A Once-in-a-Lifetime Adventure

For those seeking a truly unique wilderness experience in Botswana, there are few adventures more memorable than sleeping out on the vast, ancient Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. The new sleep-out experience from Leroo La Tau takes you off the beaten track in Botswana and into a surreal landscape that defies imagination. This is about a close to sleeping on the moon as it gets! Any adventurous travellers will enjoy this experience- Whether you’re looking for that ultimate Botswana honeymoon experience or looking to share a once in a lifetime family safari experience in Botswana, this guided salt pan sleep-out is pure magic and a story you’ll tell forever.

The Setting: Salt of the earth, Sky and Silence

Stretching across the Kalahari basin, the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans are among the largest salt flats on Earth. Here, space seems infinite and time feels suspended. The salt pans are so remote that light and sound pollution are entirely absent. At night, the silence is profound, broken only by the crackle of the campfire and the distant calls of nocturnal wildlife. Above you, the sky unfurls in all its glory: the Milky Way clearly etched across the heavens, shooting stars streaking past, and planets gleaming like lanterns.

Lying in a cosy bedroll under this celestial canvas, surrounded by nothing but horizon and stillness, is an experience described by many as life-changing. It is intimacy with nature at its most raw and unfiltered.

Leroo La Tau: Gateway to the Pans

This extraordinary experience is available to guests staying three nights or more at Leroo La Tau, a stylish safari lodge perched above the Boteti River on the western edge of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Known for its excellent game viewing and front-row seat to zebra migrations, Leroo La Tau offers a refined base from which to launch this bold adventure.

Every element of the salt pan sleep-out is thoughtfully curated and fully supported by the Leroo La Tau team. While the sleep-out feels remote and wild, guests enjoy the reassurance of expert guidance, warm hospitality and safety throughout.

Day One: From Game Drive to Desert Dreams

Your day begins as any safari day does: with an early morning game drive exploring the surrounding wilderness, tracking wildlife and soaking in the rhythms of the bush. After a hearty brunch back at camp, you’ll pack an overnight bag (don’t forget a fleece and a woolly hat—desert nights can get chilly!) and prepare to head out.

Around midday, you’ll board a specially equipped expedition vehicle for the 3 to 4-hour journey to the southern reaches of the salt pans. The drive itself is part of the experience, transitioning through stark desert beauty and offering occasional sightings of oryx, ostrich, or even meerkats.

By late afternoon, you’ll arrive at your salt pan sleep-out location, where the operations team have already set up camp. But don’t expect tents or walls—this is barefoot luxury at its most elemental. The setup is simple and exquisite: proper bedrolls, a fire pit, lanterns, and a small dining area. Here, you and your guide will have time to explore the salt flats on foot and take in the awe-inspiring silence.

As the sun dips below the horizon and paints the sky a kaleidoscope of colour sundowners are served. Then comes dinner—a delicious fireside meal prepared by the Leroo La Tau team, with stories and stargazing to follow. And finally, you slip into bed under a dome of stars, surrounded by endless space.

Day Two: Sunrise, Coffee, and Helicopter Magic

Wake early to the glow of first light creeping across the pan. Fresh coffee and a light breakfast await as you witness the landscape transform in the soft morning haze.

For those who’ve opted for the Makgadikgadi Helicopter Experience (at an additional cost) this is your moment to take to the skies. A scenic 30-minute flight takes you back to Leroo La Tau- enjoying a bird’s-eye view of this astonishing environment, revealing the scale and beauty of the salt pans in a way few get to see. Private helicopter sleep-outs, where your chopper remains overnight, are available for the ultimate luxury escape at an additional cost.

Optional extensions include a flight to Kubu Island, a sacred granite outcrop rising from the pan, or a flyover of seasonal flamingo migrations — nature spectacles that elevate this into one of the most extraordinary safari experiences in Africa.

For those who prefer not to fly- you will enjoy your breakfast on the pan while the team breaks down camp with the utmost care, leaving no trace behind. You return to Leroo La Tau by midday, a gentle game drive, just in time for a leisurely lunch, siesta and later an afternoon safari.

Who Is This For?

The salt pan sleep-out is designed for adventurous travellers who yearn to go beyond the expected. With a minimum of two and a maximum of six guests (larger groups on request), it can be as romantic or as sociable as you wish. Couples celebrating honeymoons will find deep connection in the shared stillness; families seeking something exceptional will remember it forever. This is not a crowded tourist activity but an intimate journey into Botswana’s wild soul.

The salt pans sleep out experience from Leroo la Tau operates seasonally from 15 June to 31 October and is subject to weather conditions. Should rain intervene, an alternative day-trip experience is offered—still remarkable, though not quite the same as sleeping beneath the stars.

Why It Matters

At a time when authentic travel is more valued than ever, this salt pan sleep-out delivers something rare: a chance to step off-grid and into an environment where luxury is measured not in thread counts or Wi-Fi speed, but in silence, perspective, and stars.

The Kalahari salt pans make for a striking contrast to the lush wetlands and wildlife-rich regions like the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve. To truly appreciate the magic of the wetlands you need to experience the desert into which it flows. This is an experience grounded in space and ancient landscapes. It offers breathing room in the truest sense.

Ready to sleep under the stars? Let us plan your salt pan adventure. Contact our team to begin designing your bespoke Botswana journey today. Our team will handle all the arrangements—from helicopter upgrades to tailored itineraries combining the salt pans with Delta safaris or desert experiences.