Makgadikgadi Pans is one of the flattest places on earth. Explore uncharted Africa safaris in the true wilderness of remote Botswana.
The Makgadikgadi Pan, located in the dry savanna of northeastern Botswana, is one of the largest salt flats in the world. It is a place you have to visit on your Botswana holiday. Once part of the vast Lake Makgadikgadi, which was larger than Switzerland, the lake dried up long ago, leaving behind this expansive and otherworldly landscape in the middle of Botswana.
During the rainy season and summer floods, the pans come alive – attracting vast flocks of migratory birds including lesser and greater flamingos, pelicans, and other waterbirds, creating a vibrant and dynamic ecosystem. In contrast, the dry season sees a more desolate yet captivating environment, where wildlife sightings become less frequent in this part of the park. The views and landscape become stark – dont let this distract you from a safari toM akgadikgadi in the dry season.
To the north, the currently dry Boteti River hosts a series of hippo pools that draw game such as wildebeest, zebras, and the inevitable lions. One of the area’s highlights is the spectacular zebra migration, offering visitors an unforgettable glimpse into the region’s incredible natural rhythms.
It is said that the origins of all mankind come from the ancient Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana. Indeed, Makgadikgadi Pan safaris to this extraordinary region are profoundly moving – and it’s all in our guide to safaris in Botswana. Makgadikgadi Pan is one of the flattest places on earth. Explore Jack’s Camp and Uncharted Africa safaris in the true wilderness of remote Botswana.
Thousands of years ago the Pan was a lake bigger than Switzerland. The great Makgadikgadi Pan is not one pan but many pans with sandy desert strewn between – the Sua, Ntwetwe, and Nxai Pans. Modern Homo sapiens first began to evolve in this region some 200,000 years ago, when it was a massive, remarkably fertile area of lakes, rivers, marshes, woodlands and grasslands. It was easier for people to live there and to evolve, along with their animal neighbors.
Maybe this is why so many travelers are innately drawn to experience the pans every season. When it rains, soft green grasses emerge, attracting impressive herds of antelope and zebra, followed by predators like lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, and reptiles.
The Makgadikgadi Pan in Botswana spans over 16,000 square kilometers, making it one of the most expansive salt flats on Earth. Historically, the ancient Lake Makgadikgadi once covered up to 80,000 square kilometers in the Kalahari Basin, now a dry and arid expanse.
Today, the pans flood briefly during rains, creating a stunning, ephemeral wetland teeming with life. This seasonal transformation attracts migratory birds, including flamingos and pelicans, and sustains the zebra migration, offering a remarkable contrast to the otherwise stark, otherworldly landscape. Visitors to the pans experience both its tranquil desolation and its vibrant seasonal rebirth teeming with birds and wildlife.
With Voyage2Africa, you too can experience the open Pans as part of a Botswana safari to the Okavango Delta and Kalahari combined!
