Dust drifts across the plains like fog. A line of zebra kicks up light as it moves across a cracked white pan. In the distance, the unmistakable silhouette of a baobab tree breaks the horizon—its thick limbs gnarled like the hands of time. This is Nxai Pan National Park, one of Botswana’s quiet treasures.
Often overlooked in favour of the Okavango or Chobe, Nxai (pronounced ‘Nigh’) offers a completely different kind of safari. This is a land shaped by salt, wind, and rain—epic in scale and unforgettable in mood. Here, lions walk where ancient lakes once shimmered, elephants slake their thirst from unexpected waterholes, and baobabs mark the passage of time for those who choose to pause and look up.
If you’re craving open skies, wide landscapes and a sense of solitude, Nxai Pan deserves a place on your safari itinerary. Here’s what you need to know.
Salt Pans and Shifting Light
Nxai Pan lies on the northern edge of the Makgadikgadi basin, a vast network of ancient salt flats formed from the evaporation of a massive inland lake that once covered much of central Botswana. What remains today are dry, shimmering pans that stretch into the distance—hard-baked clay crusted with salt and etched with the tracks of passing animals.
These pans come alive with water in the rainy season (December to March), when thunderclouds sweep in and fill the hollows. The landscape transforms into temporary grassland, attracting huge herds of springbok, zebra, and wildebeest, followed closely by predators.
Unlike the vast and inaccessible Makgadikgadi Pans, Nxai is more compact and easier to explore, yet still delivers that sense of emptiness and elemental grandeur that draws travellers to the desert.
The geology here is layered and rich—beneath the pans lie ancient sands and sediments deposited during wetter climatic periods, interspersed with silts, clays, and salt crystals. The fossil lakebed dominates the scenery, creating a stark beauty you won’t find anywhere else in Botswana.
Baines’ Baobabs – A Living Landmark
No visit to Nxai Pan is complete without a detour to the Baines’ Baobabs, a cluster of colossal trees standing like sentinels on the edge of Kudiakam Pan. They were immortalised in 1862 by the British artist and explorer Thomas Baines, who painted the trees during a trek across Bechuanaland.
Over 160 years later, the baobabs look much the same. They grow so slowly and live so long that time seems to pause in their presence. Their fat trunks store thousands of litres of water. Their bare branches reach skywards like roots searching the sky. They’ve become one of Botswana’s most iconic scenes—especially at sunset, when the salt pan turns gold and pink, and the trees throw long, storybook shadows.
Camping is permitted at a rustic site near the baobabs, offering an unforgettable experience for self-drivers. Wake early, and you’ll have the scene all to yourself—baobabs glowing in the rising sun, zebra grazing in the distance, and not another soul for miles.
Wildlife Encounters on Open Ground in Nxai Pan National Park
Nxai Pan National Park may seem sparse, but don’t be fooled—wildlife thrives here, especially during and just after the rains. The pans fill with sweet grasses, drawing in thousands of zebra, wildebeest, and springbok from across the Kalahari. This seasonal migration, sometimes numbering 25,000 animals, is one of Africa’s lesser-known spectacles and rivals the migrations of East Africa in drama and scale.
With prey come predators. Nxai is a great place to see cheetahs, as the open terrain suits their hunting style. Lions patrol the waterholes and grassy plains, often seen lounging under camelthorn trees or calling at dusk. Hyenas and jackals are regulars too and you may even spot bat-eared foxes or honey badgers with a bit of luck.
But it’s the elephants that leave the biggest impression—sometimes literally. One of Nxai’s quirks is that the elephants, often bulls travelling solo or in small groups, will stroll into the campground near the toilet blocks to drink from the water tanks. They’ve learnt to associate the scent of water with humans and will approach boldly, though peacefully, often standing just metres from campers. It’s thrilling, and a little nerve-wracking, to brush your teeth while an elephant slurps from a tap nearby.
Birding is excellent too, especially from November to April. Keep your binoculars handy for Kori bustards, northern black korhaans, yellow-throated sandgrouse, and even Greater flamingos when the pans fill.
