Makgadikgadi Pans

The Makgadikgadi Pans are the remnants of an ancient super-lake that once covered much of the Kalahari. Today, the vast salt flats of Sowa Pan and Ntwetwe Pan create one of Africa's most unique and extraordinary landscapes — especially after the summer rains when the pans fill with a shallow film of water and hundreds of thousands of lesser and greater flamingos arrive to breed. During the dry season, the pans are brilliant white and bone-dry, an almost Martian landscape best explored by quad bike or 4x4. The areas around the pans support meerkats, brown hyena, oryx, and the second-largest zebra migration in Africa.

Activities & Experiences

Mokoro Canoe Safari

Glide silently through the lily-covered channels of the Okavango Delta in a traditional mokoro (dugout canoe) poled by an expert local guide, coming face-to-face with hippos, elephants, and abundant birdlife at water level.

From USD 180

Elephant Back Safari

Ride atop a gentle, habituated African elephant through the Chobe wilderness for an unforgettable perspective of the bush, guided by expert elephant handlers and trackers with deep knowledge of the local ecosystem.

From USD 220

4x4 Game Drive Safari

Set out at dawn or dusk in an open 4x4 safari vehicle with an expert naturalist guide to track Botswana's Big Five and extraordinary array of plains game, predators, and bird species across Chobe or Moremi Game Reserve.

From USD 150

Makgadikgadi Salt Pans Quad Biking

Speed across the vast, mirror-flat expanse of the Makgadikgadi salt pans on a guided quad bike excursion — one of Africa's most exhilarating experiences — concluding with sundowners as the sun sinks into the horizon.

From USD 95

Location