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The Ntwetwe Pan (106kms X 96kms)is is an enormous and fascinating area, the twin in many ways of its Easterly neighbour; Sowa Pan. Ntwetwe pan and Sowa pan are the two main pans that make up the Makgadikgadi pans. Although they are surrounded by a myriad of smaller pans Ntwetwe pan promises a unique wilderness experience full of adventure, as it is a gloriously free and open part of the country - ethereally beautiful and still almost completely unspoilt.
Wildlife on Ntwetwe pan is rather scarce although one does see springbok, gemsbok, steenbok, and zebra from time to time. Even if one does not see them, the tracks are there to prove their presence. However, in most cases they simply cross the pan in search of grazing. During migration they can be seen in their thousands. The bird, on the other hand, is spectacular, although dependent on water levels and therefore erratic. As soon as the river water floods into the pans the tiny crustaceans hatch to provide food for the flamingoes. Ntwetwe pan is full of places of great interest.
Two places of historical interest are Green's Baobabs and Chapman's Baobabs. Traders and explorers flocked to the area and amongst them were Anderson, Cummings, the Green brothers, Chapman and Baines. One of the major routes for these traders and explorers ran through the narrowest section of Ntwetwe pan. The only evidence of the hustle and bustle of early traders, explorers, missionaries and thieves are the names inscribed on the Baobab trees. The growth of the trees have obscured many of the names, but on Green's Baobab "Green's Expedition, 1858-1859" is clearly visible. Approximately 11 kilometers South of this enormous baobab is a magnificent, seven stemmed baobab tree known as Chapman's Baobab or the Seven Sisters. There are a multitude of names on this tree, and Chapman's name is indicated by his initials "J.C.". This colossal specimen, visible from great distances across the pan, is worth seeing if only because of its size and photogenic qualities. It was used as a landmark for the early explorers of the region.
To the West is what we call the land of a thousand islands. Reflecting a chaotic climatic past, these numerous islands are in fact sand dunes stranded on the surface of the ancient lakebed and they make one of the most weirdly fascinating places in Botswana. The dunes are evidence of much more arid times when the lake dried and barchan dunes began to advance across its baked surface. Eventually a wetter era returned, the lake flooded again and the dunes were trapped, islands in an ancient sea. But climatic change did not stop and the lake level fell once more, but incrementally this time, almost as if the water was struggling against the elemental forces that wished to banish it forever. Proof of this struggle will be seen if you look carefully at the island profiles. Many of them show distinct steps and lines of vegetation, revealing clearly where the fall in lake levels was momentarily arrested for long enough to leave permanent evidence in the shape of ancient shorelines.
Approximately midway between opposite shores, is the island of Gabasadi. An unusually large barchan dune, it is bare of vegetation but from the top of the (low) crest a wonderful view of Ntwetwe pan can be had. To drive through this area is a unique experience, both exhilarating and wildly exciting.
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