Travel to Makgadikgadi

a broad range of unusual safari experiences

At around 17000 square kilometres, Makgadikgadi is an enormous conservation area, centred on a 4500 square kilometre national park of the same name.

The vast majority of this infinitely flat landscape is covered by light acacia scrub and open grasslands.

This is a very arid area for much of the year. Much of the wildlife migrates away during the long Apr-Nov dry season, in search of permanent water sources, leaving behind only the desert specialists including oryx, springboks, ground squirrels, bat-eared foxes, meerkats, aardvarks, aardwolves, honey badgers, brown hyenas and black-maned lions.

To the west the area is bordered by the ephemeral Boteti River. In years when this flows, most likely Oct-Nov (for floodwater from Okavango) and Dec-Apr (for rainwater), vast numbers of migratory wildebeest and zebras gather here, pursued by big prides of lions.

To the east lie the truly remarkable salta pans of Makgadikgadi, the vestiges of a network of vast lakes, a fossilised Okavango Delta, further downstream from the present wetland area, but whose water supply dried up many centuries ago. There are waterholes here which also attract herds during the long dry season.

Over on this eastern side, the Ntwetwe Concession is a superb private safari area of 2035 square kilometres. The area is restricted to around 60 guests in three small camps. It is an utterly pristine wilderness, free from virtually all signs of humanity other than these small-scale safari operations and where you are free to explore unhindered by the strict regulations of the national park.

This is an area of extraordinary semi-desert landscapes, centred on a network of absolutely enormous salt pans and surrounded by vast seasonal grasslands.

When safari pioneer Jack Bousfield first established a camp out here way back in the 1960’s everyone thought he had lost his marbles, but over the years he and his son, Ralph, have successfully managed to demonstrate quite how fascinating and hypnotic a place this really is.

When it comes to trip durations in Botswana, most visitors combine 2, 3 or 4 lodges by light aircraft over 6-12 nights, often in combination with further nights at the Victoria Falls and/or down in the Cape.

Longer trips may include a camp in one of the desert areas, such as here in Makgadikgadi, in order to provide variation and contrast.

Most guests choose to stay at one lodge in Makgadikgadi, usually for 3-4 nights.

Seasonality

The area has converse seasons to the main safari areas of the Okavango Delta and Linyanti Waterfront.

During the May-Nov dry season, safari is focused on the desert experiences including quad-biking onto the pans, Bushman and palaeontological walks, visits to a habituated meerkat colony and game-viewing focused on a widely dispersed population of real desert specialists.

During the May-Jun transition season, temperatures can drop towards freezing during the night.

During the Oct-Nov late dry season and early green season, temperatures and humidities can become uncomfortably high in advance of the rains.

The Dec-Apr green season means the desert experiences take something of a back seat, in favour of more intense wildlife viewing, as summer rain showers cause very impressive clustering of migratory wildlife in the area.

It is the Dec-Feb green season period which threatens the greatest chance of more prolonged cloud and rain.

Getting there

The camps in this area are usually accessed by light aircraft into one of two small airstrips.

There are daily flights to and from the main airport at Maun, for connections to camps throughout the Okavango Delta and Linyanti Waterfront areas, as well as long haul flights to Johannesburg.

It is also possible to access the camps by private road transfer from Maun, a journey of around 3-4 hours.

uncommonly worth visiting year round