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Kubu Island: A Baobab-studded Sentinel in Botswana's Salt Pans

Explore Kubu Island: A mystical granite outcrop in Botswana's Makgadikgadi Pans, adorned with ancient baobabs and Stone Age relics.

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Kubu Island, also known as Lekhubu, is a unique granite outcrop rising from the vast Makgadikgadi Salt Pans of Botswana. Adorned with ancient baobab trees and Stone Age artifacts, this national monument offers a surreal landscape and a glimpse into the area's prehistoric past.

A brief summary to Kubu Island

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Local tips

  • A 4x4 vehicle is essential for reaching Kubu Island due to the sandy and potentially muddy tracks.
  • Visit during the dry season (May to October) for easier access and more comfortable conditions.
  • Bring sufficient water, food, and fuel, as there are no shops or services near Kubu Island.
  • Book your campsite in advance, especially during peak season (South African holidays).
  • Bring cash to pay for camping fees, as credit card payments are not accepted.
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Getting There

  • Driving

    Kubu Island is accessible by 4x4 vehicles only. The most common routes are from the north via Nata or Gweta, or from the south via Mmatshumo. From the A3 highway between Maun and Nata, several tracks lead south towards Kubu Island, taking approximately 3-4 hours. From the A30 south of Kubu, take the road to Mmatshumo village, then follow the signs to Lekhubu. Be sure to have a GPS or map. Camping fees are collected on-site. There are no entrance fees, but camping costs approximately 120 BWP per person per night.

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Discover more about Kubu Island

Kubu Island, a rocky island in the Makgadikgadi Pan, is a place where the physical and spiritual converge. The island, whose name means either 'large rock' in Kalanga or 'hippopotamus' in Tswana, is a striking geological anomaly in the middle of the vast, flat salt pans. The local Khoe people call the site Ga'nnyo. This unique island, roughly a kilometer long and 10 meters high, is a national monument and a sacred site for the local indigenous people. Kubu Island's allure lies in its otherworldly landscape. The island is studded with ancient, gnarled baobab trees, some of which are over 2,000 years old. These trees stand as silent sentinels, offering shade and a palpable connection to the past. The island's slopes are terraced with fossil beaches of wave-rounded pebbles, providing evidence of the prehistoric lake that once covered the area. Many of the rocks are white, covered in fossilized guano from waterbirds that perched here when the island was surrounded by water. Archaeological discoveries reveal that Kubu Island has been inhabited by humans for millennia. Stone Age tools and arrowheads litter the shoreline, and concentric dry stone walls remain from a village that may have existed around AD 1400-1600. Some believe the island was an initiation center for male Gain-O people. The island is accessible by 4x4 vehicles during the dry season (May to October). Camping is available at the Kubu Island Campsite, which is run for the benefit of the local population.

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