Quirky and colourful, the clay painted walls and thatched lapas emulate the adjacent Gweta Village. Like a homestead, you are welcomed here by the friendly staff and an oversized aardvark, not a real one, a ginormous sculpture. You can’t miss it.

From the pans, you are 40 kilometres away, which makes this the ideal place to base yourself to explore the Makgadikgadi. One of the largest salt flats in the world. Amidst the middle of this dry savanna in north-eastern Botswana, Planet Baobab’s swimming pool has a reputation that precedes itself and for good reason. Its’ cool blue waters beckon from the arid Kalahari.

This is the land of the baobab, in fact there are 17 giant ones found in the area. Go see them. It’s a must, since they are after all, the world’s largest succulents. That’s right. They aren’t actually trees. Meet the habituated meerkats, taste traditional Batswana food (you can eat at the lodge if you don’t want to self-cater) and of course you should go see the pans. They’re vast and incredible. If you can do it by quad bike, great. If you can sleep out on the Ntwetwe Pan (in the dry season), even better.

Among the ant hills and red Kalahari sands, enjoy the starry skies, the immense white expanse of what used to be a lake some thousands of years ago and in the wet season, the masses of zebra and wildebeest as they migrate south.  

This is a special place and Planet Baobab although rudimentary, with all its flair and African charm, is one you will remember for sure.