Main Waterholes and Driving Routes
Game viewing in Nxai focuses around a handful of main waterholes, particularly in the central area near the government campsite and the track to South Camp. These waterholes are magnets for thirsty animals during the dry season and become focal points for predator-prey drama in the late afternoons.
Driving is mostly on sandy or clay tracks, and during the green season, conditions can become slippery and rutted. A 4×4 vehicle is essential, and it’s wise to travel in convoy if self-driving. Most travellers explore the park via guided game drives from lodges or mobile safari operators.
The track to Baines’ Baobabs, while longer and more remote, is well worth the detour—just be sure to carry extra water and supplies.
Staying in Nxai Pan National Park: Camps and Lodges
Accommodation in Nxai Pan National Park ranges from basic public campsites to high-end all-inclusive lodges. Each offers a unique way to experience the park’s silence and space.
- Nxai Pan Camp (Kwando Safaris) – A luxurious yet eco-sensitive lodge in a prime location overlooking a permanent waterhole. Known for top-quality guiding and good predator sightings. Solar powered and community supported.
- South Camp (where we stayed) – Run by Botswana’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks, this basic campsite has running water and showers. Wild and unfenced—expect elephant visitors.
- Baines’ Baobabs Campsite – Remote and dry-season only. Offers an unforgettable experience for those who want to camp near the famous trees. No facilities—self-sufficiency is essential.
Many travellers also visit Nxai Pan as part of a mobile safari circuit that includes Makgadikgadi, Central Kalahari, or the Okavango. These trips include bush camping with a support crew and guided game drives—perfect for those wanting to go off-grid in comfort.
How Nxai Fits into Your Itinerary
Nxai Pan lies roughly 140km north of Maun, and about a 2–3 hour drive depending on road conditions. It’s often paired with Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, which borders it to the south, or used as a dry-season stopover en route to Chobe or Moremi.
The best time to visit is December to March, during the green season when the pans are at their most beautiful and wildlife is most active. That said, the park remains accessible year-round, and the quieter dry months can offer great elephant sightings and predator encounters without the crowds.
If you’re planning a broader Botswana itinerary, Nxai makes an excellent stop after the water-filled channels of the Delta—offering contrast, peace and drama of a different kind.
A Park of Solitude and Story
Nxai Pan isn’t the busiest, the lushest, or the most famous of Botswana’s parks. But for those who venture here, it’s unforgettable. There’s something humbling about watching lions walk across a salt pan at dusk or waking to the deep cough of a leopard in the night.
There’s the quiet, broken only by distant jackals and the wind. The scale, which makes even the largest elephants look small. And the sense of wonder that creeps in when you sit beside a baobab that’s lived through centuries of storms, droughts, and migrations.
If you want a safari that offers silence and space alongside spectacle, Nxai Pan delivers. You won’t find gift shops or crowds. Just big skies, wild animals, and some of the most soul-stirring landscapes in all of Africa.
Check out our other Safari Botswana blogs –
- Safari Botswana – A Tourist Heaven of Wildlife, Wilderness and Wonder
- Visiting the Okavango Delta – What You Need to Know Before You Go
- Makgadikgadi Pans National Park – Zebra, Rivers and the Silence of the Salt
- Savuti – Wild Dogs, Lions and Rock Outcrops in Chobe’s Wild Heart
- Moremi Game Reserve – Flooded Forests, Wild Dogs and the Pulse of the Okavango
- Khwai Game Reserve – Wild Dogs, Community Conservation and the Spirit of the Delta
- What to Expect on a Mokoro Ride in the Okavango Delta
- Walking Safari in the Okavango Delta – What to Expect
- Ancient Voices on Stone: Bushman Rock Art at Savuti, Chobe National Park
- Mobile Safari Camp or Self-Drive?
- Why Do Hunting Safaris Still Exist in Botswana?
- Are There African Wild Dogs in Botswana? Tracking One of Africa’s Rarest Predators
- Are There Ground Hornbills in Botswana?
- Dr Livingstone in Botswana: Footsteps Across the Kalahari
- Is the Hippo the Most Dangerous Animal in Africa? It Might Just Be
- Sunset Safari on the Zambezi: An Evening Boat Ride from Kasane, Botswana