Nxai Pan Camp

Location: Makgadikgadi & the Kalahari | Botswana

Price guide: £££££ £350-£500 per person per night

As you touch down at Nxai Pan Camp, you’ll be bowled over by the parched and cracked fossil expanses of what used to be the awesome Makgadikgadi Lake. Get ready for dazzling sunrises, bulging baobabs, and a feeling of splendid isolation at this little-known-about desert outpost.

Perfect forA breathtaking contrast to the watery world of the Okavango Delta.

In the knowDuring rain season, the Nxai Pan is covered in a blanket of sweet tufty grass, and plays host to Botswana’s very own mini migration.

Recommended for...

Cultural Immersion
Family-friendly
Guiding
Hideaway

Hotel Overview

Where

Facing East over the Nxai Pan.

Rooms at Nxai Pan Camp

East facing, the 9 chalets at Nxai Pan Camp enjoy the most blinding of sunrises, and as you shower outside on your private deck you’ll have a wonderful sense of wilderness. Inside, there’s a mix of traditional and contemporary, with muted sandy colours and white-washed floors that give it a sense of cool.

Food and facilities

The food is great here, and there's a well-stocked bar, but the best aspect is the water-hole right in front where game frequently come to drink. There’s also a small plunge pool on the crescent-shaped decking area, where you can cool off in the afternoons, and watch the eles take a dip; then as night falls you can sit around the fire for incredible stargazing and almost overwhelming silence.

Activities at Nxai Pan Camp

In terms of game, it really varies according to the time of year, but during dry season you’ll see zebra and giraffe attracted to the waterhole at Nxai Pan Camp – and sometimes really dramatic encounters when they’re forced to drink right in front of lion. With both a spotter and a driver on your game-drives, you’ll really make the most of the wildlife, and also be taken to the extraordinary “Baines Baobabs.”