Kalahari's Salt Pans
Kalahari Salt Pans
Emptiness, endless emptiness in every direction as far as the eye can see, the land baked cracked and dry.
Salt on the surface of the pans glints in the harsh rays of the sun. Vegetation is scrubby; grasslands parched. The occasional stand of palm trees appears like a mirage, silhouetted against the sky.
The vestiges of a superlake that once covered the whole of central Botswana, the Makgadikgadi Pans spread out over a massive 12,000km² of the Kalahari. For much of the year, the near-desolate landscape offers an entirely different perspective on this fossil desert. Stone Age tools still lie on the unforgiving surface, meerkats keep watch by day, and brown hyena carry out their nightly patrols. The hard, flat terrain is ripe for exploration, whether on foot, by 4WD, or even on the back of a quadbike.
Rain is rare and unpredictable, but in times of plenty, flamingos flock to the pans early in the year to breed, painting the landscape a rich pink, and both wildebeest and zebra appear in their thousands on the surrounding grasslands to feed on the lush new growth.
To the west, the Boteti River that borders Makgadikgadi Pans National Park was for many years nearly dry, but this is once more a haven for elephant and hippo. As the land nears the river, so the vegetation becomes more dense, leading to a very different world. Shaft-tailed whydah grace the trees with their beautiful long tails; carmine and blue-cheeked bee-eaters add their flashes of colour to myriad flowers and butterflies.
Few visitors make it to this isolated area. Yet from migrant zebra and birds during the rains to the exhilaration of seemingly endless space as the land dries out, the rewards are many – and the photographic opportunities can be exceptional.
Safaris visiting Kalahari Salt Pans
Just ideas, we'll always tailor-make a trip for you
Red Lechwe Safari
9 days • 3 locations
MAUN AIRPORT TO MAUN AIRPORT
Superb guiding from three fabulous camps full of character in three contrasting areas for a fabulous safari to the Okavango Delta and Kalahari Desert.
US$10,800 - US$28,240 per person
African Jacana Safari
7 days • 3 locations
MAUN AIRPORT TO MAUN AIRPORT
An adventurous introduction to Botswana blending prolific wildlife, incredible landscapes and varied activities staying at relaxed camps in the Chobe Enclave, a community-owned reserve bordering the Moremi, and Makgadikgadi Pans.
US$7,770 - US$12,280 per person
Most recent reviews of our safaris to Kalahari Salt Pans
Click below to browse all 147 reviews from Kalahari's Salt Pans. All from our travellers; all are in full & unedited.
Arrived 25 Jul 2022, 19 nights
"My Jul 2022 trip"
Overall rating: Excellent
Arrived 21 Jun 2024, 33 nights
"Unforgettable July 2024 trip"
Overall rating: Excellent
Arrived 13 Jul 2024, 8 nights
"My Jul 2024 trip"
Overall rating: Excellent
Arrived 3 Jun 2024, 11 nights
"My Jun 2024 trip"
Overall rating: Excellent
Arrived 7 Jun 2024, 10 nights
"Absolutely awesome experience"
Overall rating: Excellent
Arrived 15 May 2024, 11 nights
"Botswana Magic 5/24"
Overall rating: Excellent
Arrived 17 Sep 2023, 11 nights
"Outstanding safaris, holiday of a lifetime"
Overall rating: Excellent
Arrived 10 Aug 2023, 16 nights
"My Aug 2023 trip"
Overall rating: Excellent
Arrived 2 May 2023, 12 nights
" May 2023 - Central Kalahari and the Salt Pans"
Overall rating: Excellent
Arrived 15 Mar 2023, 13 nights
"My Mar 2023 trip"
Overall rating: Excellent
Where to stay in this part of the Kalahari
Our suggestions for safari camps in Kalahari's Salt Pans
Camp Kalahari
Overlooking the Makgadikgadi Pans, Camp Kalahari is great value; come for quadbiking excursions on the salt pans, cute meerkats, excellent Bushman walks, and interesting 4WD safaris.
