Makgadikgadi Pans
Nxai Pan Camp
Nxai Pan National Park lies just north of the Maun-Nata road and adjoins Makgadikgadi Pans National Park on its northern border. The vast Makgadikgadi Pans are evidence of a vanished prehistoric super lake and today represent one of the last true wilderness areas left in Africa. Famous explorers who passed through this region on their voyages to the ‘interior’, include David Livingstone, James Chapman and Thomas Baines.
Situated in the tree line, Nxai Pan Camp consists of eight custom-built rooms (including 1 family room). All rooms are en-suite and have thatched roofs and insulation so are cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. The main area consists of dining room, lounge area and a viewing deck. The camp also offers a swimming pool, library and curio shop. Nxai Pan Camp is adapted to the surrounding environment and runs on solar power.
Nxai Pan is well known for its huge springbok population and once the rains have started, gemsbok, elephant and zebras migrate to the region. At this time zebras come in their thousands to drop their young at Nxai Pan. These large herds of zebra, springbok and wildebeest attract many predators, including lion, cheetah, jackal, both the spotted and elusive brown hyena, as well as wild dog and secretive leopard.
Activities include game drives in open 4×4 vehicles, stargazing, day trips to Baines’ Baobab and nature walks in the vicinity of the camp with the bushman staff. Nxai Pan is a national park, a very ecologically sensitive area, and for this reason no night drives or off road driving is permitted.
Facilities
Thatched en-suite guest rooms. Dining room, lounge area, viewing deck, swimming pool, interpretation centre/library and curio shop.
Local Wildlife
Classic desert species such as oryx, springbok, bat-eared fox and tortoise. The desert comes alive in the rainy season bringing many zebra, wildebeest, antelopes and carnivores including black maned lion and cheetah. Honey badgers and brown hyena are also often seen here and around 220 bird species have been recorded.
Optional Activities
Game drives (daytime only), bushmen walks and day trips to the Baines’ Baobabs.
Jonathan Morris
Area Specialist
It can get very cold here at night, so make sure you take layers of clothes you can put on and take off as the day warms up.
If you have any questions regarding our Botswana tours, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
On behalf of my wife and myself, I would like to thank all at Reef and Rainforest for arranging so superbly yet another exceptional wildlife experience. As you are aware our ‘expeditions’ tend to be species led and this year’s brief was to observe and photograph the ‘Three Big Cats of Africa’ in a truly wild setting (i.e. no fences). Your recommended destination, Botswana, did not let us down, in fact the whole trip proved an outstanding success in all aspects.
We stayed in three camps (three nights in each) across the Okavango Delta and surrounding area, each provided a different environment which ensured our aims were met. Each camp was run to a very high standard, was extremely comfortable and provided excellent meals. The quality of guiding and tracking in all our camps was of the highest standard. As Botswana manages its natural resources so well all the camps were small (no more than 18 guests) ensuring a very intimate safari experience in pristine wild African habitat.
I am delighted to report our big cat objectives were realised. All observations were lengthy and offered excellent photographic opportunities. However, unexpectedly, the highlight of our spectacular trip turned out to be sightings of two separate packs of African Painted Dogs. We visited two dens, the first had a very healthy number of adult dogs, approximately fifteen and eighteen pups. The second had seven adult dogs and sixteen pups. At Lebala we had the privilege of spending a prolonged period of time following the pack of dogs as they hunted, an experience we will never forget.
When one also considers the significant mammal and bird species we observed, Botswana is truly a must visit destination for the wildlife enthusiast. Incidentally we also observed three serval and two African wild cats. We also thoroughly enjoyed our few days at Victoria Falls, possibly the most spectacular waterfall in the world, the hotel in Zimbabwe was excellent. Viewing the falls from the Zambian side and also the helicopter flight are both well worth doing.
This was our third consecutive trip with Reef and Rainforest, and I would be very surprised if there is not a fourth being planned very soon. Thank you all once again.