Elephant Pan

91% (7 reviews)

Full review Our view Geographics Food & drink Children Wildlife sightings Communications Health & safety Activities Extras

Elephant Pan: Our full report

Nestled amongst “cathedral” mopane trees overlooking an active waterhole, Elephant Pan was formerly known ...

... as "Hyena Pan". It’s a classic safari camp that feels relatively simple by comparison with Botswana's current standards. It lies on the east of the 2,000km² Khwai Private Reserve, which borders Botswana's Moremi Game Reserve and Khwai River/Khwai Community Reserve to the south, and Chobe National Park to the east.

Elephant Pan is independently owned, but since 2016 it has been managed by a marketing company that has raised the standards to be more in line with its sister camps in the same extensive concession, Sable Alley, Tuludi and Little Sable.

The camp overlooks a waterhole that attracts wildlife year round. During the summer rainy season (December to March) the pan floods, creating an enormous water feature. From April to November, as the pan naturally dries out and shrinks, water is pumped into it from a nearby borehole whose slightly salty water with a high mineral content proves an ongoing attraction for resident elephants. Other regular visitors to the pan include giraffe, zebra, a variety of antelope including kudu, sable, impala and roan, plus hippo, and sometimes wild dog and buffalo.

For guests at the camp, the pan is especially rewarding during the May–October dry season when there is limited water around, so just spending time around the waterhole is a very relaxed way to do some game viewing. Base yourself in the main area of Elephant Pan, where two thatched, open-sided structures sit on a raised wooden platform, with beautiful views over the pan. The feel here is homely, unpretentious and relaxed, with an eclectic mix of rustic furniture enlivened by splashes of vibrant colour from scatter cushions and individual chairs, and enhanced by local artefacts, old suitcases and fun ornaments.

On one side you'll find the bar, hewn from an old log, along with the dining room, lounge and a large deck with more seating areas. To the other is a second comfortable lounge with a small selection of interesting books. This in turn leads outside to a plunge pool with a couple of sunloungers and a couch, while a sandy firepit area at ground level is a great spot to watch wildlife at the waterhole while you enjoy a pre-dinner drink.

Elephant Pan's eight tents, including a family unit, are linked to the main area by a sandy path that meanders through the mopane tees. The path is lit at night, though we were not fans of waking to see the lights rather than the sunrise.

Built on wooden platforms in a semicircle facing the waterhole (with the best view from room 1), the tents are not über-luxurious but they are comfortable and attractively furnished. On the downside, they are fairly close together, so you can hear your neighbours' conversation if they're talking loudly, and the outside veranda isn't entirely private – although wooden screens have been erected to afford more privacy.

A screened door opens into the bedroom, where vivid, ethnic-print cushions are scattered on the bed beneath a great set of funky lights. There's a writing table and chair, and a pedestal fan to keep you cool on hotter days. Sadly, since a recent refurbishment, the beds no longer face the views.

At the back of each tent, there's plenty of storage space in the dressing area, and an en-suite bathroom where a large mirror set into a colourful panel hangs above the handbasin. Flanking this are cubicles for the shower and toilet, separated by natural stick walls.

Activities at Elephant Pan are flexible; your schedule can be planned with your guide according to your interests, though please note that water activities are not available here.

Top of the list for many is the camp's camouflaged eye-level hide: a former ship's container half buried about 20 minutes’ drive from camp and perfectly adapted with windows and chairs for hidden game viewing. It faces a small pumped waterhole that attracts a steady stream of wildlife, thus affording great photographic opportunities. On our most recent visit, in September 2024, we enjoyed seeing numerous herds of elephants and a pride of seven lions near this hide. Yet it was the close encounters with the elephants by the plunge pool in camp that really stole the show and gave a great reason to stay in camp for those wanting a slower-paced safari, ideal for recovering from the long haul flights.

Morning and afternoon 4WD game drives offer a chance to explore within the private concession. Although the thick mopane forests close to camp limit game viewing, our guide was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. There are plans to put in additional tracks through the dense trees to access natural waterholes, thus improving potential sightings. Night drives with a spotlight give the possibility of observing nocturnal wildlife. We were delighted to see a Selous mongoose, which neither our guide nor our team members had seen before.

Elephant Pan also offers walking with an armed guide, usually in a more open area, close to the hide. Ideally you should arrange this in advance, to make sure they have a qualified walking guide available.

Guests with a prior reservation (which is essential) can also combine a walk from the hide with an overnight stay in the Skybeds for a truly wonderful experience. Here, just three rustic, 5m-high elevated decks look down on a waterhole where you can watch wildlife come to drink from your bed. Whether you are walking here, or choose to combine it with a game drive, you will arrive in time for sundowners and then dinner. Sleep atop the platform under the stars, either totally open or with a mosquito net over your twin beds. Each platform has its own enclosed bathroom on a lower deck, with a shower and plumbed toilet. Do note that as there are only three Skybeds, which are shared with sister camp Sable Alley, this must be booked well in advance.

