Nxai Pan Camp

OVERVIEW:

Nxai Pan is the only permanent camp inside Nxai Pan National Park, an extension of the spectacular Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. This area is particularly special for observing the annual zebra migration when thousands of animals navigate the terrain, seeking fresh pastures to graze. Operated by Kwando Safaris, a well-established safari operator with an extensive camp and lodge portfolio throughout Botswana, Nxai Pan Camp is a great year-round option (except for June, when it closes for maintenance), providing some unique experiences, including San Bushmen walks and full-day visits to the Baines Baobabs. Accommodation is booked on a full-board basis, including all meals, a selection of alcoholic and soft drinks, scheduled activities, and a laundry service.

ACCESS & LOCATION: 

Nxai Pan Camp is located within Botswana’s Nxai Pan National Park, just north of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. Access is by light aircraft to Nxai Pan airstrip (approximately 40 minutes’ flying time from Maun or one hour from Kasane), followed by a 15-minute drive to the camp.

ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT NXAI PAN CAMP: 

The accommodation at Nxai Pan Camp includes eight luxury chalets and a two-bedroom family unit connected by wooden walkways, all with views of the waterhole in front of the camp (though those closest to the main area are best for wildlife viewing). Each has a private viewing deck with outside seating, separated from the bedroom by screened sliding doors. The understated, whitewashed style features throughout, with bleached wood floors, thatched roofs, and insulated walls that comfortably endure the fluctuating temperatures. Each room has a lounge area with armchairs, a ceiling fan, a tea-and-coffee facility, a charging station for international multi-plugs, a writing desk, open hanging space and shelving for clothes, a small digital safe, spare blankets, insect repellents, and an emergency horn. Every en-suite bathroom includes indoor and outdoor showers, a flushing toilet, and double vanity basins. The family suite comprises a standard en-suite chalet connected to a smaller room but shares one bathroom with a separate toilet. It’s also possible to request an extra bed for a third child.

Nxai Pan Camp’s spacious communal area is housed under a lofty thatch roof and fully open at the front, facing the extensive wooden deck outside. A step down from the deck, there’s a sandy clearing where the camp’s welcoming fire-pit is the focal point – a great spot for warming up on chilly nights and sharing adventure tales with fellow guests. The interiors combine wood furniture with white-washed walls, giving the space a light, toned-down feel, and there’s a long table where guests dine together. Understated and uncluttered, the lounge offers a comfortable place to sit and relax with a book, and there’s also a help-yourself bar and a tea-and-coffee station. Outside, the deck boasts great views of the permanent watering hole and Nxai Pan National Park. There’s also a small pool with sunloungers – an ideal relaxation area to spend time observing animals at the waterhole. Please be aware that Nxai Pan Camp has no Wi-Fi, so guests should be prepared to disconnect!

ACTIVITIES AT NXAI PAN CAMP:

• Game drive

  – Nxai Pan is a seasonal game camp with the best game viewing during the green season between November and April, when the annual rains bring grass for fresh grazing. Led by a two-person professional guide and tracker team, you’ll likely encounter plenty of zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, and some of the key predators such as lion, cheetah, and black-backed jackal. Please note that game drives are only possible during daylight hours. 

• San Bushman Cultural Walks

  –  Learn all about hunting, tracking, identifying spoor, and the endemic flora and fauna with an insightful San Bushman walk. This activity offers guests a lens into one of Africa’s oldest surviving cultures and traditions that have survived and been passed down for thousands of years.

• Baines Baobab Visit

  – In the south of Nxai Pans National Park, there are seven baobab trees known as Baines Baobabs or the Sleeping Sisters. Thomas Baines painted these incredible ancient trees in 1862, and they look practically identical today! A full-day trip to Baines Baobabs, accompanied by a picnic lunch, is a real highlight of this destination.

• Zebra migration

  – Between December and March, summer rains bring thousands of zebra to the grasslands, creating a wildlife spectacle second only to the Serengeti’s Great Migration.

*This property is unfenced and located in a wildlife area, so large and potentially dangerous animals do pass through. If you opt to stay here, always be alert when walking around the camp and request for a member of staff to escort you if you have any concerns. Any guest is escorted after dark as a matter of course.