Camping with the Flamingos

One of the phenomenal celebrations of nature!

Flamingos are the most incredible wading birds. The name flamingo comes from Portuguese or Spanish flamengo which means “flame-coloured”.

Their bills are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from food and their diet is largely animal and plant plankton. The flamingos famous pink or reddish colour comes from carotenoids in their diet. It’s just like us feasting on hundreds of carrots!

While camping in Botswana, we managed to find the most beautiful and majestic playground for these birds and ourselves! The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans in Botswana are one of the most spectacular, ever changing, never changing places, gifted to us at no charge.

At one time the enormous Lake Makgadikgadi covered over 30 000 square kilometers but now only the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans remain. A huge expanse of water, so surreal when the wind dies down creating the perfect picture.

The Makgadikgadi Salt Pan in Botswana is one of the largest salt flats in the world.

We often used to take the 230km trek from Francistown to the pans especially in Winter when the sun, which shone most days, warmed up those aching bones! It was actually surreal being in the middle of a huge dried-up lake with nothing but sand and salt and stark contrasts of pink, blue and green.

Sometimes, after the rains, the water level in the pans rose, but never too much!

Dancing with the sun

We found a double story wooden shack next to the pans from which we would escape the sun, on those hot days. Many happy memories!!

A Piece of Heaven

With nothing in the water to harm the little ones!

And unlimited mud and salt to cleanse and purify the skin!