Mobile Safaris (Nxai & Makgadikgadi Pans)

Mobile safaris essentially involve moving from one destination to the next, with short stays at each, using temporary camps that are set up anew at each site. These are outstanding in Botswana, partially as a potential way to visit the highlights without breaking the bank, and also as a means of getting a vintage, old fashioned safari ambience with a close to nature feel. Mobile itineraries that take in the Makgadikgadi area tend to include a couple of nights at a permanent accommodation such as Planet Baobab, with one night camping out on the Ntwetwe Pan, which is a unique, unforgettable experience.

Different levels of comfort are offered, from relative "luxury camps" with spacious en-suite tents, to simpler dome tents with shared ablutions. Activities on or around the pans are varied, with excellent game viewing during the rains, guided walks on the pans to discover stone age tools and visits to Bushman villages to absorb their fascinating culture. Some of the understated pleasures of a mobile trip include a morning coffee after waking up to the sun streaming through your tent, evening drinks around a roaring campfire and, of course, the sound of animals around camp as you drop off to sleep after a rewarding day of activities.