Botswana

The Makgadikgadi Pan National Park is a huge area southwest of the Okavango Delta. It is easily accessible via Maun, the main airport used as a gateway for visitors to the Delta and Moremi Game Reserve. Along with Nxai Pan, which is directly north of Makgadikgadi, these salt pans are believed to be the largest in the world.

I stayed at Leroo Le Tau camp on the edge of Makgadikgadi National Park along the Boteti River. It was quite a treat, as the zebra migrations were in full swing, and the dry Boteti riverbed—which all of our tents in camp faced—was a constant source of activity. The zebra migration is the longest mammal migration in all of Africa, with over 20,000 zebra moving between the Makgadikgadi-Nxai Pan system and the Chobe River floodplains, a one-way distance of over 800 kilometers. (Combined with a second migration between the Okavango Delta and the Makgadikgadi Pan, another 15,000 zebras join the area, making it quite a bustling zone of activity.)

The lodge is extremely nice, situated along the (now dry) banks of the Boteti and very close to the gate of Makgadikgadi Pan National Park. The main area has a lovely pool, plenty of amenities (like a Jura coffee machine if you like your morning brew fancy), and a viewing hide built into the banks of the riverbed. Each tent is elongated, so you have a lovely view of (and balcony overlooking) the Boteti. Elephants and jackals mix in with the vast herds of zebra throughout the day and night. Don’t be surprised if you can hear elephants down along the riverbed during the night—pack some earplugs!

The location of the lodge made it perfect for game-viewing from the hide or the lodge itself. But also for short or long drives into the national park. You can spend hours searching for big cats or giraffes and ostriches, or take a short drive to have a sundowner in the bush, down on the riverbed among some of the animals.

If you need a non-animal highlight, then you can do a sleepout in the Makgadikgadi Pan itself. Take an overnight bag on a long dusty drive and you arrive in a barren, alien landscape with a crew from the lodge waiting for you. Sundowners and dinner with an incredible sunset are the evening’s highlights. Beds are set up under the stars, well spaced from the others, and all are facing East so you get the full wondrous effect of the sunrise over the pan. An incredible night sky of stars will be the only thing above your head during the night. The sleepout was an incredible experience and one I loved! I highly recommend ending the excursion with a helicopter ride back to camp.

The Makgadikgadi Pan National Park is not at the top of every “must-visit” list for Botswana, which is a shame. You should really consider adding a stop here on your Botswana safari—you will not be disappointed!