The Makgadikgadi Pans are a stunning relic of one of the world’s super-lakes that formed millions of years ago and left behind visually astounding salt pans.
During the rainy season (November to April), the landscape transforms dramatically as the pans fill with rain, drawing thousands of flamingos and other migrating birds, herds of zebra and wildebeest, and the predators that follow. Millions of small shrimp and other crustaceans that were lying dormant in wait beneath the white salt crust now spawn as a result of the arrival of this water. Appearing as gigantic pink clouds, flamingos flock to the area to indulge in one of Africa’s greatest avian feasts.
One of the best places from which to witness this phenomenon is Jack’s Camp. Set on a palm island, the ten Bedouin-style canvas tents appear like a mirage out of the salt pants and flat grasslands. Jack’s Camp is a welcoming, romantic hideaway, elegantly designed with colonial décor in a traditional safari style. A magnificent swimming pool helps to cool things off, and the camp’s natural history museum and a large library invite repose.
A few days in Makgadikgadi are the perfect complement to a safari in the Okavango Delta or in Chobe National Park, providing opportunities to spot desert-adapted wildlife such as brown hyena, gemsbok, black-maned Kalahari lions, and aardwolf. Explore the area on game drives, quad bike safaris, and nature walks with expert naturalist guides, and visit a colony of habituated meerkats to get up close and personal with these entertaining creatures.