As the largest salt pan in Africa, the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans in Botswana is a vast, stark white expanse, known for its unique landscapes and as the home to the world’s second-largest zebra migration after the Great Migration in East Africa.

The Pans can be explored in various ways, whether on horseback seeking out huge zebra herds or on a quad bike to discover the hidden islands of the Makgadikgadi that are adorned with ancient baobabs.

With a total area of a whopping 30,000 km², the Makgadikgadi Pans network also encompasses vast savannah plains and acacia trees, as well as Nxai National Park and the famous Baines Baobabs. This seemingly inhabitable scrubland is home to many unique desert-adapted creatures including Aardwolfs and brown hyenas. It is also in this area that you can find a habituated colony of meerkats that will happily scramble atop your shoulder in search of a better viewpoint.

As the rains roll in, the pans transform temporarily back into vast lakes that attract an abundance of bright flamingoes and pelicans. The grasslands radiate a brighter hue and baby wildlife start to emerge.