South Africa/NC: Khalagadi NP – Xaus Pan at Xaus Lodge

The Xaus Lodge overlooks the huge and perfectly round Xaus Saltpan – a dry, ancient lakebed that holds water only after rare heavy rains. It is composed of salt deposits, cracked clay, and mineral-rich sediments and surrounded by red Kalahari dunes, offering stunning contrasts in color. There is a permanent artificial waterhole and you can watch many animals come here, especially early in the morning – predators like lions, cheetahs, and jackals patrol the area, and oryx, springbok, and birds come for water. We even saw the rare shaggy-looking rare brown hyenas twice!