Makgadikgadi Saltpans

The Makgadikgadi Saltpans is the relic of an ancient lake and swamp land in Northern Botswana that existed over 2 million years ago. It once measured 30 metres deep and 80 000km² but over time has evaporated leaving two large saltpans and a number of smaller ones. It is a desolate expanse of beauty, a surreal desert landscape devoid of human habitation with ancient baobabs and vultures that soar high above the thermals.

 When the rains arrive in October the pans fill with water to create small lakes and the surrounding area turns into a carpet of rolling grasslands that welcomes a wildebeest and zebra migration similar to that in Kenya and Tanzania. The area becomes a breeding ground for pelicans and flamingos and the grasslands are home to a large number of antelope which attract many predators.  

 We would recommend you plan to visit the Makgadikgadi Saltpans during the winter months between April and July when there is a migration of game from the Okavango Delta. The days are warm and the nights are cool. You will encounter the many desert adapted residents which include aardwolf, African wildcat, caracal, kudu, jackal, meerkats, suricates, yellow mongoose and the occasional black-maned Kalahari  lion, leopard and cheetah. It is also the domain of the elusive brown and spotted hyenas.