Zebras grazing in front of Kwando’s Lodge
Photos by Alexandra George
After black-maned lions, oryx herds and springbok in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, my next chapter took me to Nxai Pan with Kwando Safaris – a company known for its low-impact camps, seasoned guides and deep reverence for the wild. Here on the open salt pans, thousands of zebras follow the rain, giraffes browse the thorn trees and elephants march across the horizon. It’s one of Africa’s quiet marvels… and it’s beckoning me.
Nxai Pan evokes a timeless charm, its open landscape teeming with life and wild, effortless beauty. We spent our days on game drives weaving through zebra families and their playful foals, watching herds of up to 22 giraffes stride elegantly across the pan and lingering at waterholes. Bat-eared foxes and black-backed jackals darted through the grasses, and elephants – so many elephants – came and went in gentle procession.
A symphony of footsteps at the water’s edge
Kwando’s Nxai Pan Lodge sits in splendid isolation on the edge of a vast, open pan, facing one of the only permanent waterholes in the region. From my private verandah, I had a panoramic view to a 24/7spectacle at the rain-fed waterhole, a wide, circular space that was the centre of a daily drama. We watched elephant families gather, drink and cool off. Giraffes, zebras and wildebeest also came to quench their thirst. All passed through in procession the entire day, some solo, others in small family groups, an ever-changing scene of wild tranquility.
Elephant family and giraffe gather at waterhole in front of my verandah
Nxai Pan’s gentle phase of a grand journey
By the time we reached Nxai Pan in early February, the zebra migration – with up to 30,000 zebras traveling 250 km from the Chobe River floodplains southward to Nxai Pan National Park and the Makgadikgadi Pans – wasn’t a singular, thundering phenomenon. It was something subtler, more dispersed. The zebras don’t migrate all at once, but in successive waves moving in groups, droves.
Zebras enjoying the day, Nxai Pan
We found scattered bands with newborn foals grazing the golden plains: some gathered in tight formations, others feeding leisurely beneath the open sky or drifting in relaxed motion. Wildebeest and springbok herds threaded through the scene.
Zebra foal gallops
At first, I was disappointed that we had missed it. But this, I soon realized, was the migration—not its absence, but a quieter phase in its long and winding rhythm. Even without the full drama of thousands of pounding hooves sweeping across the horizon, Nxai Pan offered something different – something more meditative. A place not just of grandeur, but of stillness and presence. And that’s exactly what made it unforgettable.
Elegance on the open pan
One early morning in Nxai Pan we found ourselves surrounded by a breathtaking sight – a herd of 22 giraffes slowly crossing the open plain. They moved with grace, pausing to feed on thorny acacias, cluster and drink, their towering silhouettes etched against the blue sky.
Standing tall in the wild
At the waterhole several giraffes splayed their legs in that impossibly awkward stance, dipping their heads low to drink, a rare and vulnerable moment to witness. It was a scene of majesty, painted in long shadows and golden light. A true Kalahari spectacle.
Herd of giraffes about to drink
Where time stands still: A day among Baines’ ancient sentinels
One of the highlights of our time in Nxai Pan was a day trip to the majestic Baines’ Baobabs, a striking grove of ancient trees made famous by Thomas Baines, a British painter and explorer. Located deep in the southern part of the park, they overlook a vast, glimmering salt pan that stretches to the horizon. The trees look exactly as they did when Baines painted them in 1862. On the way there and back, we encountered elephants, giraffes, oryx and other plains game, adding to the sense of wonder that built with every passing mile. The stillness of the baobabs and the expanse of the pan made it feel like we’d stepped into another world.
With our guide and tracker beneath the giants of Baines Baobab, Nxai Pan
Majesty in motion, with the savanna as his throne
A wild send-off from Nxai Pan
As we prepared to leave Nxai Pan, the wilderness offered one final memory. A herd of frisky zebras dashed across the pan, and when we reached the airstrip, were occupying the runway. A bull elephant was also ambling through the airstrip. We’d been told to arrive early, just in case of such delays — and sure enough, we had to gently encourage them to move. Our guide stepped from the vehicle and, with assured authority and respect, goaded the elephant and zebras who galloped off the runway so our flight could depart.
From the moment we touched down to the moment we lifted off, the wild had the last word — not choreographed, but perfectly timed all the same.
Bull elephant and group of zebras enjoying the morning on airstrip.