Nxai Pan National Park Botswana Safaris

OUR BOTSWANA SAFARIS AND THE NXAI PAN NATIONAL PARK

Regularly visited on Botswana Safaris, the Nxai Pan, Ntwetwe Pan and Sowa Pan are three large salt pans that make up the Makgadikgadi Pans. The Nxai Pan is actually a National Park and the Nxai area consists of a series of fossil pans which originally were ancient salt lakes. These fossil pans are covered with grass and scattered with Acacia tree islands, providing shade for the animals. These Nxai Salt pans were formed approximately 10 000 and 15 000 years ago when the area used to be a super lake; formed by the Okavango Delta, Zambezi River and Chobe River. Over the years this Botswana Safari area experienced tectonic plate movements’ and the directions of the rivers changed creating the Nxai Pan National Park.

The Nxai Pan National Park in Botswana was originally proclaimed as a protected area in the 1970’s and included a total area of 1676km2… In 1992 it was declared a National Park and this area was extended to 2578km2. The Nxai Pan National Park is set in the Northern Area of the Makgadikgadi Basin – which was once part of the ancient Lake Makgadikgadi. The Nxai Pan National Park has become an interesting Botswana Safaris destination due to the animal life in this National Park as well as the Baobabs that lie scattered around the Nxai Pan. An interesting fact about the Nxai Pan National Park is that it contains Springbok and Impala – generally these two types are animal live and rely on different terrains and are therefore rarely found in the same area. The Nxai Pan is also a breeding ground for herds of Zebra, Wildebeest, Gemsbok, Eland etc - you will also spot Hyenas, Bat-eared foxes, Hartebeests, Giraffes, Raptors and even Cheetahs!

For a Botswana Safari, the game viewing can be a little unpredictable in the dry seasons. The best game viewing months for a Botswana Safari is between December and July. The rainy season is from November to April and the dry season from May to September. The Nxai Pan is not frequented by many tourists for Botswana Safaris yet – but those that have visited the sister National Park to Makgadikgadi Pans, enter through the Nata main road which adjoins the Makgadikgadi Pans on the Northern border – approximately 136km out of Maun. Always remember that this is a malaria area before you go on a Botswana Safari to the Nxai Pan.

Have a look at our Botswana Safaris that include the Nxai Pan National Park below. We also have other Botswana Attractions that you might want to visit on your Botswana Safari.

• Chobe National Park
• Okavango Delta
• Kalahari
• Savuti Game Reserve
• Linyanti Game Reserve
• Moremi Game Reserve
• Makgadikgadi Pans
• Tuli Block Reserve
• Khwai River
• Mashatu Game Reserve
• Mokoros
• Khama Rhino Sanctuary
• Tsodilo Hills
• Gemsbok Area
• Baines Baobabs
• Nata Bird Sanctuary
• Botswana Animals