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| Botswana: What to see | |||
| Nxai Pan National Park | |||
>see photographs Best known for: Baines' Baobabs, also know as the Seven Sisters. This grove of baobab trees was made famous by the watercolour painted by Sir Thomas Baines during his expedition in 1862. A photograph taken about a century later shows no discernable change in the trees. Location Situated north of Makgadikgadi Pans, 136 km from Maun and only 35 km off the main Maun-Nata Road. Size Nxai Pan National Park covered an area of 2100 square kilometres, before it was extended south to the main road to incorporate Baines' Baobabs in 1992. This area has since been amalgamated with Makgadikgadi to form the Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans National Park, which covers an area of 5500 square kilometres. Wildlife Gemsbok and springbok are the most common antelope on the pan. It is one of the few places where impala and springbok cohabit, as they are normally separated by habitat preference. The park is noted for its many giraffe and is one of the finest places in Botswana to see leopard. Other game to be sighted includes lion, cheetah, spotted and the rare brown hyena, honey badger, kudu, zebra, hartebeest, bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal, wild dog and even the occasional elephant. Birdlife is abundant, particularly raptors. Environment and vegetation The land is flat with vast open plains. Unlike the salt pans of Sowa and Ntwetwe, Nxai Pan is covered by short sweet grass, dotted with large baobabs and islands of shady umbrella thorn trees. Mopane stands are found further north in the scrubland. Climate The days are hot and nights are cold throughout winter (May to August). In summer, days are stiflingly hot with cooler nights. When to go Best visited during the rainy season from November to April for wildlife viewing, but excessive rain might make roads impassable. Activities Nxai pan has an integrated series of loops, allowing for various options of game drives. These must be undertaken in a 4x4 vehicle. Bird watching, photography and guided walks. Accommodation There is no permanent accommodation in the Nxai Pan area of the National Park; however there are two campsites: South Camp and North Camp. How to get there By road The road to Nxai Pan is almost midway between Maun and Nata and is clearly signposted. The 35 km road from the main road to the park gate is dirt and requires a 4x4 vehicle. By air There is no airstrip in the Nxai Pan area. Airstrips at Gweta (90 km away) or Motopi (80 km away) can be used for access. |
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