Planet Baobab: A Unique Stay in the Heart of Botswana’s Makgadikgadi
If you're looking for an unforgettable experience in Botswana, Planet Baobab is a must-visit destination. Nestled in the heart of the Makgadikgadi Pans, this unique lodge offers a perfect blend of adventure and relaxation surrounded by some of the most breathtaking landscapes in Africa. Whether you're staying in quirky rooms or camping under the stars, it's an experience like no other.
Planet Baobab's main highlight is the iconic tree is houses, with 17 of them scattered across the property. But Planet Baobab isn't just a quick stop - it offers a variety of incredible activities to enjoy to truly immerse in the beauty of Botswana.
Planet Baobab is the perfect spot for anyone wanting to explore Botswana’s rich natural beauty while enjoying an off-the-beaten-path experience, and our guide is going to cover all of the details for visiting.
*Please note that this blog post may contain some affiliate links, which we make a small profit on, at zero cost to you. Links are only used on products & services that we've used and believe in, to give you the best buying experience. Purchasing from these links helps us to continue providing free travel guides for you- so thank you for your support!
Our Travel Planning Recommendations
Skyscanner (flights)
Booking.com (hotels)
🎫 Get Your Guide (tours)
Ticket Master (events)
📸 Best Buy (equipment)
🚗 Rental Cars (car rentals)
Train Line (train tickets)
Bus Bud (bus tickets)
Direct Ferries (ferries)
Cruise Direct (cruises)
Planet Baobab, Botswana: a Brief Intro
Before diving into all of the details for how to visit Planet Baobab and what to expect, let's go over some of the basics.
Why Visit Planet Baobab?
Planet Baobab is known as the Baobab capital of the world! It's an incredible property full of Baobab trees featuring a restaurant, pool, and accommodation options.
Another thing that makes Planet Baobab special is that the average age of each tree is around 4,000 years old! It's one of the most unique places to stay in the world, and definitely one of top sites in Botswana to add to your bucket list.
The trees at Planet Baobab are around 4,000 years old!
Where is Planet Baobab?
Planet Baobab is situated in the north east part of Botswana along the famous Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, and is located just outside the town of Gweta.
How To Travel Cheaper and Better in 15 minutes!
How much more would you travel, if it costed you less resources?
With our Free eBook, you will learn how to save money and time on your future trips. Plus, you'll see the exact system we use.
Grab your copy for free when you sign up for our newsletter 👇
How Do I Get to Planet Baobab?
Planet Baobab is best reached by car, and is one of the easiest tourist sites in Botswana to get to. Located just outside Gweta, it's located off the main highway, and is one of the very few tourist spots you can get to without needing a 4x4.
How to Get to Planet Baobab Without a Car
If you don't plan on renting a car in Botswana, you can either get the resort's transfer service, take a local bus to Gweta, or fly into the local airstrip.
The cheapest option is to take the bus from Francistown to Maun (or vice verse) stopping in Gweta.
If you take a local bus or fly into Gweta, you can then walk the 4 km, or ask a local to find you a taxi/ride to Planet Baobab (or get the paid transfer from Planet Baobab).
Planet Baobab: What to Expect
Planet Baobab is a unique location, and was actually very different from what we originally imagined. There is no entrance fee, but it is aimed to tourists as an overnight experience.
You can either stay in one of the huts, pay for camping, or visit their restaurant. We weren't staying there, but actually had a few meals there, and wandered around the property at our leisure.
Don't have time to read the whole article and want to save it for later? Just pin it!
Things to Do at Planet Baobab
Some ways that you can enjoy the property are by walking along the paths and checking out the different Baobab trees, relaxing in one of the hammocks, lounging by the pool, or cozying up by the campfire.
Other than enjoying the property itself, one of Planet Baobab's main highlights is their meerkat safari, which happens every morning around sunrise.
You can also enjoy game drives in the afternoon, experiencing a variety of other wildlife in the area such as zebra, wildebeest, springbok, bat eared-foxes, desert-adapted elephants, and lions if you're lucky!
Amongst enjoying the safari activities, there are ATV excursions, town tours of Gweta, and also massages offered on site!
Want To Learn How To Get Paid To Travel?
We'll teach you everything you need.
Amenities at Planet Baobab
Planet Baobab is simple and quirky, but well-equipped for tourism. We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived, and truly felt that it was one of the most enjoyable tourist attractions in Botswana.
Eating/Drinking at Planet Baobab
Planet Baobab has a large restaurant that is outdoors, but is also covered with a roof. The menu offers a variety of options, and we loved the food and drinks there so much that we ended up spending multiple meals there!
You can breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Planet Baobab, and the menu consists of steaks, curries, salads, burgers, wings, sandwiches, fish, and more.
Wifi at Planet Baobab
Finding good signal or Wifi wasn't always easy in Botswana, and being that we are always working while traveling, we needed a place that was able to help us out with some good Wifi. Well, luckily Planet Baobab had super reliable Wifi, and plenty of seating to comfortably enjoy a fun work space with a beer in hand.
