Makadikadi Basin
Salt flat · Central ·
Vast salt flats, stark landscapes, meerkats, zebras, starry skies
Information
Botswana Get directions
Vast salt flats, stark landscapes, meerkats, zebras, starry skies
Botswana Get directions
"In the green season these pans transform into lush grazing grounds that attract tens of thousands of zebras on their search for fresh pasture, creating sweeping, high-energy wildlife spectacles against a rejuvenated landscape." - Maija de Rijk-Uys
"This dramatic Botswana landscape is noted for its expansive pans and zebra herds, offering sweeping scenic and wildlife photo opportunities that favor wider shots of animal groups and the surrounding terrain." - Lauren Breedlove Lauren Breedlove Lauren Breedlove is a New York-based travel writer, photographer, and content creator who focuses on off-the-beaten-path outdoor adventures. Her work has been featured in Afar, Time magazine, TravelPulse, Popsugar, Travel + Leisure, Elite Daily, and Thrillist. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"A vast, barren salt-pan landscape of extreme heat and wide-open solitude where travelers search for meerkats and encounter dramatic, lonely scenery. Long drives across the pan lead to moments of stark, meditative beauty—such as resting in the shade of a colossal, ancient tree standing alone for miles—followed by golden-hour drives that culminate in secluded sundowner spots with campfires and simple comforts amid an expansive, quiet wilderness." - Sophie Mendel Sophie Mendel Sophie Mendel is an editor at Travel + Leisure, where she assigns, edits, and publishes the product reviews and recommendations that help guide travelers toward the best shoes, apparel, accessories, and hotels for their needs. Sophie has traveled to 53 countries and lived in five, and is bilingual in English and Spanish. She has more than six years of experience as a writer, editor, and copywriter. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"One of the world's largest salt flats located in Botswana, known for its vast, stark landscapes and unique wildlife experiences, including the opportunity to sleep under the Milky Way." - Stephanie Vermillion Stephanie Vermillion Stephanie Vermillion is a travel journalist and photographer covering culture and adventure for Travel + Leisure Outside, and more. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"Secluded, inky, light-pollution-free skies over this vast, ancient salt flat set the stage for mindful star bathing; at over 11,500 square miles—nearly the size of Maryland—the ivory patchwork of salt, sand, and clay gave me a front-row seat to the Delta Aquariid meteor shower, an annual July to August spectacle most active in the southern hemisphere, with shooting stars zipping by like a confetti cannon. Reached via a rugged four-hour traverse and experienced as a sleepout with sunset champagne, al fresco beds, fire-cooked fare, and a helicopter ride at dawn, it’s an awe-inspiring adventure." - Stephanie Vermillion