternoon drives supplemented by, depending where you stay, guided walks and spot-lit night drives.
Luxury safari lodge perched atop 10-meter-high cliffs along the western bank of the Boteti River, bordering Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Its elevated position offers sweeping views of the river and the surrounding arid landscape, providing guests with front-row seats to wildlife spectacles, including the annual zebra migration.
Family-friendly safari camp nestled among acacia and mokolwane palms on Brown Hyena Island, bordering Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. It offers 12 Meru-style tents and guests can embark on quad biking adventures across the salt pans, walk with Zu/’hoasi Bushmen, observe habituated meerkats, and witness the spectacular zebra migration during the green season.
Recently rebuilt, this luxury lodge retains its 1940s campaign-style charm while offering modern comforts. The camp features ten spacious Bedouin-style tents, each with private plunge pools. Guests activities include quad biking across the salt pans, walking with San Bushmen, and observing habituated meerkats.
The only permanent lodge within Nxai Pan National Park, featuring nine thatched chalets, including a family unit, all positioned around a central waterhole that attracts a variety of wildlife, such as elephants, zebras, and predators like cheetahs and lions. Guests can enjoy activities like game drives, cultural walks with San Bushmen, and excursions to the iconic Baines' Baobabs.
Perched atop a 100-foot cliff overlooking the Boteti River, on the western boundary of Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Its elevated position offers exceptional "armchair" game viewing. The camp features ten classic safari tents, including two family units. Guests can enjoy a range of activities such as guided walks with San Bushmen, boat trips (seasonal), and excursions to the Makgadikgadi Pans.
Seasonal tented camp perched on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, overlooking the Nwetwe Pan, and featuring seven white canvas tents shaded by desert palms. Guests can engage in a variety of activities, including game drives, guided walks with San Bushmen, quad biking across the salt pans, and visits to the iconic Fallen Baobab.
The Makgadikgadi destinations are usually part of a larger fly-in safari itinerary that takes in Botswana’s more familiar safari destinations such as the Chobe National Park, Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve. Flying between them is relatively quick and straight-forward, and lodges in all these destinations are of a generally very high standard.
Destinations further afield such as Victoria Falls and Cape Town can be combined with the Makgadikgadi via Botswana’s travel hub – Maun – which also functions as the gateway to the Okavango Delta.
But the Makgadikgadi is surprisingly accessible: the excellent Nxai Pan National Park can be reached comfortably by 4X4 vehicle from Maun, and both it and the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park are often built into a wider mobile safari itinerary, a great way to experience Botswana’s natural bio-diversity.
Browse our most popular Botswana safari itineraries: they are tried and tested tours with a great diversity of experiences. Book them as they are or ask us to tailor them to your requirements – time, interests and budget.
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The Makgadikgadi is a great destination to combine with Botswana’s other top safari destinations for a classic mix of ‘desert and delta’ experiences. The easiest one to combine is the Okavango Delta, a sprawling wetland wonder whose waterways stretch all the way down into the Makgadikgadi and Kalahari. Together with the Chobe National Park, these destinations deliver a very comprehensive range of animals and safari experiences ranging from walks and drives to boat trips and kayaking adventures.
It’s also easy to combine the Makgadikgadi with destinations further afield: Victoria Falls is the most obvious one as it lies within reach of Botswana’s safari destinations but regional flights also open up the possibility of combining the Makgadikgadi with Cape Town, the Kruger National Park or even the Indian Ocean coast.
