Makgadikgadi & the Kalahari
A surreal, sculptural desert of salt pans and grasslands — safari's most otherworldly frontier.
Request Rates & AvailabilityFor something completely different, head south to the Makgadikgadi Pans and Central Kalahari — a landscape of shimmering salt flats, ancient baobabs and horizons that seem to curve with the earth. This is desert safari: habituated meerkats that use you as a lookout post, black-maned Kalahari lions, brown hyena, and in green season the second-largest zebra migration in Africa.
The romance here is as much about place as wildlife — sleeping out under some of the darkest skies on the planet, quad-biking across the pans, and the timeless glamour of camps like Jack's. It's the perfect, contrast-rich end to a Delta-and-river journey.
Landscape & character
Habituated meerkats, black-maned Kalahari lions, brown hyena and desert-adapted species — and, in green season, the second-largest zebra migration in Africa.
Signature experiences
Quad-biking across the pans, walks with San trackers, sleep-outs under some of the darkest skies on the planet, and star-gazing define this desert safari.
- Seasonal contrast: shimmering white pans in the dry months, a green migration corridor from December.
- Who it suits: repeat visitors, romantics and the curious wanting real contrast.
- The perfect, contrast-rich finale to a Delta-and-river journey.
Best time to visit Makgadikgadi & Kalahari
Dry season (May–October) for meerkats and pans activities; green season (December–April) for the zebra migration and birdlife.
Full Month-By-Month Guide