Part of the Makgadikgadi complex, Nxai Pan NP comprises several large pans. Unlike the salt-encrusted pans at Makgadikgadi, Nxai Pan is a waterless, fossil pan covered in grass with acacia islands. The area comes to life after the summer rains in December, when big herds of migrating zebra and wildebeest, accompanied by other grazers, arrive to feast on the new grasses.
Nxai Pan, a 2,578sq kilometre National Park to the north of Makgadigadi, includes the famous Baines Baobabs. Seven huge, gnarled baobab trees, named after the 19th century explorer, Thomas Baines. The expansive white pan alongside the Baobabs make for impressive photographic opportunities.
Nxai Pan is also a hotspot for cheetah sightings as well as resident species such as lions, elephants, bat-eared fox, zebra, impala, gemsbok, giraffe, wild dog, ostrich and jackal. It is permanently covered in grass, pockets of acacia trees and after the rains, the pans are covered in spring flowers.
In the rainy season, it is home to the seasonal Zebra Migration, where vast herds (accompanied by a slew of predators) can be seen on open grasslands, amidst the mottled shade of acacia trees.
December to MarchBest in wildlife viewing
December to MayThe park never gets crowded
Baines Baobabs and good Cheetah sightings
November to March for the migrant species
Nxai Pan can be visited year-round. It’s a seasonal park and wildlife migrates to the park in the wet, summer months – but the exact timing is erratic and depends on rainfall. Some wildlife is left in the dry months, from June to September, and easy to spot at the waterholes.
