Overview–botswana

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park is part of the Kalahari Basin and has some of the largest salt pans in the world. The shimmering, cracked crust doesn’t look as if it could support any form of life. After good rains, however, this desolate landscape transforms when new grass attracts thousands of animals, and from December to March the park is home to one of Africa’s biggest zebra migrations. As the pans fill up, flocks of pelicans and flamingos settle in as well.

Scenery

The park has a variety of habitats. The Boteti River has a beautiful, riverine forest on its banks. The pans in the east of the park don’t have much animal activity in the dry, winter months, but this is when their stark beauty is best appreciated. At this time, 4x4s can drive onto the pans to experience this strange environment up close.

Weather & Climate

Makgadikgadi Pans has a desert climate with two distinct seasons. The Wet season (November to March) is consistently warm, with the average daytime temperature hovering around 32°C/90°F. Temperatures in the Dry season (April to October) are anything but consistent. They start off warm, drop to cool in the middle of the year, then crank up to very hot in October.

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Rates

From: $204 to $1,223 pp/day

Best Time to Go

From: All year (Areas are best at different times)

High Season

From: July to October (Higher rates apply but not busy)

Size

From: 3,900km² / 1,506mi²

Wildlife & Animals

Big, migrating herds of Burchell's zebra and blue wildebeest move through Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Other herbivores following the migration are oryx, eland, and red hartebeest. There are good numbers of predators as well. Both spotted and brown hyenas can be seen. Leopards are quite common in the riverine forest and lions can sometimes be seen hunting zebra.

Wildlife Highlights

Springbok and oryx are particularly well adapted to the arid environment of the pans, and they can often be spotted here, even when there isn't much else around. Some predators that lurk around the fringes of the pan and can be found at dusk are aardwolf, bat-eared fox, and striped polecat.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Makgadikgadi Pans has very seasonal wildlife viewing. The actual pans attract wildlife in the wet summer months, from December to about May. However, most of the park and the lodges are concentrated around the Boteti River area, which is best for wildlife viewing in the Dry season, from June to December. The Dry season is best for seeing the pans as you can drive on them.

General Wheather

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park's climate is hot and desert-like. As with the rest of the country, the park experiences a distinct Dry and Wet season. In the Dry season, temperatures tumble at night, making it advisable to bring warm clothing for early morning game drives.

Dry Season –April to October

The last rains typically fall in April. The park begins to look parched as the Dry season progresses. June and July represent the most pleasant daytime temperatures, but the mercury starts rising in August, and peaks in October and November.

April & May – The beginning of the Dry season is mostly dry, sunny, and enjoyable. The middle of the day has an average temperature of about 29°C/84°F.
June, July & August – It is cooler during the heart of the Dry season, with temperatures rising to around 26°C/79°F in the afternoon. Rainfall is very limited. Be prepared for chilly conditions in the early morning (temperatures are about 7°C/45°F).
September & October – Conditions at night, and in the morning, are agreeable at the end of the Dry season. However, the days get sweltering before the rains finally break. By October, temperatures of 34°C/93°F make the park extremely hot.

Wet Season –November to March

There is great relief when the first rains fall. It immediately cools down a bit, and it’s less dusty. It seldom rains the whole day but short showers are common. It continues to be very warm throughout the season.

November & December – The end of the year is hot and frequently sunny, and it only rains sporadically. Early mornings have average temperatures of around 19°C/66°F, making them very comfortable.
January & February – These months receive the most rainfall. It can rain in the afternoon, but generally not for too long. This time of year is associated with heavy storms.
March – This month sees a decrease in rainfall, but it can still rain every couple of days, and thunderstorms are still around. Mornings have pleasant conditions with temperatures of about 17°C/63°F.

Prons

Amazing geological feature of the salt pans
Off the beaten track and little visited
Open plains make wildlife viewing better
Good concentrations of animals at the Boteti River in the dry months
Animal migration to the pans in the wet months

Cons

Less wildlife than in Chobe National Park or Moremi Game Reserve
Little accommodation in and outside the park
It is very hot and dry

How To Get There

Most visitors on safari will enter Botswana through either Maun Airport (MUB) or Kasane Airport (BBK).

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park is located 190km/118 mi east of Maun. The park can be reached on a self-drive safari, an organized mobile safari or a fly-in safari. The drive from Maun takes about 3 hours*.

The easiest way to get to the park is to fly by chartered plane to the airstrip at one of the lodges on the western boundary of the park. All lodges are quite far from the actual pans, but there are some campsites for mobile safaris closer to the pans.

It is also possible to fly into Victoria Falls Airport (VFA) in Zimbabwe and begin the journey from there. The distance from Victoria Falls is 500km/310 mi and the drive takes about 7 hours*.

Charter flights between parks, and from Maun or Kasane, are normally booked for you by the tour operator as part of the safari package. There are no scheduled flights to Makgadikgadi Pans.

*Driving times are only a rough indication. You should always consider the possibility of significant delays.

Airlines & Ticket Prices

Please check Skyscanner to see which airlines can take you to Botswana or Zimbabwe, and what tickets would cost.