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Makgadikgadi Pans & Elephant Sands
White salt to the horizon, meerkats at your feet, and a night sleeping out under the Kalahari stars.
Botswana
Nata / Gweta
~5 hrs by road via Kasane
Meerkats, salt-pan sleep-outs
Where are the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana?
The Makgadikgadi Pans lie in north-eastern Botswana, between the towns of Nata, Gweta and Maun, in the Kalahari. They’re the remains of an ancient super-lake and one of the largest salt-pan systems in the world. The main pans are Sowa and Ntwetwe, with Nxai Pan National Park and the famous Baines’ Baobabs to the north. Elephant Sands, a bush lodge and campsite known for elephants at its waterhole, is just north of Nata on the road from Kasane.
Meerkats and sleep-outs
On the edge of the pans, families of habituated meerkats let you sit just metres away while they forage and stand sentry. They sometimes even use a guest as a lookout post. In the dry season you can sleep out on the open pan: a bedroll, a fire, total silence and more stars than you’ve ever seen.
Elephant Sands
Elephant Sands sits on the A33 between Kasane and Nata. Elephants come to drink at the waterhole right in front of the lodge deck and campsite, especially in the dry months. It’s a classic overnight stop on a Botswana road safari.
The zebra migration
In the green season (about December to April), rains fill the pans and draw large herds of zebra and wildebeest onto the grasslands of the Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pan, with predators following.
What to see and do
- Habituated meerkat encounters
- Sleep-out under the stars on the pans
- Elephants at Elephant Sands waterhole
- Zebra migration (green season)
- Baines' Baobabs in Nxai Pan
Best time to visit Makgadikgadi Pans
May to October (dry season) for the bright white pans, sleep-outs and quad-biking. December to April for the zebra migration, flamingos on Sowa Pan and dramatic skies.
How to get there from Victoria Falls
By road from Victoria Falls via Kasane and Nata (about 5 hours plus the border), usually with a night at Elephant Sands on the way. It’s on our Botswana Explorer safari.
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Makgadikgadi Pans & Elephant Sands: questions answered
Where is Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana?
In north-eastern Botswana, between Nata, Gweta and Maun, on the edge of the Kalahari.
Can you see meerkats in Botswana?
Yes. Habituated meerkat colonies on the edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans are one of Botswana’s most delightful wildlife encounters.
What is Elephant Sands?
A bush lodge and campsite north of Nata, where elephants drink at a waterhole right beside the deck. It’s a popular stop between Kasane and the pans.
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