Makgadikgadi Pans National Park Travel Guide: Top Sights in Botswana,

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Makgadikgadi Pans National Park- Travel Tips What to See, How to Plan & Tours: Natural Scenery; Botswana; 8 Reviews

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Suggested Duration: 48 hours

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, situated in Botswana just south of Nxai Pan, offers a striking expanse of desolate beauty and geological marvel. Covering an immense area, this park showcases one of the world's largest salt pans, formed from an ancient lake's evaporation. Its name, translating to "vast, lifeless land," reflects its unique charm of profound silence and isolation, making it a sanctuary for those seeking solitude in nature's untouched realms. The park, which integrates with Nxai Pan, is framed by notable features such as the Ntwetwe Pan and the Boteti River. Its landscape, shaped by tectonic forces and centuries of evaporation, presents a stark contrast to the vibrant wildlife that visits during migration seasons. Home to the second-largest zebra migration in Africa, alongside wildebeests, oryx, and various bird species, the park offers a vivid spectacle against its stark backdrop. With limited accommodations and challenging access, including only 4x4 vehicle tracks, the park remains a pristine, adventurous destination that reveals its true grandeur during the drier months, making it a profound exploration of Earth's ancient rhythms and natural beauty.

Operators offering tours in Botswana

Attractions in Botswana

Okavango Delta

4.8

Chobe National Park

4.6

Moremi Game Reserve

3.2

Gaborone

Savuti Marsh

4.4

Central Kalahari Game Reserve

4.2

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

4.5

Nxai Pan National Park

4.8

Reviews of Makgadikgadi Pans

Johan Smit

4
Reviewed: 2024-04-24

Desolation and breathtakingly beautiful
Johan Smit

4
Reviewed: 2024-04-24

Desolation and breathtakingly beautiful
Robert Lutta

5
Reviewed: 2024-01-09

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

5
Reviewed: 2024-01-09

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

5
Reviewed: 2023-11-15

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.
Geri Fowler

5
Reviewed: 2023-11-15

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.
Terri Griffin

4
Reviewed: 2023-01-08

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.
Terri Griffin

4
Reviewed: 2023-01-08

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.