Makgadikgadi Pans National Park

After a few long days of game viewing driving in the Khwai/Moremi areas we decided on some quiet days here, we’ll pass on heading to the salt pans. We didn't expect particularly good game viewing along the Bo-teti river but we'd just do that. We entered one afternoon around 2pm, after dropping some tables and chairs at our SKL Khumaga campsite we set off along the river bank. And what an afternoon. A long drought for Botswana left the Boteti dry apart from a few remaining waterholes along the river. Everything was either heading to or from water. Thousands of zebra, as many wildebeest, impala, kudu and giraffe. And elephants. Down on the river bed more than 200 spread over a 15km drive. And when on the banks curving in the sand track there seemed an elephant behind every bush either coming or going to the river. The following morning, same animals but only 10% of the volume of the previous afternoon and few ele-phant. But again by 2.30 pm literally a few thousand animals covering the dry riverbed, unbelievable.

The British car show Top Gear visited these salt flats twice, once in 2007 and again in 2024, and I can see why. What a beautiful place to end one of the world’s best TV shows. Jeremy, James, and Richard, thank you for 22 years of Top Gear.

We stayed at a near by Safari camp and visited here multiple times on our stay. It is very dry and dusty here, and the rivers are very low but it has its own beauty. Since this is a national park, you can’t go off the main roads to follow animals like in a private reserve. You also can’t go in after 6pm so there are no night game drives. You can camp in this park and there are many self-drive tourist in here. It’s very bumpy so you must be able to handle the jostling and bouncing. We saw many male elephants who weee often aggressive. We didn’t see any female elephants or babies. We saw hippos, giraffes, ostrich, jackals, monitor lizards, crocodiles, vervet monkeys, baboons, many hoofed animals, many birds, etc. We did not see any cats in this area. If you visit this area, mix it with a trip to Okavanga Delta or Chobe.

An amazing place....the vastness of the salt pan & the history behind it ...its unbelievable that it was once a lake! The odd animal crossing this dry pan.

Kumaga camp had beautiful campsites by the river but most of them without shade especially in dry season it is so hot. Make sure you have an awning or gazebo. Not much game near the camp but ellies came at night it seems. Zebra migration was great to witness in early September. We went to river at 6am and there were no animals. It seems all of them come only after it gets hot in the day.

View of the salt pans. Camping is pre booked for any of the baobab baines.

Experience Africa at it's best, the salt pans are magical and the best driving experience you can have, the Makgadikgadi nature reserve is the perfect place to see an abundance of wildlife! Make sure you have enough fuel and a road map, the tourist map books are awesome!

Great park with a very relaxed campsite, run by the SKL group. Minimal provisions available at the gate (wood, water and trinkets) so stock up before. No meat or fresh dairy is allowed to cross the vet fence from the North West District (IE. Maun) so make a plan ;), they will check your fridge. There is a ferry crossing into the park. With low water levels the ferry is inoperable and the only way in is a water crossing through the river. The roads in the park are very sandy 4x4 and low tyre pressures of around 1.5 bar are highly recommended. The ablutions are neat and working well currently, with a solar geyser which means hot showers at mid day! Enjoy!