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San elder, Makgadikgadi Pans
Meerkat family, Makgadikgadi Pans
The most likely form of traffic heading out to Nxai Pan

Botswana's salt pans safari

11 days from £7,090pp

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Tour highlights

  • Experience the dramatic skies and incredible sunsets of the Kalahari Desert.

  • See the desert regions of Botswana come to life as the rain falls and deserts bloom.

  • Enjoy Botswana's spectacular wildlife.

  • Walk with the San People in the Makgadikgadi Pans and learn about their traditional way of life.

Price includes:

  • Scheduled international flights
  • In-destination transfers
  • Activities and excursions as detailed
  • All accommodation
  • 24-hour support while you travel
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Itinerary idea in detail

Includes international flights from a choice of UK airports, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

  • Today you begin your journey by boarding your international outbound flight to Maun.

  • On arrival in Maun you will be met and assisted to your light aircraft which will fly you across Botswana toward the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Here you will be met by your guide who will drive you to your camp in an open 4x4.

    • Meerkat family, Makgadikgadi Pans
      Meerkat family, Makgadikgadi Pans
    • Motsentsela Tree Lodge, Maun
      Motsentsela Tree Lodge, Maun
    • Quad biking in the Makgadikgadi Pans
      Quad biking in the Makgadikgadi Pans

  • From the camp there are a number of activities with the main one being a guided safari drive into the national park. This is normally done as a full day excursion, stopping for a picnic lunch in the bush, allowing you to see and explore more of the park.

    • San bushman, Makgadikgadi Pans
      San bushman, Makgadikgadi Pans
    • San elder, Makgadikgadi Pans
      San elder, Makgadikgadi Pans
    • Walking with the San bushmen, Makgadikgadi Pans
      Walking with the San bushmen, Makgadikgadi Pans

  • A second day of activities from the camp, which also offers boat safaris, a floating viewing hide on the river, walks with the San People and a village visit. The camp is also a great place to relax with a pool overlooking the Boteti River.

    • Visiting the meerkats, Makgadikgadi Pans
      Visiting the meerkats, Makgadikgadi Pans
    • Sunset in the Makgadikgadi Pans
      Sunset in the Makgadikgadi Pans
    • Sunset drive in the Makgadikgadi Pans
      Sunset drive in the Makgadikgadi Pans

  • Today you are transferred into the heart of the Makgadikgadi Pans. Here you can further explore and learn about the giant and vast salt pans with your guide, enjoying a stunning sunset and looking for desert adapted wildlife such as aardvarks and the elusive brown hyena.

    • Quad biking on the Makgadikgadi Pans
      Quad biking on the Makgadikgadi Pans
    • Quad biking, Makgadikgadi Pans
      Quad biking, Makgadikgadi Pans
    • Zebra migration, Makgadikgadi Pans
      Zebra migration, Makgadikgadi Pans

  • This morning you will drive to see meerkats that live by the salt pans and can then, in the afternoon, head out on quad bikes across the pans, gaining a true sense of how vast and remote they are. It is also possible to walk with local San People and learn about their fascinating way of life and to visit giant baobab trees.

    • Bushmen walking across the Makgadikgadi Pans
      Bushmen walking across the Makgadikgadi Pans
    • Enjoy a meal on the Makgadikgadi Pans
      Enjoy a meal on the Makgadikgadi Pans
    • Quad biking on the Makgadikgadi Pans
      Quad biking on the Makgadikgadi Pans

  • Today you will take a light aircraft flight to the Nxai Pan National Park. You should arrive in time for a morning safari. This little-known park centres on a grass-covered fossil lake bed which attracts grazing animals in the green season and then elephant and buffalo, in search of water, in the dry season. Throughout predators lurk, particularly lion and cheetah.

    • Baines Baobabs
      Baines Baobabs
    • Cheetah Pair, Nxai Pan National Park
      Cheetah Pair, Nxai Pan National Park
    • The most likely form of traffic heading out to Nxai Pan
      The most likely form of traffic heading out to Nxai Pan

  • You will explore the Nxai Pan National Park on safari and there is the option for a day trip to visit Baines Baobabs: the historical pan and trees made famous by painter Thomas Baines.

    • Baines Baobabs, Nxai Pan National Park
      Baines Baobabs, Nxai Pan National Park
    • Baines Baobabs, Nxai Pan National Park
      Baines Baobabs, Nxai Pan National Park
    • Baines Baobabs, Nxai Pan National Park
      Baines Baobabs, Nxai Pan National Park

  • A second day for activities from the camp. In addition to guided morning and afternoon safaris, one of the trackers can provide a walk with the San People showing you how the San have lived and survived in the Kalahari.

    • Kudiakam Pan, Nxai Pan National Park
      Kudiakam Pan, Nxai Pan National Park
    • Kudiakam Pan, Nxai Pan National Park
      Kudiakam Pan, Nxai Pan National Park
    • Zebra, Nxai Pan National Park
      Zebra, Nxai Pan National Park

  • You will fly today from Nxai Pan to the Central Kalahari where you will spend three nights at Tau Pan Camp.

    • Ostrich, Nxai Pan National Park
      Ostrich, Nxai Pan National Park
    • Nxai Pan National Park in green season
      Nxai Pan National Park in green season
    • Elephant, Nxai Pan National Park
      Elephant, Nxai Pan National Park

  • Arrive home today to complete your journey.

Accommodation options

While the itinerary price reflects the suggested accommodation, Audley trips are 100% tailor-made, and a specialist can help you select the option best suited to your tastes and budget.

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The specialist who designs your trip to Botswana will have explored the country many times and, in some cases, lived there. Their first-hand knowledge gives us the belief that no other travel company can match our expertise in helping you plan your trip.

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When to go

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Place Daily max temperature (°C) Monthly rainfall (mm)
Maun
 
Makgadikgadi Pans, Kalahari
 
Nxai Pan National Park
 

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