Planet Baobab Lodge in Botswana
Planet Baobab is a unique overnight accommodation on the edge of the Ntwetwe Pan, one of the salt pans in the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Just outside Gweta, on the road between Maun and Nata, a huge anteater marks the entrance to this amazing lodge. Planet Baobab has the largest swimming pool and the nicest bar in the Kalahari and is named after the oldest trees that are found in the park and on the lodge grounds.
Spending a night in one of the 18 colorful Bakalanga or Baobab huts; traditional round thatched bungalows with en-suite shower and toilet. Not luxury, but comfortable. Three cabins are suitable for families with two young children. The lodge also has a campsite.
Visit the multi-cat colony that lives in the area around the lodge. The meerkats (African for meerkats) emerge from their burrows at sunrise and like to climb on your head or shoulders for a better view of their prey and enemies.
If you want to know more about the life and culture of the Batswana, the people of Botswana, visit the local village and a cattle farm. At the Nxai Pini Pan, you can look for fossil remains and stone tools. Or go on a walk with a Bushman guide, who can tell you everything about the art of survival in the desert.
In the dry months, you can cross the salt pans with a quad bike. A white cracked earth’s crust, a steel-blue sky and a void the size of Switzerland form the backdrop for this special experience. Especially if you decide to spend the night here with nothing more than an infinite starry sky above you. In the wet season, you can witness the migration of over millions of zebras and wildebeests from the west to the salt pans, where they indulge in the fresh grass while lions, cheetahs, and other predators feed on the zebras again.
Your stay is based on bed and breakfast. You pay the costs of lunch and dinner on the spot. When booking (or on-site) you can pass on and pay for your desired activities.
Children of all ages are welcome. Children from the age of 12 can drive a quad bike independently, younger children fall behind an adult. There are always two people on one quad.
The transfer from Maun to Planet Baobab takes approximately 2hours and 30minutes.