The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans

Arguably the most famous region in the great pans, the Mkgadikgadi Game Reserve is certainly the most accessible area within the pans region with properties such as Meno a Kwena and the excellent Jack’s and San Camps located on the western and eastern edges of the park itself.

In reality, however, the game reserve is really a “park” in the loosest sense of the word as this is an area of the Kalahari that is pretty uninhabitable by normal standards and, as such, there is no huge need to protect a specific area as such.

From a bio-diversity perspective the area has the widest species range of any desert in the world and has more species in this one area than the entire species range of Australia! The region is fed by Boteti River which runs out from the southern most point of the Okavango Delta and the area is a classic example of a “boom or bust” eco-system where the rainy months, between December and April, offer mineral rich grasses and the dry months from May to November virtually nothing.

Do see our best camps & lodges in The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans picks for 2026/27 on this page.

A visit to the Makgadikgadi is all about visiting what is one of the true cradles of mankind with human inhabitation in the region for the longest period in history. A visit to the San bushmen offers a glimpse into the nomadic and subsistence lifestyles that punctuated early human existence.

Today the ceremonies and knowledge that were once a staple to the tribe’s existence are preserved more for tourism than as a means of living but learning about their culture is still one of the most rewarding cultural experiences to be had in Africa and visiting “Kubu Island” you will be one of a very privileged few to see one of the 5 oldest rock formations on the planet and a highly revered cultural site for the San.

Do see our best camps & lodges in The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans picks for 2026/27 on this page.

The dry season runs from May to November and offers better access to the pans, desert dwelling animals, quad bike safaris, flamingo breeding ground access and visiting Kubu Island.

The wet season runs from December through until April and is when the grasses arrive and the pans fill with water. This is the period when the famous zebra migration are in the pans with their young offspring. Birding is also very good around this time but access can be much harder.

Do see our interactive best time to visit The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans guide on this page as well as on our parent guide to botswana page for more in-depth information on when to go.

Or call us on +44 1525 840 149. That’s what we’re here for.

As much as AI has changed the way we all approach our lives, there is still no substitute for picking up the phone and having a chat through the options with one of us on +44 1525 840 149

This allows us to completely tailor the property choices, costs and itinerary length to your needs…but we also understand that this is not always possible with the busy lives we all lead.

With this in mind, we have also put together a safari finder tool that should help you to narrow down the initial stages at which point we can jump in to “round off the edges” as it were.

Alternatively please feel free to >send us an email with your timings, group size and rough likes and dislikes and we can get the ball rolling.

As much as AI has changed the way we all approach our lives, there is still no substitute for picking up the phone and having a chat through the options with one of us on +44 1525 840 149

This allows us to completely tailor the property choices, costs and itinerary length to your needs…but we also understand that this is not always possible with the busy lives we all lead.

With this in mind, we have also put together a safari finder tool that should help you to narrow down the initial stages at which point we can jump in to “round off the edges” as it were.

Alternatively please feel free to >send us an email with your timings, group size and rough likes and dislikes and we can get the ball rolling.