Getting There and the Campsite

The nearest entrance is the Matswere Scout Post, from which Leopard Pan is roughly a one-hour drive across sandy tracks. Most travellers reach it after passing Deception Valley and Sunday Pan, making it a natural continuation of a northern CKGR circuit. The route is unmarked in places, and a GPS or Tracks4Africa map is essential.↗

There is exactly one designated campsite here (coded CKL1), situated at the edge of the bush near the pan's open floor. Facilities are deliberately minimal: a pit latrine, a shower bucket, and a fireplace or braai pit where you can cook under the stars. There is no running water or power. This is raw, back-to-basics camping in one of Africa's most remote wilderness areas.↗↗↗

Practical Visit Notes

The Central Kalahari Game Reserve operates seasonal gate hours: 06h00–18h30 from April to September, and 05h00–19h00 from October to March. Park entry fees range from BWP 10 to BWP 120 per person depending on citizenship, plus BWP 50 per vehicle. Firewood cannot be collected within the reserve — purchase it before entering.↗↗

This is a self-sufficient destination. Bring all water (approximately five litres per person per day), food, fuel with generous reserves, and a well-equipped 4x4 vehicle. There are no shops within the reserve's northern section. Roads can go months without seeing another vehicle, so carry recovery gear, spare tyres, and extra water for radiator cooling.↗↗

Why Choose Leopard Pan Over Deception Valley

Deception Valley has become the CKGR's headline act, celebrated by the famous research of Mark and Delia Owens and their book The Cry of the Kalahari. But its proximity to the entrance gate (just 35 km from Matswere) means it draws the most visitors. Leopard Pan, tucked a further five kilometres north past Sunday Pan, offers the same wildlife-rich pan landscape with the added luxury of solitude — a rare commodity in Botswana's increasingly popular parks. If you want to hear nothing but wind across the clay and the occasional distant call of a jackal, this is where you'll find it.↗↗