See Botswana’s biggest zebra migration from Leroo La Tau

Leroo La Tau is in a beautiful position – it sits above the Boteti River with views across the arid, thorny landscapes of Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, which is home to some of the world’s largest salt pans. Thousands and thousands of zebra come to graze by the river from around May to November – seeking fresh grass in what is Africa’s second biggest zebra migration – so the wildlife sightings here are amazing.

The lodge stretches all along the river, with suites raised on a wooden platform – there are only 12 and they’re all nicely spread out so it feels really private and peaceful. They’re all beautifully decorated, with thatched rooves, en-suite bathrooms and big glass doors that open onto private wooden decks, so you get amazing views over the river below and the wildlife coming over from the national park. You can literally lie in bed and see hippos, elephants and zebras grazing beneath you.

In the main building there’s a cosy lounge, bar, library and dining area, all decked out with wooden furnishings. There’s also a swimming pool surrounded by trees, and a hide where you can see elephants and other wildlife drinking from a nearby waterhole. Then there’s an outdoor fire pit where guests gather for drinks before and after dinner, sharing stories from the day with the sounds of the bush surrounding them.

Everyone who works here is from Botswana and most of the team live in the nearby village of Khumagha, so the people are a big part of it. Guests visit the village on their last day en route to the local airstrip, stopping at a local primary school to meet the teachers and children, so you get a real feel for local life (the school is one of several projects supported by Desert & Delta Safaris, which guests contribute to when they book their stay here). Sustainability feeds into other areas at Leroo too – there’s a reverse osmosis system as well as a sewerage treatment plant so greywater is used to water the grounds instead of being wasted.

Food-wise, every evening there’s a three-course meal with wines, beers and spirits and you get a few different options to choose from. The lodge is very creative with its dining experience, and as it’s on its own little private concession, guests often eat outside together at a big candlelit table under the stars.

That emphasis on the experience runs throughout – the lodge runs daytrips to the Nxai Pans and Baines Baobabs, a cluster of ancient baobab trees that tower above the arid pans and are thousands of years old. The lodge also recently launched a sleepout in the pans, so adventurous guests can now sleep outside under the stars with a comfy bed and toilet, essentially in the middle of nowhere at around a five-hour drive from the lodge. I’ve flown over these sparkling, salt-encrusted plains in a helicopter, and the scale of it is unreal.

Other activities include daily game drives in the national park, motorboat trips along the Boteti River and open-door helicopter trips, offering guests the chance to spot the park’s varied wildlife – zebras, wildebeest, lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes and hyenas, to name a few – from all different perspectives. It’s an incredible place.