Makgadikgadi Pan

Bushmen, meerkats and flamingos

Country

Botswana

Regions

Makgadikgadi

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À vivre

A bare expanse of white sand and salt, once home to an 80,000 km² lake that vanished more than 10 millennia ago. A flat horizon line that reveals the curvature of the earth as it meets the blue-and-white sky. A vast land of 6,500 km², virtually uninhabited and rarely visited. Salt pans where no vegetation can grow, frequented by a few remaining Bushmen. Legend has it that David Livingstone crossed this desert navigating by just two baobab trees.
During the rainy months, from December to March, the pans fill with water, drawing more than 20,000 zebra, alongside hyena and meerkat. The latter seem to have a certain sense of humor, as they readily climb onto the legs, arms or shoulders of passing travelers to keep watch more effectively. Large colonies of flamingos also gather here, adding a touch of color to this grey-and-blue expanse.
The most sought-after destination is Kubu Island, a kind of rocky outcrop about a kilometer long rising above the pan. Attentive travelers will find fossilized bird droppings, as well as stone tools and walls dating back to the country's Stone Age.

Seasons

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