Visit Makgadikgadi and the awe-inspiring sunsets, sunrises, and star-studded nights will stay with you forever after.
The Makgadikgadi Pans National Park is in north-eastern Botswana, surrounded by the Kalahari Desert. It consists of a complex of salt pans scattered across the sands of the desert - the Sowa, Ntwetwe, and Nxai Pans.
This shimmering white landscape of flat saltpans was once covered by an immense super-lake, called the Magkadigkadi Lake. Although the Makgadikgadi Pans are mostly dry, the occasional rains and precious waterholes in this desolate area attract a multitude of wildlife and birds.
This is a place where the landscape and sky seem to stretch to the end of the world.
Experience the sensation of being in the middle of nowhere - African wilderness at its best - silent, desolate, and achingly beautiful.
Discover the beauty of the enormous and mythical-looking Baobab tree.
In the wet season: see the once-in-a-lifetime sight of thousands of flamingos migrating.
Star-gazing has never been better, with no light pollution for thousands of kilometers around.
See the wildebeest, zebra, and other migratory herds when the rains arrive on the pans.
The Makgadikgadi Lake existed thousands of years ago and stretched over an area the size of Switzerland. As the lake shrank over thousands of years, it created numerous smaller lakes, which now form the pans of the Makgadikgadi complex, which covers over 15 000 km2.
Archaeological digs in the area have revealed that prehistoric man lived here, probably due to the availability of water in the ancient Makgadikgadi Lake.
The salt pans remain dry most of the time, creating beautiful flat landscapes that stretch out forever. Two ephemeral rivers discharge into the pans- the Boteti River and Nata River. During periods of good rainfall, they fill the Makgadikgadi Pans, creating an incredible environment for birds and animals who flock to it.
With Makgadikgadi Pans being salty, not much grows in the pans themselves except a layer of blue-green algae. Surrounding the pans, though, are muddy marshes and desert, each of which has its own flora - grasslands and trees.
The trees that grow here are those synonymous with Africa - Acacias and the fanciful Baobab - both of which make spectacular photographic subjects.
Due to the hot and very dry nature of the Kalahari Desert area, wildlife is scarce. The animals that call the area home, though, are easy to find, for exactly the same reason. With open plains and the fact that the animals gather at the available water, tracking is simple.
Desert-adapted gemsbok and springbok share this arid home with reptiles such as tortoises and lizards during the dry season. Come the rains, and huge herds of migratory animals - wildebeest and zebra, to name just two - fill the area, followed by the big cats that hunt them - lion and cheetah.
During the dry season, the area plays host to birds like ostriches and plovers. When the rains come, the Makgadikgadi Pans turn into lakes and become a visual spectacle like nothing you've seen before. Thousands of flamingos arrive in their pink finery, along with ducks, pelicans, and other birds.
The Makgadikgadi Pans are one of only two breeding grounds for greater flamingos in southern Africa.
While the climate has a profound effect on the Kalahari Desert area, turning the dry, cracked earth into shimmering lakes during the rainy season, Makgadikgadi offers visitors an incredible experience all year.
Temperatures are high, even in mid-winter, seldom dropping below the mid-20s (Celcius) in winter and reaching the high-30s to 40 (Celcius) mid-summer. Night-time temperatures, however, can drop to almost freezing mid-winter (July) and a far more temperate high-teens, in summer.
The rainy season, when it comes - some years are drier than others, this is the desert, remember, is between November and March.
Use the Google map to explore Makgadikgadi Pans.