Nxai Pan National Park

Nxai Pan National Park Is Well Off the Beaten Path...Which Is Why You Want to Go There

There are two great reasons to visit Botswana’s Nxai Pan National Park east of the city of Maun.

First of all, you’ll see wildlife here on this baobab-dotted salt pan that you may not see elsewhere in Botswana. First on my list is the Oryx or Gemsbok. These shy, stocky antelope, incredibly well adapted to life with limited water, roam this sandy wilderness where their long, sharp horns and striking black-and-white faces signal their presence in the tall grass. Two other “boks” of note are the small and light-footed springbok, with facial markings reminiscent of kabuki dancers, that graze the dry pan in significant numbers, and the even smaller Steenbok, a Bambi-like creature with markedly oversized ears that lives a more solitary life. I also saw hartebeest here, as well as bat-eared fox, honey badger and brown hyena – these in addition to the more familiar attractions: giraffe, elephant, kudu, lion, cheetah, wildebeest, zebra, jackal, et al. And for those more keyed into the feathered set, you’ll be wearing out your binoculars for sure. You won’t need them to see the many ostriches, but you will want a closer look at all the eagles (including brown snake, booted, tawny, martial and bateleur) and the pale chanting goshawk, lanner falcon and Dickinson’s kestrel. I can drop plenty more names – kori bustard, red-billed quelea, ant-eating chat, northern black korhaan, double-banded courser, swallow-tailed bee eater, African hoopoe – but need I go on? And one side note – park management keeps the Nxai Pan waterhole supplied with water all year round, so you can always find wildlife there taking advantage of this government handout.

And second of all, though in the high season (Botswana’s winter) you may not see as many animals here as in a park like Chobe, for instance, there is one species you’ll be happy to see less of, and that’s people. In Nxai Pan, you’ll often feel like you’re the only one who thought of taking a safari in Africa. Part of the reason for this is Nxai Pan’s relative inaccessibility – once you drive through the gate, expect at least a two-hour drive along a treacherously sandy “road” to get to the campgrounds (I say at least two hours since you may spend a third hour or so helping some unfortunate fellow visitor get their mired vehicle moving again). But don’t let this scare you off – after all, this is why you came to Africa instead of some safari park in Florida.

All told, if you’re in northern Botswana and feel like getting off the well-beaten path to Chobe and the Okavango, visit Nxai Pan – it’s well worth it.

Gosh, we enjoyed this park too with elephants at the campsite and a leopard sitting on top of a termite mound. It's remote and that's what makes it very beautiful indeed ... provided you love solitude. Nxai Pan was also once our springboard for an adventureous trip along the historic cattle trail all the way up north to Pandamatenga. Afterwards, our radiator needed a thorough cleaning from seeds though.

Day trip to Baine's Baobabs was great - wonderful scenery on route and lots of wildlife.

We went in November and the wildlife was mostly gone from the park. The scenic beauty and solitude of the park are unmatched though.

it was very dry and the water hole was nearly dry, the guide explained that the period was not good,

Not a popular venue but does boast the famous "Baines' Baobabs, a must see if you visit here.

It offers everything that the Central Kalahari Game Reserve offers and some very interesting salt pans and baobab trees, too. Kwando Safaris gave us an experience very similar to that of Central Kalahari Game Reserve and I fulfilled a lifelong dream of meeting my first San Bushman who was our tracker. Our guide was Lucky Garenamotse who owns Lucky Tours and Safaris and who was on loan to Kwando for 3 months. I would recommend Lucky to anyone! He knows everything about the birds and plants in Botswana and a whole lot more, too. Sweet guy, great driver, lots of fun.

In winter the elephants leave for the Makgadigadi Pans. Slightly dissapointed, but the Bain's Baobabs are beautiful

I don't remember Nxai Pan as well as the other locations we camped in, but I recall thinking this was the place most decimated by elephants, so it had a bit of a blasted feel. But the wildlife and wilderness feel were still off the charts.

I like the Pan landscape. It is open and dry, so wildlife congregates around the water. Cheetah are frequently sighted here, which is always a treat.