Makgadikgadi Pan, Botswana

The Makgadikgadi Pan, a salt pan set in the middle of the dry savanna of northeastern Botswana, is one of the largest salt flats in the world. Actually a collection of several pans surrounded and intersected by the Kalahari Desert, Makgadikgadi Pan extends across 16,058 square kilometres all within the Kalahari Basin. As a remnant of the now dried up Lake Makgadikgadi, the pan is dry, salty clay much of the year, but during years of abundant rain, some of the pans flood, becoming grassy plains and attracting wildlife such as zebra and wildebeest as well as flamingos, which flock to the Nata Sanctuary by the thousands. “The experience of the Makgadikgadi Pan is one of vastness,” says Harvey. “An almost disorienting feeling overcomes you, as the sky and panoramic views become one, and the distance turns to an endless expanse. It’s truly remarkable that this type of experience still exists—it’s a must-see for travellers in Botswana.”