The adventure, followed by logistics & tips at the end.

During our family self-drive trip through Botswana, we decided to splurge on the Planet Baobab meerkat and Makgadikgadi Pans overnight experience. It wasn’t cheap, and we spent a long time wondering whether it would be worth it.

Spoiler alert: it absolutely was! This would become our the best Botswana travel with kids experience!

  Sitting on the dry earth, less than two feet from a family of meerkats as they dug up and devoured scorpion after scorpion, was not how I imagined spending my morning. If you’d ever asked me whether I would happily sit on the ground while scorpions were being pulled from the very earth beneath me, I would have laughed and said absolutely not. Yet there I was, completely captivated. The meerkats were finding scorpions everywhere! The landscape looked barren,  just dry grass and dusty earth stretching into the distance,  but beneath the surface was a hidden world teeming with life. It was a lesson in noticing. Looking around, I would never have guessed how many scorpions were living just a few digs below the ground.

It after seeing the twentieth scorpions crunched down that I decided I wasn’t technically sitting *in* the earth, merely *on top* of it. And at the rate the meerkats were eating the scorpions, it would be incredibly bad luck if one escaped and wandered over to investigate me.    Our adventure began with an open 4×4 ride from Planet Baobab Campsite. Along the way, our guide stopped to tell us about the baobab trees scattered across the landscape. We drove on dusty roads, seeing hardly another vehicle, or person, with the wind in our hair and the growing excitement of the adventure ahead. Our first stop was to meet a mob of habituated meerkats. I’ll admit, I was initially hesitant by the words “habituated”. I don’t enjoy seeing wild animals fed or tamed for tourism, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case here. Habituated simply meant the meerkats were used to people being nearby and carried on with their lives completely unfazed by our presence. After a quick briefing on meerkat etiquette – don’t touch, don’t disturb, don’t make too much noise – we walked out onto the dry grassland.

At first, we spotted just a few meerkats. Then more appeared, and more. They seemed to be everywhere. And they all seemed to be furiously digging. At first it was simply cute, until we realised what they were digging for. Scorpions, lots of scorpions.

I lost count of how many were unearthed and promptly eaten within a few feet of where we were sitting. It was fascinating, slightly alarming, and completely unforgettable all at once. We spent about an hour with these incredible little animals before climbing back into the 4×4 and heading off to the next stage of our adventure. A short drive later, we arrived at a small village where a line of quad bikes was waiting for us. After a quick safety briefing, we set off across the Makgadikgadi Pans. And wow. We’ve travelled to some incredible places, but there is something very special about driving across one of the largest salt pans in the world. The space feels endless, the horizon stretches forever, and it genuinely feels as though you’ve driven into the middle of nowhere.

We sped across the pan, taking it all in, with the occasionally mouthful of dust when the wind changed direction. We quickly learned the importance of keeping a healthy dust-distance from the bike in front. The feeling was exhilarating, freedom, open space, and adventure in every direction. By late afternoon we arrived at what was to be our camp for the evening. A simple canvas toilet stood off to one side, just four canvas walls, no roof, just views for miles. A fire was being lit, and a table was set for dinner. Our roll mats had been laid out around the edge of camp beneath the open sky. As we settled in with an ice-cold drink and chatted around the fire, the sun began to sink below the horizon. Dinner was a delicious three-course meal cooked in the middle of nowhere, somehow tasting even better because of where we were.   Then the stars appeared, and appeared, and didn’t stop appearing… With no light pollution for miles, the sky filled with more stars than we had ever seen. The Milky Way stretched overhead while the campfire crackled below. It was one of those moments where nobody reaches for a phone because everyone is simply taking it all in, and there was definitely no reception out in these parts.

These are some of my best moments, a true disconnect where you phone merely becomes a camera. Being August, the night was chilly, but hot water bottles had been tucked into our beds – beds are a roll mat with sleep bag in one. They were super comfy and cozy, and under a blanket of stars we happily fell asleep. The next morning we woke to the sun rising over the pans. Fresh coffee was brewing, muffins were waiting, and one of the guides was strumming a guitar as the first light spread across the landscape. Honestly, I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect start to the day.

After coffee we climbed back onto the quad bikes and made our way back across the pans to the village. Dust-covered and smiling, we transferred back into the 4×4 for the journey to Planet Baobab. A hot shower, a proper cooked breakfast, and a refreshing swim in the pool were waiting for us. The perfect ending to an unforgettable adventure.

So, was it worth it? Without a doubt.

This experience combined everything we love about family travel: wildlife, adventure, learning, wide-open spaces, and those magical moments that become family stories for years to come. Who knew that sitting on the ground watching meerkats eat scorpions would become one of our favourite family travel memories?

It’s exactly the sort of unexpected moment that deserves a place in the kids travel journal – and it took pride and place in their Travel Journal! Journal entry alongside some excellent artwork of the scorpion buffet! The ultimate in Botswana travel with kids. As a family we realised that some of our best memories are made send out in nature, another favourite was our night of camping at Baines Baobabs, and if you find yourselves self-driving this amazing part of the world we highly recommend you add this to your itinerary! Two totally different experiences and both incredible!  

Logistics & tips

Getting There: Planet Baobab is located near Gweta in Botswana, on the edge of the Makgadikgadi salt pans. It is usually reached by road from Maun (about 2.5–3 hours’ drive) or from Nata (around 2 hours’ drive). The sleep-out experience departs from Planet Baobab’s main lodge.

Bookings: Book directly with Planet Baobab

Best Time to Visit: The best time for a sleep-out on the Makgadikgadi Pans is during the dry season (roughly May to October). Skies are clear, temperatures are cooler at night, and the vast salt pans are fully accessible. Full moon nights are especially magical, as the landscape glows silver and you can often see the Milky Way stretching across the sky.

What to Pack:

• Warm layers (it gets very cold at night, even after hot days)
• Light, breathable clothing for daytime
• Closed walking shoes or boots
• A beanie or hat and warm socks for night
• Sunscreen, sunglasses, and lip balm (the sun is strong)
• Head torch or small flashlight
• Camera for sunrise and sunset shots, the light is dreamy and the meerkats too cute!
• A sense of adventure (essential!)
• Zwela Travel Journal – to capture and reflect on the adventures

Travel Tips:

• The sleep-out experience is very remote –  no lights, and total silence.
• Bring extra warm clothing for sleeping under the stars.
• Go with an open mind, and ready for adventure! The stars here are some of the clearest!
• Book in advance as it’s very popular.
• If you are on the fence, don’t think twice, just book it! 🙂