Migration Expeditions Camp

Migration Expeditions Camp is a small, seasonal camp like those of the early explorers, located in a remote wilderness and offering the zebra migration.

The camps is set at the edge of salt pan in Nxai Pan National Park, which is part of the greater Makgadikgadi Pans ecosystem.

During the rainy season months (December thru April), the area around the camp becomes a rich grassland that attracts large numbers of grazing herbivores, including zebras, which migrate to the area from wildlife areas to the north, including Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta.

Besides the herds of zebra, the area around Nxai Pan attracts good numbers of blue wildebeest, springbok, impala, greater kudu, eland, red hartebeest, oryx, and giraffe. Predators seen regularly include lion, cheetah, African wild dog, and spotted hyena. Brown hyena are sometimes seen. Elephants also visit the area during the rainy months.

The remote and other-worldly feel of Nxai Pan National Park is perhaps its greatest attraction and guests will certainly not forget their experience here.

Activities at the camp include twice-daily game drives in open, 4x4 vehicles to see the wildlife and the amazing ecosystem. A half-day visit to see the historic Baines' Baobab trees, made famous by the British artist and explorer, Thomas Baines, who painted them in 1862 during an expedition with David Livingstone, is a must.

The camp has just four, Meru-style, safari tents that are simple and not over-the-top, but offer all needed creature comforts. The guest tents offer comfortable beds (twin or double setup) and en-suite facilities with a bucket-shower, wash basin, and chemical flush-toilet.

The main guest area includes two canvas-tented structure, one that is used for dining and features an open, interactive kitchen, and the other comprising a cozy lounge and bar. The main area's focal point is the campfire, which is ideal for evening drinks, snacks, and conversation about the day's adventures.

The camp operates primarily on solar energy, but a generator provides a backup power source and there is a charging station for electronics in the main guest area.

Migration Expeditions Camp is owned and operated by African Bush Camps (ABC), a company founded by a professional African safari guide, who has a passion for protecting remote spaces and the wildlife that lives there.

African Bush Camps owns safari camps in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. The ABC camps are fully sustainable, with minimal impact on the environment. The African Bush Camps Foundation runs local projects that empower the local communities wherever they operate safari camps. The company's aim is to conserve and preserve wildlife and natural areas in Southern Africa.

About Nxai Pan National Park

Nxai Pan National Park covers 1 026 square miles (2 658 sq kms) and is contiguous with the Makgadikgadi Pans NP to the south, separated by the Maun-Nata Road.

Nxai Pan and Kudiakam Pan are both a part of the ancient lake bed that formed Sua and Ntwetwe Pans, but due to its higher elevation, Nxai Pan is not covered in leached salts and supports more vegetation.

The Nxai Pan region is dominated by open grassland and scattered Acacia tortilis trees and resembles the Serengeti region of northern Tanzania in many respects (but without all the tourists). The salt pans themselves are mostly covered with grass and surrounded by fossilized dunes of Kalahari sand.

There are numerous salt pans that fill with water during the rainy season and two pumped waterholes that are kept full in the dry season by the park authorities. The rivers that once filled the pans from the northeast have long since dried up.

During the rainy season months from December thru April, the lush, green grasslands around Nxai Pan become a haven and breeding ground for large numbers of zebras, blue wildebeests, and springbok. Also present are good numbers of red hartebeest, oryx, and eland.

Big herds of giraffe move through the grassy savannas to feed on the Acacia trees, while to the north of the pans, the mopane woodland supports browsing and cover for greater kudu and impala, which are often seen drinking and consuming salts at the waterholes. Tsessebe can also be seen on occasion; this being the southern extent of their Kalahari range.

During the verdant summer months, small breeding herds of elephant can be seen around Kgama Kgama Pan in the northeast of the park and lone bulls can be seen wandering through the mopane and at the waterholes. Bat-eared foxes are here in large numbers, as well as lion and spotted hyena that follow the grazers.

Most of the grazers disperse once the rains have ended (around May), with the exception of the hardy springboks, which remain in the area throughout the dry winter months. The springboks and open grasslands are perfect hunting grounds for cheetah and African wild dogs and both species are sighted here occasionally.

Baines' Baobabs

Originally known as the 'Sleeping Sisters', Baines' Baobabs are located on the edge of Kudiakam Pan in the southern section of the park. This cluster of baobab trees was famously painted by artist and adventurer Thomas Baines in 1862. Baines was a member of David Livingstone's expedition to the Zambezi.

The trees have changed very little in the years since Baines painted them, including the one tree lying on its side, which is still thriving.