National park
Nxai Pan National Park
Grassed fossil pans north of the Nata–Maun road: green-season zebra and springbok, lion at the waterhole, and Baines' Baobabs.
2,477 km² · 1 gate · 5 campsites · Run by Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP)
About the park
Nxai Pan is an ancient salt lake now covered in short grass and dotted with islands of acacia, part of the Makgadikgadi system, with Kgama-Kgama and Kudiakam pans alongside. After good rains, roughly December to April, the pans green up and fill with zebra, wildebeest, springbok and gemsbok, with lion and cheetah working the herds; in the dry months the waterhole on the main pan becomes the stage, and elephants often push this far south in summer. Visitors self-drive and camp, either at South Camp, which has basic ablutions and standpipes, or at the bare site by Baines' Baobabs on Kudiakam Pan, which has no water at all. It suits self-sufficient campers in a proper 4x4. The catch is the approach: the track north from the main road is sand and corrugations, so allow far more time than the distance suggests.
Highlights
- Baines' Baobabs on Kudiakam Pan, painted by Thomas Baines in the 1800s
- The waterhole on Nxai Pan, where lion and prey meet
- Green-season herds of zebra, wildebeest and springbok on the pans
- Springbok and impala in one park, a pairing found nowhere else in Botswana
Good to know
- About 2,578 km² of grassed pans and acacia islands; borders Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
- Gate about 28 km north of the Nata–Maun road on a sandy track
- Artificial waterholes supplement seasonal pans
- South Camp (basic ablutions; treat the water) and Baines' Baobabs camp (no facilities), run by Xomae
- Show a paid campsite booking at the gate
Wildlife you may see
- Burchell's zebra
- Springbok
- Blue wildebeest
- Gemsbok
- Giraffe
- Lion
- Cheetah
- Elephant (mainly summer)
- Brown hyena
- Bat-eared fox
- Wild dog (occasional)
- Ostrich
Sightings are never guaranteed.
When to go
Open: Apr–Sep 06:00–18:30, Oct–Mar 05:30–19:00
Best time: December–April after good rains for the herds; May–September for easier driving
Gates
- Nxai Pan GateOpen: Apr–Sep 06:00–18:30, Oct–Mar 05:30–19:00Park entry and a vehicle fee are charged per day in pula. Show a paid campsite booking: South Camp and Baines' Baobabs are run by Xomae. Pay in advance at a wildlife department office in Maun or Gaborone, or in cash at the gate; card machines are unreliable.North of the Nata–Maun road, opposite the Makgadikgadi northern gate. The access track is deep, heavy sand and corrugation: 4x4 only, and allow far more time than the distance suggests. Baines' Baobabs camp has no water or facilities.
Gate times change with the seasons: check with Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) before you travel.
Campsites
- Baines' Baobab CampsiteCampsite4.9
- Boga Site Nxai PanCampsite4.1
- Hatab CampCampsite4.1
- Hatab CampsiteCampsite4.2
- Nxai South CampCampsite4.3
Places to see
- Baines' Baobabsnatural wonderSeven giant baobabs on the edge of Kudiakam Pan, almost unchanged since Thomas Baines painted them in 1862.