Nxai Pan Camp
Offering good summer game viewing and visits to Baines Baobabs, the comfortable Nxai Pan Camp is currently the only permanent camp in Nxai Pan National Park.
Jack's Camp
Jack's Camp was the original camp in the Makgadikgadi area, and many still consider it the best. Come for a unique and memorable experience, but not for prolific game viewing.
San Camp
The simple but stylish San Camp lies in a stunning location beside the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, where highlights are quadbiking, meerkats, and Bushmen walks.
Meno A Kwena
Meno A Kwena Tented Camp is an old-style safari camp, run by an experienced Botswana expert. Overlooking the bed of the Boteti River, it's a great place to relax and watch wildlife at the camp's waterhole.
Leroo La Tau
From the western bank of the Boteti River, Leroo La Tau overlooks the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, where game concentrations are highest from July to October.
Migration Expeditions
A seasonal safari camp in Nxai Pan National Park focussed on the area's annual zebra migration.
Our travellers’ wildlife sightings in Kalahari Salt Pans
This is their success for sightings in Kalahari's Salt Pans. Click on a species for more detail. How we work this out.
98% success
93% success
90% success
79% success
54% success
50% success
39% success
32% success
28% success
26% success
22% success
3% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
When to go to Kalahari's Salt Pans
Our month by month guide: What it's like to visit Kalahari Salt Pans in Botswana
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Botswana in January
January is at the peak of Botswana’s rainy season. These rains are often in the evening and are short but heavy, with occasional thunderstorms. Temperatures will still be high but cooler than October–December. Animals are generally dispersed, and not easy to spot, with the best game viewing found in the north of Chief’s Island and on the eastern and southern sides of the Okavango Delta.
January is also one of the best months to see the zebra and wildebeest migration in the Makgadikgadi salt pans and at Nxai Pan. Migratory birds abound throughout northern Botswana, along with a large number of breeding flamingos in the flooded salt pans. Rates are generally relatively low, making this a good time to visit on a budget.
- Temperatures are still warm, with occasional thunderstorms
- The bush feels alive; birdlife is at its most spectacular
- Big game is dispersed
- Zebra & wildebeest migration at its height
- Availability in lodges and camps is often very good
Our view
A good time to visit, with pros & cons
Weather in January
Botswana in February
The weather in February is very similar to January, with heavy rain most days – often towards evening – and temperatures on the high side, albeit cooling off from the rains and surface water. Across northern Botswana, the landscape feels green and alive; insects and smaller animals are more easily seen, and many birds and animals are raising their young. However, the rains have created pools and waterholes in the bush and thicker vegetation and tall grass makes it trickier to spot larger animals.
Further south, the game viewing is beginning to pick up in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Visitor numbers remain low, with attendant rates and availability in camps and lodges.
- Temperatures still warm with occasional thunderstorms
- Many animals with young; birdlife at its most spectacular
- Big game is dispersed
- Game viewing picking up in the Central Kalahari
- Visitor numbers are low, so camp availability can be very good
Our view
This is not a great time to visit
Weather in February
Botswana in March
March usually sees Botswana’s main rains starting to tail off. Many days will be clear, with a strong sun raising temperatures. On some days clouds will build, and the late-afternoon may see a short thunderstorm. Across the country, the landscape is green and alive. Many birds and animals are finishing raising their young. Much of the migration is now moving north towards the Savute area or Chobe National Park, though thick vegetation still makes it trickier to spot even larger animals.
March is one of the best times to be in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, where many of the pans fill up and animals come to drink, closely followed by predators. With few visitors in most areas, rates may still be relatively low.
- Variable weather: rains tailing off but still hot
- Occasional small thunderstorms
- Many animals finish raising their young; birdlife still spectacular
- The best time to visit the Central Kalahari Game Reserve
- Few tourists visit during March, so rates often low
Our view
A good time to visit, with pros & cons
Weather in March
Botswana in April
During April the rains have usually stopped, though there may be still be the odd late downpour. This results in clear skies and a lovely green, lush landscape. Night-time temperatures usually start to drop during April with this being most noticeable in the Central Kalahari and the Makgadikgadi areas. The Central Kalahari is really coming into its own at this point and from April through to May/June the Savute region is a particular favourite of ours, with good predator/prey interaction.
