BOTSWANA lions, cheetah, brown and spotted hyena, and enough springbok to keep everyone interested.
Some of the camps, like the African Bush Camps’ Migration Expeditions Camp, set up seasonally in Nxai Pan National Park between December and March to be close to the migrating herds. Other operators, such as Natural Selection and Wilderness Safaris, also run similar camps. None of these come cheap, but they offer a chance to be right in the middle of a wildlife spectacle that most of the safari world has not fully discovered yet.
So why spend your hard-earned money on this kind of trip? Two main reasons. First, the practical: the fences that once blocked the migration are gone, and the wildlife corridor is now being actively protected and managed. This is no longer a forgotten route, but a reliable yearly migration with a clear seasonal pattern and strong conservation support. Second, and more exciting, is that it is still quiet. Unlike the crowded Serengeti National Park during migration season, where safari vehicles can feel like a traffic jam in the heart of the city, the Makgadikgadi Pans and Nxai still feel remote, almost secret.
How to do it?
To get there, fly from Johannesburg to Maun on Airlink. It is a direct flight that takes about two hours. From Maun, you’ ll take a small charter plane to the camps.
The best time to witness the zebra migration is between December and March. From April to October, you’ ll find great dry-season wildlife in the Okavango Delta. Also excellent, but a different experience.
Pack warm layers, because nights on the pans can be surprisingly cold. Bring strong sunscreen and sunspecs as there’ s no shade on the salt flats. Take a camera with a good zoom lens. Do NOT bring a drone – most camps and national parks don’ t allow them.
Bring patience for the herds and a decent bottle of something for the sunset. The zebras, after all, have been doing this for longer than any of us. They took a fifty-year break and came back. The least we can do is show up.
WINTER 2026 • rovesa. co. za | 11