The Makgadikgadi Pans, the world's largest salt pans, are the most visible remnants of a superlake that was formed more than five million years ago.
Measuring almost 100 feet (30 metres) deep, over an area of 30,888 sq. miles (80,000 square km), Lake Makgadikgadi began to dry up as recently as 10,000 years ago and further evaporation turned the lake into large pans with a surface glistening with salt. Today The Makgadikgadi provides one of the most dramatic African safari travel experiences.
When the summer rains fall in this region bringing life to the arid landscape and temporarily obscuring the glittering salt shine from the dry pans, an entirely different aspect of Botswana can be experienced. Fish and shrimps lying dormant in the mud wake up, flocks of flamingos and pelicans head to the area and the impressive migration of large groups of wildebeest and zebra is kickstarted. Stay in luxury safari lodges in this region and allow yourself to be guided to view some of the most exciting game watching you are ever likely to see.
The black-maned Kalahari lion and leopard stalk the empty landscapes looking for the herds of antelope that are resident here. Wild dog, cheetah and both the brown and spotted hyena also form part of the impressive array of predators in this region.
White-backed vultures, bateleurs, black-breasted snake eagles, falcons and pale chanting goshawks are just a few of the thousands of birds that are attracted by the water, fresh vegetation and new found life around the saltpans in the wet season. An excellent destination for those looking for an African birding safari, the Makgadikgadi Pans region offers a superlative experience.
Venturing far into the centre of the Makgadikgadi, on 4WD quad bikes, one can explore remote archaeological sites, periodically discovering never before documented fossil beds of extinct giant zebra and hippo. The fact that you can travel across the pans at great speed and still arrive nowhere only underlines the pans immensity (the size of Switzerland).
It is also the only place where guests able to walk through the Kalahari with a gang of habituated, but wild, meerkats!