Staying at Planet Baobab
Planet Baobab offers visitors to stay the night in one of their traditional thatched huts or at their campsite. There are 18 huts spread across the property, with plenty of room to enjoy a peaceful stay.
Rooms are simple, but vibrant, and are inspired by local Botswana villages making it a super authentic and fun experience.
Camping at Planet Baobab
If you're looking for a bit more a budget-friendly option, then you can opt to stay at the campsite, which offer shaded areas, shared bathrooms, and ablutions.
Will You Buy Us A Coffee? ☕
As coffee lovers, we always enjoy the energy of caffeine. It helps us get the best free travel guides out there for you! 😄
Planet Baobab Price & Timetable
While the property of Planet Baobab is open 24/7 and is free of charge, we're going to include the prices of the different tours and accommodation options there.
Planet Baobab Tour Prices
- Bush Walk - P330
- Bush Walk w/ Quads - P1,520
- Village Tour - P855
- Migration - P3,360
- Expedition (no quads) - P1,655
- Expedition w/ Quads - P2,005
- Pan Overnight (no quads) - P2,580
- Pan Overnight w/ Quads - P2,960
*Children are 50% off all activities
Planet Baobab Accommodation Prices
- Overlander Campsite - $15/person
- Public Campsite - $18/person
- Huts - $135-$180/person depending on the room and season (these prices includes dinner and breakfast)
Planet Baobab Transfer Prices (USD)
- Gweta town to Planet Baobab (or vice versa) - $14/person
- Gweta airstrip to Planet Baobab (or vice versa) - $18/person
- Maun to Planet Baobab (or vice versa) - $410/1-4 pax or $565/5-12 pax
Safety/Rules at Planet Baobab
Planet Baobab is a safe and fun place for all ages, and there are no large animals to worry about on the property itself. Safaris are done outside of the main area, and are run by local experts.
There aren't many rules you'll need to worry about while at Planet Baobab. Simply respect the land, don't make too much noise, and don't feed any animals.
Transform your photos
One click is all it takes to make your photos look stunning. Get our latest package of Lightroom presets, Into The Wild.
Other Things to Keep in Mind for Visiting Planet Baobab in Botswana
Now you know almost everything you need to know for visiting Planet Baobab! But don't go just yet - here are a few other things to keep in mind.
Weather in Gweta
Botswana experiences two seasons. The dry (winter) season is from April 25th to October 31st, and the wet (summer) season is from November 1st- April 24th. Winters have mild temperatures, with warm and sunny days, and chilly nights, while temperatures and humidity sore in the summer months.
Winters get chilly at night so they put bonfires on at Planet Baobab.
The Best Time to Visit Planet Baobab
There is no bad time to visit Planet Baobab! It really depends on what kind of experience you're looking to have.
The winter season is when the pans are in their most iconic state, and are ideal for enjoying shimmering salt pans, riding quads, and incredible night skies. The summer season the pans are covered in greenery and the animals come to graze, making it ideal safari conditions. This is when there is also the zebra migration, which is the second largest migration of mammals in the world!
As far as time of day, we recommend either photographing the Baobab trees at night with the starry sky, or around golden hour when you can have the best lighting.
How to Prepare for Visiting Planet Baobab
Here are some things we'd recommend bringing with you to Planet Baobab:
Looking To Travel Somewhere?
Off The Beaten Trips is our travel agency.
But this isn't anything like you've ever experienced before. You'll have an epic trip without having to break the piggy bank.
Unique locations. Epic adventures. Lifetime memories.
Is Planet Baobab Worth Visiting?
Planet Baobab is in a convenient location, is easy to visit, and has plenty of great reasons for visiting! Whether you're looking to experience the meerkats, stroll around the magnificent Baobabs, or simply have a delicious meal in a scenic atmosphere, this is definitely a place to add to your Botswana bucket list.
How Long to Spend at Planet Baobab
Many people spend just 1 night at Planet Baobab, which is the perfect amount of time to do an activity, see the baobabs, and chill by the pool. If you're looking to relax a bit more and take it slow though, then we'd recommend opting for 2 nights.
Travel Planning Tools
Here are some useful tools that you can use for planning your upcoming trip!
So are you ready to experience an incredible one of our favorite places in Botswana? We hope our guide has helped answer any questions you may have had for Planet Baobab, and prepare you for an incredible trip.
Want to learn other things to do and see in Botswana? We have quite a few other Botswana travel guides that we have coming up! Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to get all of our weekly updates, along with exclusive content we share with just our email list.
Ready to start planning the most epic trip around Southern Africa? Well, we're here to help! Scratch Your Mapa offers custom travel planning services, finding you the best flights, and making you totally personalized itineraries. Want to learn more? Send us an email to set up your free consultation!
Here are some other articles you'll love:
January 29, 2025
January 2, 2025
December 18, 2024
November 30, 2024
October 9, 2024
August 17, 2024
Like this article? Please share it with your family and friends, so that we can continue to keep creating free travel guides for you! It takes just a second, and would mean the world to us. Thanks for being here!
