Visit the Nata Bird Sanctuary

Nata is a strategic stopover in northeastern Botswana, widely known for its proximity to the vast Makgadikgadi salt pans, but its headline act is the community-run Nata Bird Sanctuary: a 230-square-kilometre haven for birdlife set along the northeastern edge of Sua (or Sowa) Pan. It’s one of the few places in Africa where flamingos breed, drawing spectacular numbers during the wet season. After the rains, the pans transform into a shimmering, shallow wetland. Pelicans gather in their thousands, up to 250,000 flamingos arrive in blushing clouds, and more than 165 bird species fill the skies. But not all residents wear feathers: antelope roam the open plains, joined by zebra, hyena, jackal and baboon – a surprisingly rich cast of wildlife on sun-crusted grasslands.