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Explore the mysterious and compelling Kalahari Desert and Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. The desert area is home to the greatest species diversity in the world and host to Southern Africa's last great zebra & wildebeest migration.
Below are a few tour options and suggestions for a safari to the Kalahari. Need some advice? Our friendly safari experts are on standby to tailor a tour that suits your every need and will assist you with each step of your journey.
Traveller tip: During the rainy season, the two largest pans – Sowa to the east and Ntwetwe to the west – flood, during this time flamingo numbers can run into the tens – and sometimes – hundreds of thousands, and the spectacle can be completely overwhelming.
The best time to view game is during the drier winter months, during which, a high concentration of game gather around diminishing water holes. Winter is characterized by dry weather, endless blue skies, warm days and freezing nights.
September - October
The days begin to heat up from September to October, while the weather remains dry and the nights cold. These conditions are great for game-viewing.
December - January
Landscapes are transformed during the rainy season of December to early January. The Kalahari Awakens with new life (many antelope give birth during this time) and the emergence of greenery from the mid-summer rains, making this a truly astonishing time to visit (if you can stand a little rainfall).
An accessible park, that unlike the vast salt pans of the South, is a smaller area made up of a mixture of both salt pans and grasslands. In spite of being the smallest of all three parks in the Kalahari, it is home to a high concentration of diverse wildlife. Sightings of elephant, giraffe and jackals are pretty much guaranteed.
Must see: Baine’s Baobabs; a bundle of ancient baobabs jutting out of a salt pan island.
Being the giant of all three conservation areas; The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is a predator’s paradise owing to the abundance of wildlife that congregate around various waterholes.
Must see: Deception Valley where the luscious grasses attract a bounty of herbivores and their accompanying mammalian predators.
The largest salt pans on earth situated in North-East Botswana; the Makgadikgadi Pans are a rare and beautiful sight for any adventurer. Infinite horizons of blue sky and bare earth make for an other-worldly experience. The Park itself also contains grasslands that offer ample grazing to an abundance of wildlife.
Must see: Kubu Island - an island of granite - considered a sacred site by the indigenous people in the area, arguably one of the most incredible places on earth.
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