Gweta |
Gweta is a small village in Botswana. It lies about 205 kilometres (127 mi) away
from Maun and about 100 kilometres (62 mi) from
Nata.
Generally considered the gateway to the Makgadikgadi Pans Gweta derived its name
from the sound of croaking bullfrogs which bury themselves in the sand until the
rainy season arrives and they emerge to mate.
The huge expanse of the Makgadikgadi Pans is bigger than Switzerland. Once a
large river-fed lake, the Makgadikgadi Pans now lie saline and empty. The pans
are littered with stone tools and artifacts dated from between 2,000 to 500,000
years old! During the wet season 35-75,000 zebra and wildebeest migrate into the
area with regular sightings of lion, cheetah and other predators who follow in
their wake. The zebra and wildebeest migration across the pans is southern
Africa’s last surviving zebra and wildebeest migration and the second largest in
the world. Hundreds of thousands of flamingo also appear to feed as long as the
water lasts. The pans are also a permanent haven for desert species such as the
meerkat and the elusive brown hyena, the third rarest carnivore in the world.
In the area around Gweta are national monuments in the form of baobabs, which
are not actually trees but the largest succulents in the world. Greens Baobab,
27kms south of Gweta was inscribed by the 19th-century hunters and traders
Joseph Green and Hendrik Matthys van Zyl as well as other ruthless characters.
About 11km further south of Green's Baobab is the turn-off to the far more
impressive Chapman's Baobab, which has a circumference of 25m and was
historically used as a navigation beacon. It was also used as an early post
office by passing explorers, traders and travellers, many of whom left
inscriptions on its trunk.
Contact & information:
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Related | Maps | Accommodation in the area | Activities in the area | |||
Hotels | B&Bs | Lodges | Camping & others | |||
Bushman Botswana | - | - | - | Gweta Lodge | Tati River Lodge | Bushmen tours |
Maun | - | - | - | Jack's Camp | The Nest Lodge | Car rental |
Camping in Botswana's national parks | - | - | - | Planet Baobab | Woodlands Stopover | - |
Kasane | - | - | - | San Camp | Gweta Lodge | - |
Makgadikgadi Pans National Park | - | - | - | - | Khumaga Camp | - |
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