The Makgadikgadi Pans

Makgadikgadi Pans

Covering approximately 1,200,000 ha Makgadikgadi consists of two main Pan - Sowa in the east and the much larger Ntwetwe in the west - as well as a series of smaller pans. These are a relic of enormous inland lake, larger than Lake Victoria, which covered much of Northern Botswana half a million years ago. Fringing the Pans are stately palm trees and extensive grasslands.

Stretching for more than100 km from north to south, the whitish-grey surface of Sowa Pan fades away into the distance. To the west lies Ntwetwe Pan, separated from Sowa by a narrow tongue of Grassland. This is where you will fin Makgadikgadi Safari Camp. Dust devils dance across the floor of the pan, while shimmering mirages play havoc with the imagination. Contributing to Makgadikgadi's unique atmosphere is the total silence. In the late afternoon, the harsh surface of the pans is transformed into magical rosy pink tones.

One of the main attractions of the Makgadikgadi area is Kubu Island, an isolated granite outcrop studded with stunted baobab trees. Also worth seeing are Greens Baobab and Chapman's Baobabs, two well know landmarks used by traders and travelers during the 1800's. These particular baobabs are situated south of the settlement of Gweta.

Makgadikgadi Pans National Park

This scenic Park incorporates the northwestern corner of Ntwetwe Pan and is a lovely mosaic of open Grasslands and shimmering Pans, fringed by groves of tall palm trees. Lush riverine forests grow along the Boteti river, which forms the western boundary.

During the Winter months vast herds of Burchell's Zebra and Blue Wildebeest are attracted to the grasslands in the east of the park. As the water in the pans dries up, they migrate to the Boteti River. Other game species include springbok, gemsbok, red hartebeest, giraffe, lion, cheetah, haina and black backed jackal.

Nxai Pan National Park

Adjoining he Makgadikgadi Pans National Park to the North is Nxai Pan National Park. Baies Baobabs on Kudiakam Pan is a popular destination. These trees were named after the explorer Thomas Baines, who painted them in 1862, during his journey from Namibia to Victoria Falls.

Centered around 40 square km grass covered pan interspersed with acacia tree islands, Nxai Pan National Park supports large herds of blue wildebeest, Burchell's Zebra and Gemsbok. The park is renowned for its large giraffe population herds of up to 50 animals. springbok, gemsbok, red hartebeest, giraffe, lion, cheetah, haina and black backed jackal also occur here amongst numerous other species.

Sowa Pans

The Bushman word for salt is "Sowa" - an apt description of the vast white expanse of the largest natural Salt Pans in the world. During the rainy season the Nata River carries water into Sowa Pan filling the northern part of the pan and attracting an array of waterbirds including flamingos, pelicans, ducks and teals.

Sowa pan and the western Ntwetwe are important breeding sites for both greater and lesser flamingos who migrate here from Etosha in neighbouring Namibia and as far as East Africa. Brine shrimps, worms and tiny crustaceans provide food for greater while lesser flamingos feed on algae. These food types all flourish in the warm shallow waters of the pans.

In the dry winter months bustards and korhaans can usually be found in the grass fringes of the pan accompanied by migratory birds including kites, eagles and bee-eaters.

Birdlife is protected by the Nata Bird Sanctuary, a private sanctuary 17km south of Nata village.

There are very few rock islands in the Makgadikgadi, but in southern Sowa a scattering of granite islands lie on the white surface like beached whales. All have unique characteristics that give this desolate place its mesmeric attraction. Of all the islands, Kubu is the most famous.

Kubu Island

Rising no more than 20m above the Sowa Pan, this national monument with its fossil beaches, stunted baobab trees and mysterious stone walls, leaves an indelible impression upon all who visit its water-worn shores. This scrap of rock and its ghostly baobab trees is surrounded by the sea of salt. In cool weather, this bizarre sight can make visitors feel like castaways on an alien planet. The real name of the island, but less known, is Lekhubu (meaning ridge in Setswana). It is the most famous of all the rock islands in the Makgadikgadi. Most of the rock islands in this area are remnants of ancient sand dunes. Kubu Island is different in that it is one of the scatterings of granite islands.

Many of Kubu's rocks are stained white with fossilized bird droppings. This ancient guano is called apatite and bears testimony to a large bird population that used to live on the island, feeding off the fish of the waters that surrounded their rocky knoll.

There is a trig-beacon on the island's summit. The rocks on the northeastern side are all smoothed by wave action, while on the opposite leeward side are thousands of small, rounded pebbles, which used to protrude as a tiny wave-washed beach. As the level of this immense inland sea rose and fell, there were times when Kubu was deep beneath the waves, others when it lay exposed in a sea of sand and others when it hardly showed above the surface, surrounded by 100km of sea.

The island is littered with artifacts from other ages: Stone-Age cutting tools, shards of pottery at least 2000 years old, and the remains of a low, circular wall.

The magnificent view over the pan from the island was perfectly described by Mike Main in his book "Kalahari": "All about you spreads the harsh glaring surface, but in the middle distance the pan is clothed in a somber symphony of muted greys and whites, toned up or down by the shadows of passing clouds, and merging at the horizon into a simple harmony of cobalt blue and grey". This island was also portrayed on canvas by the artist and hunter Thomas Baines.

There are no camping facilities on Kubu or the other islands of southwestern Sowa, but there are many idyllic spots overlooking the pan. Campers must bring their own firewood and must remove all their litter. A further 38km to the east is the seldom-visited Kukonje Island.