The Makgadikgadi, an area of 12 000 sq km, is made up of a vast and eerie lunar-like landscape. The area is characterised by magnificent salt pans, dotted with islands of palm and baobab trees.For much of the year, most of this desolate area remains waterless and extremely arid. However following the rains, the two largest pans, Sowa to the east and Ntwetwe to the west, flood. This attracts wildlife such as zebra and wildebeest on the grassy plains and most spectacularly flamingos at Sowa and Nata Sanctuary. Flamingo numbers can run into the hundreds of thousands and the sight can be extraordinary. The Makgadikgadi complements the watery channels of the Okavango Delta perfectly and offers a wide variety of unusual safari activities, including habituated meerkats, Bushmen interaction, and quad-biking. During the May-November dry season, the wildlife is generally quite sparse in these parched desert areas. However, the area is home to an array of desert-adapted species such as oryx, springboks, kudus, brown hyenas, aardwolves, and aardvarks. The few permanent water sources that remain also attract large herds of wildebeest and zebras, which in turn, attract their predators. This is also the only time of year that you can enjoy quad biking on the endless salt pans.During the December-April green season, locals rejoice as the rain brings the desert to life. This is a fantastic time of year to travel as it brings the Zebra migration, the second largest migration in Africa, consisting of around 30,000 animals. The migration is made up of predominantly zebra, but also vast herds of wildebeest and elephants.
All of the trips we create for Makgadikgadi Salt Pans are designed and tailored specifically for you. We create each trip from a blank piece of paper, building the holiday you had dreamed, using our experience, knowledge and contacts to design the ultimate experience.
Below are some of examples of trips in Makgadikgadi Salt Pans that we have created, designed to showcase the destination, our expertise and create some inspiration.
10 Day Itinerary
Guide Price: £16,800pp
Embark on the ultimate African adventure, exploring diverse landscapes such as Victoria Falls, the Okavango Delta and the salt pans whilst uncovering a wide range of wildlife on river and walking safaris.
San Camp the Sister Camp of Jack’s Camp is spectacularly located right on the edge of the historic Makgadikgadi Salt pans, a relic of one of the world’s largest super-lakes, the Makgadikgadi dried up thousands of years ago as a result of the continued shifting of the earth’s crust and is now one of the largest salt pans in Africa.
Leroo La Tau is situated on the western bank of the Boteti River, northwest of Khumaga Village and about 140 kilometres southeast of Maun. The eastern bank of the Boteti forms the boundary of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, which stretches away from the riverbank towards its interior of scrubland and mineral-rich grasslands.
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Jack’s Camp is situated in this prehistoric setting offering just ten bedouin-style canvas tents with en-suite bathrooms and spacious bedrooms with persian rugs and cool cotton sheets.
Found to the south of the Chobe National Park, the Savuti region is characterised by dense sections of mopane forest and large open glades that surround the Savuti Marsh. The marsh itself is fed by the Savuti Channel, which feeds down from the Linyanti River.
Botswana’s Tuli Block is tucked away in the east of the country between South Africa and Zimbabwe and, despite being the least-known of Botswana’s safari areas, is an incredibly rewarding destination for keen safari-goers who want to escape the crowds and enjoy something truly different.Tuli is renowned for its dramatic landscapes, with huge rolling hillsides, towering baobab trees and endless dusty red plains which support an abundance of wildlife including elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah and giraffe.
As one of the most sought after wilderness destinations in the world, the Okavango Delta gives entrance to the wild Africa that dreams are made of; the heart-stopping excitement of big game viewing, the supreme tranquility and serenity of an untouched delta.A journey to the Okavango Delta is like no other.
The Moremi was the first reserve in Africa that was established by local residents. Concerned about the rapid depletion of wildlife in their ancestral lands due to uncontrolled hunting and cattle encroachment, the Batawana people of Ngamiland took the bold initiative to proclaim Moremi a game reserve in 1963.
Undoubtedly one of Africa’s most beautiful rivers, the Chobe supports a diversity and concentration of wildlife unparalled anywhere else in the country. Established in 1968, the park covers approximately 11,700 sq kms, encompassing floodplains, swamps and woodland.
Nestled away on the western side of Chobe and separated from Namibia by the Linyanti River, the Linyanti region is one of the most remote game viewing areas in Botswana and a haven for wildlife enthusiasts. Generally Linyanti is best in the April to November dry season as some roads and camps become inaccessible during the summer rains.
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