In much of northern Botswana, the camps are coming into their “shoulder” season, so rates are on the rise but still relatively low.
- Evening temperatures cooling with just the odd shower
- Northern Botswana is green and lush
- Many animals still with young; good predator/prey interaction
- Central Kalahari and Savute the best places for wildlife
- A popular shoulder season time to book. Rates relatively low
Our view
A good time to visit, with pros & cons
Weather in April
Botswana in May
May is a very popular month to visit Botswana, often the last month of the “shoulder” season before camp rates hit their peak. While there is very little chance of rain, the annual floods from Angola are starting to make their way through the northern part of the Delta, and will eventually reach the majority of the Okavango late June.
With cooler temperatures morning and evening, predator activity tends to be higher, although tall grasses can still obstruct game viewing. With cool crisp evenings, and the game viewing really picking up, this is the favourite time to visit for many of our team – and camp bookings throughout Botswana are snapped up quickly.
- Cool mornings and evenings with little chance of rain
- Game viewing is beginning to pick up
- Predator activity increasing, though grasses still quite high
- Last month of “shoulder” season for most camps
- Availability goes quickly throughout Botswana
Our view
A very good time to visit
Weather in May
Botswana in June
June is the real start of the dry season. Temperatures are still cool in the morning and evenings with night-time temperatures sometimes reaching freezing, rising to 25–30 degrees Celsius during the day, with blue skies. Along with this comes a certain clarity to the air, favourable for serious photographers. Surface water and waterholes begin to dry up during this period and many animals begin to congregate around the remaining areas with water.
Visibility is improving as the grass is beginning to die back, and game viewing is very good everywhere, with particular improvement in the Kwando–Linyanti areas. Not surprisingly, camp availability is becoming scarce and rates are high.
- Warm, comfortable days; cold nights, morning & evenings
- Air clarity favours serious photographers
- Wildlife is gravitating to waterholes, making game-viewing productive
- Grasses beginning to die back
- Most camps are into peak season, with rates correspondingly high
Our view
Fantastic: the very best time to visit
Weather in June
Botswana in July
Evenings and mornings are still cool in July, and this combined with great game viewing makes it one of the most popular times to visit Botswana. Vegetation is really thinning out now making game easier to spot, with the few remaining waterholes attracting lots of wildlife. The north-eastern side of Chobe National Park, along the Chobe River, is also very rewarding, although this area can become very busy.
Game viewing is extremely good in the Khwai areas, too, but again, this is a public area and – unlike in the private concessions of the Delta – vehicle numbers can be high. Camps are now very much into the peak season, and tend to be full.
- Comfortable days; cold nights, morning & evenings
- Game viewing very good as vegetation dies back and waterholes dry out
- Chobe Riverfront and Khwai areas become very busy
- Private concessions helps to avoid potentially high vehicle numbers
- Now very much into peak season
Our view
Fantastic: the very best time to visit
Weather in July
Botswana in August
August is a popular time to visit Botswana, coinciding with the European summer holidays, and camp availability is difficult. Temperatures are generally cool at night, and comfortable during the day, although towards the end of the month they can rise above 35 degrees Celsius (albeit with low humidity). Cloudless skies bring spectacular star-gazing. Wildlife has congregated around the few remaining water sources, and much of the vegetation has now died back, so wildlife viewing tends to be varied and rewarding, particularly in the Okavango Delta.
Depending on the rains in Angola this can also be one of the best times to see the delta floods at their peak.
