Meerkat Salt Pan Tour Adventure in Botswana

A Meerkat Salt Pan Tour Adventure in Botswana

Nearly 70 percent of Botswana consists of the Kalahari desert, and mixed right in the middle are several salt pans. Home to the rare and unique meerkats as well as many other animals, the salts pans offer a unique overnight experience.

A meerkat adventure in the salt pans will be to sure leave lasting memory of Botswana.

Botswana Meerkat Tour
Meerkat at Sunset

Central Botswana is a unique area with several massive salt pans. The Ntwetwe Pan, Sua Pan, the Makgadikgadi, and the Nxai Pan are all neighbors, yet distinct in their own way.  A 4×4 vehicle is required to visit the Makgadikgadi Pan and Nxai Pan National Parks.

While a salt pan is typically barren, these have an abundance of wildlife, including large game. The beautiful Kubu Island is a popular destination, located within the Sua Salt Pan. This unique island in the middle of the pan is a great place to camp overnight.

Botswana Salt Flats

Content and photographs provided by Yana Kogan and Timon.

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A Meerkat Salt Pan Tour Adventure in Botswana

How to Get to Gweta

Botswana Salt Pans
Bed setup on the salt flats

Gweta is the base for most of the salt pan activities. We stayed at Gweta Lodge, where the owner’s son James and his team will make you feel right at home. Gweta Lodge can arrange for private or group tours.  They have excellent prices and have a fun team. Prices for camping start at 90 Pula per person and rooms start at 500 Pula.

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Ntwetwe Salt Pan Tour

Botswana Salt Pan Tour
Playing around with photography

Gweta Lodge arranged an awesome tour of Nwetwe Salt Pans for us.  It included personal time with the local meerkats, Yana’s all-time favorite animal. This tour started in the afternoon with a quick stop at a large baobab tree.

Botswana Salt Flats Fun
Fun on the salt flat

The meerkat colony is around 10 meerkats. Each day a human tracker follows their movements. We were able to get up close to the meerkats, as they do not see humans as predators.

One meerkat will always be on the lookout for land and air predators while the rest of the colony scavenges for food. They continue this while switching roles and roaming the prairie until nightfall, where they burrow in a hole and call it a day. Witnessing their unique and adorable tendencies was our favorite part of the tour.

Afterward, we walked from the edge of the salt pan to the camp set up for the evening. The crew set up a campfire and already arranged the bedrolls for the evening. We enjoyed drinks around the campfire before an excellent 3-course meal.

Following dinner, we slept under the stars in our personal bedrolls. Due to the reflection of the salt pans, the sunrise is incredibly bright. We enjoyed some last-minute photography on the salt flat before heading back to Gweta.


Cost

Meerkat Salt Pan Tour
Meerkats

The overnight Salt Pan Tour is 1200 Pula per person with Gweta Lodge.

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That’s it – we hope you have a wonderful time on your Meerkat Salt Pan Tour!


About the Author:

  • Yana and Timon

    Yana & Timon met at college in Boston, Massachusetts. After graduating, they started their professional careers. They moved to San Francisco in 2010, a city they loved living in for nearly six years.

    After working and saving up money for several years, they quit their jobs and set off on an adventure of a lifetime. They started living a nomadic lifestyle in December 2015 and have not looked back since.

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