Name: Makgadikgadi Pans
Address: Botswana

Overview

Located in the centre of Botswana, Makgadikgadi Pans National Park is one of the largest salt pans in the world. The pan is all that remains of the formerly enormous Lake Makgadikgadi, which once covered an area larger than Switzerland, but dried up tens of thousands of years ago. Modern Homo sapiens first began to evolve in this region some 200,000 years ago. The shimmering, cracked crust doesn’t look as if it could support any form of life. After good rains, however, this desolate landscape transforms when new grass attracts thousands of animals. As the pans fill up, flocks of pelicans and flamingos settle in as well.

High Season

Whole year

Best Time to Go

July to October

Pros & Cons

One of the largest salt pans in the world gives a very amazing Desert scenery
Off-the-beaten-track and very little visited
Open plains make wildlife viewing easier
Animal migration to the pans during the wet season
Location of Chapman's Baobab, one of Africa's largest trees
The only breeding population of greater flamingos in southern Africa

Comparatively less wildlife than in more popular parks, such as Chobe or Moremi
Few options for accommodation in and outside the park
Very hot and dry climate

Map in Botswana

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Gallery Images

Explore the stunning beauty of Makgadikgadi Pans through our curated collection of photographs showcasing its landscapes, wildlife, and natural wonders.

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Wildlife & Animals

The Makgadikgadi Pans National Park annually hosts huge groups of zebras and wildebeests, who move from the Boteti River across the Nwetwe Pan. While the national park doesn't have a colossal variety of wildlife, there is still a lot to spot on a safari. Cape baboon, bushbuck, elephant, giraffe, meerkats, springbok, vervet monkeys water-buck, zebras and wildebeest are some of the well-evolved mammals that call Makgadikgadi pans national park their home.

Wildlife Highlights

The Makgadikgadi Pan's predatory inhabitants incorporate cheetahs, brown and spotted hyenas, lions, and leopards. There are additionally a few nocturnal animal categories including striped polecat, African wildcat, honey badger, black-backed jackal, porcupine, small-spotted genet, aardvark, and the aardwolf. The banks of the Boteti river are the natural habitat of Nile crocodiles, who can get by without food for quite some time. They are expert deft trackers ready to pounce for their prey. Hippos are likewise found in the waterway.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Makgadikgadi Pans have extremely seasonal wildlife viewing. The actual pans attract wildlife in the wet mid-year months, from December to May. Although, the greater part of the park and the lodges are concentrated around the Boteti River region, which is best for wildlife viewing in the Dry season from June to December. The Dry season is best for seeing the pans as you can really drive on them.

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Birds

There are plenty of bird species in the Nata sanctuary in the Sua Pan. The Makgadikgadi Pan has around 255 bird species recorded so far such as Meyer’s parrot, black-winged stilt, Burchell’s coucal, African fish eagle, white-browed robin, Kalahari scrub robin, the secretary bird, and several well-known species of predatory birds. Birding is extraordinary in the wet season, especially when the pans fill up and flocks of lesser and greater flamingos, accompanied by Great white pelican, come feeding in the shallows. The flamingo breed on the pans when the water is high enough to protect their nests from predators.

Best Time for Birding

Makgadikgadi Pans is an excellent park for bird watching throughout the year. Although, the huge number of flamingos that flocks here in the wet season is the genuine highlight. The circumstance relies upon the rain and algae growth levels and yet the greatest months are in the Wet season, from November to April. This is the best time when migratory birds are available and lots of birds are breeding and showing their breeding plumage.

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Best Time to Visit – Makgadikgadi Pans

High Season

Whole year

Low Season

Seasonal rains can affect access in some areas

Best Weather

Typically during dry months; check local patterns

Worst Weather

Peak of Wet season; very hot months vary by region

May to October (Dry Season)

Less vegetation and animals concentrate around water, making them easier to spot
The skies are clear, rain is rare, and there are fewer mosquitoes
Even though most tourists visit during the Dry season, the parks still feel uncrowded, except for the bustling Chobe riverfront area