After a first stop in the Nxai and Makgadikgadi National Parks, you may wish to consider a stop in Gweta or Nata. This is an opportunity to explore the Ntwetwe Pan in greater depth or discover the other side of Sowa Pan at the Nata Bird Sanctuary.

South of Gweta are some famous baobab trees. Green’s Baobab takes visitors back to the 19th century when the Makgadikgadi pans were on the route of merchants, explorers and missionaries who stopped under this enormous tree to spend the night. The Green brothers inscribed the words ‘Green’s Expedition, 1858-1859’ on it, which gave the baobab its name.

A little further on is the impressive Chapman’s baobab, composed of seven trunks, which also earned it the name ‘Seven Sisters’. Many names were inscribed on it, including that of South African explorer James Chapman, mentioned by the initials JC, and probably inscribed by himself in 1861 while on an expedition with his brother and Thomas Baines. Unfortunately, this giant of history was uprooted in 2016 and has now almost disappeared.

Near Nata, the Bird Sanctuary provides access to the north-eastern part of Sowa Pan. Depending on the year, this part of the pan can still form an impressive lake that attracts many birds such as flamingos and pelicans, even in the dry season.

From the Setswana word meaning ‘ridge’, Kubu Island (or Lekhubu Island) is a rocky island 10 metres high and 1 kilometre long, on which magnificent baobab trees have grown, creating an unexpected and particularly photogenic setting on the edge of Sowa Pan.

Spending a night here is one of those magical and unforgettable moments, especially under a full moon. Photographers will delight in the opportunities offered by the starry skies, the reflection of the pans and the shapes of the baobab trees.

After several days in the heart of the Makgadikgadi pans, a refuelling stop is necessary before continuing on to the Central Kalahari. Letlhakane is a small town with little to offer, which has developed thanks to the three diamond mines surrounding it. Although it is gradually opening up to tourism, we mainly stop here to take a nice shower, rest and refuel for the rest of this 4×4 itinerary through the Kalahari.

Sunday Pan is one of the most beautiful area in the CKGR. It is renowned for the regular presence of the famous black-maned lions of the Kalahari, and its acacia trees are home to numerous herbivores such as wildebeest, oryx, kudu and giraffes. The bushes may also hide a few bat-eared foxes, jackals or honey badgers.

The permanent waterhole at Sunday is a must-see spot when the sun goes down, and it is always interesting to see the animals arrive in a well-defined order.

Passarge Valley is a scenic route through the typical Kalahari bush vegetation, interspersed with open valleys, vast grasslands, and dotted with small wooded islands. Tau Pan is distinguished by its clusters of acacia trees surrounding a huge basin that is highly prized by herbivores, followed by predators that also sometimes appear around the slopes of Phukwe, San and Phokoje.

Piper Pan is the most remote place on the northern loop and also the most mystical. Here, you really feel how far away you are. The silence is surprising. The isolation is complete. Yet many animals frolic happily in the vast plains, which are emerald green in the wet season and tinged with gold in the dry season.

The Letiahau and Deception valleys are undoubtedly the most interesting in the Central Kalahari. It is here that you have the best chance of spotting the shyest animals of the savannah, such as cheetahs and brown hyenas. But that’s not all: the permanent waterhole at Letiahau also attracts giraffes and other herbivores, and lions are often seen in this area.

Deception Valley alone is worth the trip to the remote Kalahari. A former fossil river bed, the place takes its name from a mirage created by the clay basin, which gives the illusion of a pond filled with water. Deception Pan does indeed fill with water during the rainy season, but quickly gives way to cracked earth covered with dried red algae for the rest of the year.

Created in 2002 and jointly managed by South Africa and Botswana, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a vast open desert covering 37,000 km2 that protects animal migration routes, which are crucial to their survival in this arid region.

Three-quarters of the park is located in Botswana and has retained its authenticity with very basic facilities. On the South African side, the infrastructure is more developed, with camps that have become veritable tourist villages.

Characterised by its red sand on the South African side and its vast plains on the Botswana side, the Kgalagadi is adorned with grassy and flowery vegetation as soon as the rains return. Despite the lack of natural water and thanks to artificial water points, the desert remains a living place, populated by oryx, springboks, hartebeests and elands. Carnivores are very present, including lions, cheetahs, leopards, brown hyenas and jackals. But the KTP is also home to small mammals, and you will enjoy encountering Cape foxes, ground squirrels, meerkats, bat-eared foxes and honey badgers.

The Botswana side of the Kgalagadi is a 100% self-drive destination, ideal for those who like to take the time to seek out rarer sights and who particularly appreciate the simple life in the bush.