Kwando Nxai Pan, Central Botswana

Facing out eastwards over the wide-open grasslands of Nxai Pan in Nxai Pan National Park, Botswana, each luxury suite is spacious and comfortable, built to keep you cool in summer and snug in winter. Each unit has a full indoor bathroom, an outside shower and a private patio looking out over the permanent waterhole.

There are eight en-suite units, one of which is a two-bedroomed family room.

Main Camp

There is a spacious open-air lounge and dining room with a bar, curio shop and inviting swimming pool. Meals are often taken al fresco to enjoy the perfect stillness and isolated beauty of this unique safari camp. This camp is 100 percent solar powered.

Game Activities

Each game drive is accompanied by an experienced driver/guide and a local tracker: two sets of seasoned eyes, accustomed to spotting the slightest movement in the bush. Each vehicle has three rows of three seats and takes a maximum of six guests; assuring you better guide attention, space and comfort for you and your gear. This is a popular photographic safari destination.

A day-trip to the nearby Baines’ baobabs is well recommended. This is usually a full-day trip with a picnic lunch enjoyed at these magnificent, ancient trees that have changed little since the days they were immortalised in oils by Thomas Baines in 1862.

Nature walks with San bushmen are also offered. Their culture is ancient and their lifestyle is nomadic. You’ll be shown how they used to hunt, gather food, find scarce water sources, source medicinal plants and so on. This is a fascinating interaction and often a safari highlight for many guests.

Stargazing is spectacular in this region with almost zero light pollution.

Nxai Pan Area

Declared as a game reserve in 1970, Nxai Pan National Park once formed part of a mighty lake that covered most of central Botswana. As the camp is inside a national park, off-road driving and night drives are not permitted.

The landscape is largely grasslands with scattered acacia trees and mopane woodlands. In the rainy season (November to late March), the grasses become green and lush, attracting huge herds of antelope. Large numbers of springbok, oryx, zebra, giraffe and elephant can be seen, which attract predators to the area. Expect to see lion, cheetah, jackal, brown hyena and spotted hyena, and even the occasional pack of wild dogs or a leopard. Birdlife is prolific, a veritable twitcher’s paradise.

The biggest drawcard is the annual zebra migration, the second-largest land animal migration in Southern Africa and arguably the longest.

Getting There

By road: Nxai Pan is remote but accessible for self-drives. However, once you have arrived, all further excursions will only be permitted on their game drive vehicles.

By air: Kwando Safari’s sister company, Moremi Air, operates small charter flights as part of their transfers from Maun and Kasane. Strict baggage weight restrictions apply (maximum 20kg including hand luggage). Helicopter charters are also available.

Our Take on Nxai Pan

It’s the perfect place to really relax and unwind. No cell phones, no laptops, no power points. Just pristine, open bush and wildlife in abundance. As it's 100 percent citizen-owned, Kwando staff offer friendly, personal service, and are always willing to go the extra mile. The standards of guiding are excellent and the San bushman nature walks are unforgettable. Nxai Pan is an excellent combination with one of their Okavango Delta camps to experience the best of both worlds.