The Makgadikgadi Pans

The huge salt depression of the Makgadikgadi Pan stretches for 16,000 sq. Km, in the Northern part of the Kalahari Basin, in Botswana.

The wide horizons, the blinding white of salt, the huge and ancient solitary baobabs, the prairie plains that, in the rainy season, host one of the biggest migrations of herbivores of the African continent, the tens or hundreds of thousands of flamingos, that nest here when the rains are abundant, make these places a paradise difficult to describe.

In prehistoric times there was a huge lake, that has subsequently dried up, and these huge stretches of salt are what remains of its bed; during the rains, these depressions return to fill and the vegetation, that grows nearby, becomes lush.

Although there is a semi-arid climate, there is life in the Makgadikgadi Pans; some species of plants and animals have adapted to live in this inhospitable place, while, during the rains, some animals come here to exploit the best conditions.

Visiting these places is like being transported to another dimension, a journey through these lands is a unique and indescribable experience, whatever the season.