- Dry, warm days, with mainly cool nights
- Cloudless skies with spectacular stars at night
- A fantastic time for wildlife watching, particularly in the Okavango
- Traditionally one of the best times to see the Delta in full flood
- Peak season: so high rates and many lodges full
Our view
Fantastic: the very best time to visit
Weather in August
Botswana in September
September is another favourite month for some of our team members. Daytime temperatures are getting warmer, but nights remain cool. With the drier conditions, most of the greenery has faded from the landscape, and dust or even smoke create hazy conditions that aren’t great for photographers – though this does result in fantastic sunsets.
This is another extremely good month for game viewing, with large numbers of elephant and buffalo congregating in the Chobe region and migrant birds begin to return to Botswana. Rates remain high – and availability correspondingly low.
- Warmer days and cool nights
- One of the best months for wildlife viewing
- Large congregations of elephant & buffalo in the Chobe region
- Hazy conditions less good for photographers, but brilliant sunsets
- High season rates; many lodges & camps are full
Our view
Fantastic: the very best time to visit
Weather in September
Botswana in October
October is the one of the hottest months of the year, and usually one of the driest. Towards the end of the month the chances of rain can increase, and along with this can come greater humidity. The air is usually dry and hazy, making photography more challenging, but the lack of water and vegetation result in very good big-game viewing.
Water levels are now much lower, so water-based activities such as boating, mokoro trips and fishing cease in many of the camps which are not on major tributaries.
- Hot temperatures, with the chance of rain towards the end of the month
- Great big-game viewing
- Less opportunity for water activities in camps as floods recede
- Hazy air not great for photographers
- Final month of the peak season in camps
Our view
Fantastic: the very best time to visit
Weather in October
Botswana in November
November usually marks the end of the dry season in Botswana, when increasing temperatures drive a rise in humidity, sometimes culminating in the first rains. These are often short but very heavy showers in the late afternoon or during the night, and can be spectacular. The rains lower the temperatures slightly but bring a flush of green back into the dry landscapes. As waterholes in surrounding areas fill, wildlife will gradually begin to disperse as it is not restricted by the availability of water.
November is a great time for birdwatching, with the arrival of many migrant birds. The first couple of weeks are very popular with travellers looking for great game viewing at lower rates as Botswana enters the “shoulder” season.
- Hot in the middle of the day; sometimes humid
- Heavy showers increasingly likely as the month progresses
- Wildlife watching still good, but less reliable once it rains
- Migrant birds start to arrive
- “Shoulder” season brings mid-range rates in camps
Our view
A good time to visit, with pros & cons
Weather in November
Botswana in December
The rains in Botswana have now started, bringing some respite to the high temperatures. Game viewing becomes harder as wildlife is more dispersed but great sightings can still be had in the right areas such as Khwai and the Kwara and Mombo concessions.
Areas such as the Makgadikgadi Pans change completely with the salt pans becoming covered in a shallow layer of water attracting large numbers of breeding flamingos. Low-season rates at many camps are a draw.
- Temperatures starting to fall from the highs of October/November
- Very high chance of rain, usually large heavy storms for short periods
- Flamingos return to breed at the Makgadikgadi Pans
- Wildlife more dispersed, so game viewing more challenging
- Typically low-season rates in the camps
Our view
A good time to visit, with pros & cons
Weather in December
Kalahari's Salt Pans: In Detail
Kalahari's Salt Pans
Despite what is said, the Kalahari isn't a true desert at all.
In fact it's a vast sand-sheet, a fossil desert, now largely covered in bushes, trees and grasses. Fortunately all this sand has always seemed of little use, so most of the Kalahari remains arid and untouched, as it has been for about 65 million years. Here, perhaps more than anywhere, you'll be struck by the feeling that you're light years away from modern life.
In the middle of the northern Kalahari, lies a complex of huge, flat salt pans. It's a harsh, sparse landscape, not to everyone's taste, but it offers an isolation as complete as anywhere in Southern Africa, and a wealth of hidden treasures for those prepared to make the effort. Their geology and history are fascinating, they play a vital role in the area's ecosystems… and they're very photogenic.
