Across Southern Africa, salt pans create some of the continent’s most surreal landscapes.
During the dry season, they resemble vast sheets of silver under the sun, while in the rains they transform into shallow lakes alive with flamingos, zebra herds and desert nomads. For travellers who crave open spaces and silent beauty, the salt pans of Southern Africa offer unforgettable encounters with nature’s extremes.
Etosha Pan, Namibia
In northern Namibia lies the Etosha Pan, a 4 800 square kilometre expanse that forms the heart of Etosha National Park. It is one of Africa’s most iconic landscapes, its pale crust stretching as far as the eye can see. During the dry months, the pan is an enormous desert of cracked salt where mirages ripple in the heat and herds of elephant, springbok, and gemsbok gather around the waterholes on its edge. When the rains arrive, the pan becomes a shallow lake, attracting flocks of greater and lesser flamingos that paint the water pink. Etosha’s beauty lies in its transformation — from barren desert to wetland oasis — a cycle that supports some of the most accessible wildlife viewing in Southern Africa.
Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana
Makgadikgadi Pans/Birger Strahl/Unsplash
Few places on earth can match the surreal expanse of Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Pans. Once part of an ancient lake larger than Switzerland, this area now forms one of the largest salt flats in the world. The pans are made up of a network of smaller basins and clay crusts that stretch endlessly across the northeastern Kalahari. During the dry season, the terrain is a canvas of blinding white where adventure seekers explore by quad bike or 4×4. As the first rains fall, the pans come alive. Water transforms the flat crust into a shimmering mirror that attracts thousands of flamingos and the second-largest zebra migration in Africa. From the isolation of Kubu Island to the baobab-lined shores near Gweta, Makgadikgadi offers an unforgettable journey through landscapes that seem suspended in time.
Sua Pan, Botswana
Linked to the Makgadikgadi system, Sua Pan is a destination in its own right. This is the heart of Botswana’s flamingo country, where breeding colonies gather in the thousands when the shallow waters return. Sua Pan is remote, stark, and peaceful, its silence broken only by the wind and the distant call of birds. Travellers can camp on its fringes or stay at nearby eco-lodges that blend with the environment. For those seeking a sense of freedom, the pan’s vastness invites exploration on foot or by vehicle, offering a feeling of solitude rarely found elsewhere. Visiting Sua Pan is a reminder of how fragile and interconnected these ecosystems are, and how essential it is to tread lightly on their delicate surfaces.
Nxai Pan, Botswana
Nxai Pan National Park/Ralf Ellerich/Wikimedia Commons
North of Makgadikgadi lies Nxai Pan National Park, a destination that combines desert silence with striking wildlife encounters. Its defining feature, the Nxai Pan, is smaller and more vegetated than its neighbours but equally captivating. The park is famous for Baines’ Baobabs, a cluster of ancient trees painted by explorer Thomas Baines in the 1860s. During the wet season, the pan attracts migrating zebra and wildebeest, as well as predators such as lion and cheetah. When the water dries up, the landscape turns to pale dust, perfect for stargazing beneath clear desert skies. Nxai Pan offers a balance between wilderness adventure and serenity, ideal for travellers who want to experience the quiet side of Botswana’s salt plains.
When to go
The best time to visit most Southern African salt pans is during the dry season, from May to October, when access is easier and skies are clear. For birdwatchers and photographers, the wet months from November to March reveal a completely different scene as water returns and wildlife flourishes. Many pans require a 4×4 vehicle and local guides who understand the terrain. Visitors should bring plenty of water, sun protection, and a respect for the fragile ecosystems beneath their feet.
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