Makgadikgadi Pans
The western fringes of the pans are protected within Makgadikgadi National Park, which is flanked by two contrasting areas: the Central Pans and the Boteti River area.
Central Pans
All are very different in style, although they offer similar activities which are unique for Botswana! If you visit any of these camps, then we suggest that you stay for at least three nights.
Boteti River Area
There are two safari camps here: Meno A Kwena Tented Camp and Leroo La Tau.
Nxai Pan
There is one safari camp here - Nxai Pan Camp - but Nxai Pan National Park can also be visited with a mobile safari.
The Pans in the wet season
Around January to March, if the rains have been good, the pans flood. When this happens, grasses spring to life, flamingos arrive to nest, and a huge migration of zebra and wildebeest arrives. This is one of Africa's great, unpredictable wildlife spectacles. It's a fascinating place, but above all it's a wilderness. That's what captivates us about it.
Map of Kalahari's Salt Pans
Choices for where to stay in Kalahari's Salt Pans
Kalahari's Salt Pans: Safaris
Each itinerary below stays quite shortly at only one of a few camps sitting on the edge of the huge, flat Kalahari Salt Pans in the middle of the northern Kalahari. They can easily be combined with others into a whole Botswana safari holiday. Come to the Kalahari Salt Pans for quad biking, walking and 4WD drives. However, don’t expect a Botswana safari holiday full of game sightings – apart from birds and bands of droll meerkats wildlife isn’t dense here. Instead, it’s all about the stunning, photogenic scenery!
Red Lechwe Safari
9 days • 3 locations
MAUN AIRPORT TO MAUN AIRPORT
Superb guiding from three fabulous camps full of character in three contrasting areas for a fabulous safari to the Okavango Delta and Kalahari Desert.
US$10,800 - US$28,240 per person
African Jacana Safari
7 days • 3 locations
MAUN AIRPORT TO MAUN AIRPORT
An adventurous introduction to Botswana blending prolific wildlife, incredible landscapes and varied activities staying at relaxed camps in the Chobe Enclave, a community-owned reserve bordering the Moremi, and Makgadikgadi Pans.
US$7,770 - US$12,280 per person
7 lodges & safari camps in the Kalahari’s Salt Pans
These are grouped in very different three parts of this area, and so sometimes several can combine into the same trip.
Camp Kalahari
Overlooking the Makgadikgadi Pans, Camp Kalahari is great value; come for quadbiking excursions on the salt pans, cute meerkats, excellent Bushman walks, and interesting 4WD safaris.
Nxai Pan Camp
Offering good summer game viewing and visits to Baines Baobabs, the comfortable Nxai Pan Camp is currently the only permanent camp in Nxai Pan National Park.
Jack's Camp
Jack's Camp was the original camp in the Makgadikgadi area, and many still consider it the best. Come for a unique and memorable experience, but not for prolific game viewing.
San Camp
The simple but stylish San Camp lies in a stunning location beside the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, where highlights are quadbiking, meerkats, and Bushmen walks.
Meno A Kwena
Meno A Kwena Tented Camp is an old-style safari camp, run by an experienced Botswana expert. Overlooking the bed of the Boteti River, it's a great place to relax and watch wildlife at the camp's waterhole.
Leroo La Tau
From the western bank of the Boteti River, Leroo La Tau overlooks the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, where game concentrations are highest from July to October.
Migration Expeditions
A seasonal safari camp in Nxai Pan National Park focussed on the area's annual zebra migration.
Excursions in Kalahari's Salt Pans
Optional, extra day-trips and excursions that are possible while you’re staying in Kalahari's Salt Pans. Talk to us: these excursions are usually best arranged before you go.
Helicopter Flight - Botswana
Various: from 30 minutes to half a day.
Low-flying, agile and offering superb views, helicopters are an ideal way to move around the Okavango Delta.You can use them instead of fixed-wing inter-lodge transfers or as an addition to other wildlife watching activities, and of course, helicopters can hover to allow that perfect pic, whereas fixed-wings can’t.
More about Helicopter Flight