Our view

The name may have changed, but our impression of Elephant Pan remains very positive. The star of the show is undoubtably the perennial waterhole in front of camp, which serves as a magnet to wildlife, and makes for a great first night on safari. The staff are welcoming, the food exceptional and the whole camp feels comfortable and relaxed. That said, while the sunken hide is a real draw, we were disappointed by the limited wildlife on game drives in the immediate vicinity of the camp, and we would be cautious of recommending it in the green season if the focus is on wildlife quantity.

Anton Walker

Botswana expert

Geographics

Location: Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
Ideal length of stay: We'd suggest a stay of one or two nights at Elephant Pan, perhaps including a night at Skybeds.
Directions: A 35-minute flight from Maun to Khwai Private airstrip is followed by a game drive of approximately an hour to camp.
Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Full Board & Activities
Food quality: When we last stayed at Elephant Pan, in September 2024, the standard of food was very good, with meals served with a mix of plated service and buffet-style, and tasty, wholesome, home-cooked meals rather than fine dining and haute cuisine.

Within enough notice most dietary requirements can be catered for.

Breakfast, served before our early-morning drive, consisted of a selection of cereals, freshly baked muffins and fruit. There was also a choice of eggs (fried, scrambled, poached or boiled), with bacon and sausages.

For lunch we were offered butternut salad, green salad and homemade pizza, followed by a very refreshing raspberry sorbet for dessert.

At dinner, our starter was carrot soup. From the main course choice of beef fillet or arancini, we opted for the fillet with an avocado base, caramelised onions and carrots. As the evening was very warm, we finished with a pear sorbet.
Dining style: Mixture of group dining and individual tables
Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining
Further dining info, including room service: Private dining is available on request.
Drinks included: Soft drinks, local beers and spirits and a limited selection of (usually) South African red and white wines are included. Champagne and imported wines and spirits cost extra and may need to be requested in advance. Tea- and coffee-making facilities are available in the main area during the day.

Each guest is usually given a water bottle, which can be filled from the filtered supply in the camp's main area. Each tent has glasses with a flask of filtered drinking water, which is replenished daily. The tap water in the bathrooms is saline and not suitable for drinking.

Children

Attitude towards children: Children aged 8 years and older are welcome at Elephant Pan, but those under the age of 12 must share a tent with an adult or older sibling.
Property’s age restrictions: Private vehicles must be booked (at extra cost) by families with children between the ages of 8 and 12 years old.
Special activities & services: None
Equipment: Elephant Pan has a family room.
Generally recommended for children: With its informal atmosphere, we think this would be a good camp for older children.
Notes: The camp is unfenced and dangerous wildlife animals can wander through at any time. There is no fence around the pool. The tents and main buildings are all raised off the ground on decks, with open railings. Children need to be closely supervised by their a parents/guardians at all times.

Our travellers’ wildlife sightings from Elephant Pan

Since mid-2018, many of our travellers who stayed at Elephant Pan have kindly recorded their wildlife sightings and shared them with us. The results are below. Click an animal to see more, and here to see more on our methodology.

Buffalo

100% success

Elephant

100% success

Giraffe

100% success

Lion

100% success

Zebra

100% success

Wild dog

67% success

Leopard

60% success

Spotted Hyena

60% success

Wildebeest

60% success

Roan antelope

50% success

Sable antelope

50% success

Eland

25% success

Aardvark

0% success

Cheetah

0% success

Pangolin

0% success

Communications

Power supply notes: The camp is mostly powered by solar energy backed up by a generator.

Each tent has an international charging station for camera batteries etc.
Communications: There is no cellphone reception and no direct phone, but there is WiFi in a corner of the main area. Communication is maintained with the head office in Maun via radio.
TV & radio: None
Water supply: Borehole
Water supply notes: There is hot and cold running water in each bathroom as well as a flush toilet. The tap water is saline and heated by a gas geyser.

Health & safety

Malarial protection recommended: Yes
Medical care: The nearest doctor is in Maun. All management and guides are first-aid trained and medical evacuation is available in case of emergency. There is a nurse on call (via radio) 24 hours a day. Please note that it is only possible to fly out of camp during daylight hours as the bush airstrips do not have any lighting at night.
Dangerous animals: High Risk
Security measures: Guests are escorted to and from their tents after dark as dangerous wildlife is known to wander through the camp. A safety briefing is given on arrival. “Fog horns” are provided in the tents to attract attention in case of emergency.
Fire safety: There is a fire extinguisher outside each tent.

Activities

4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Guided walking safari
Helicopter
Night drive
Private activities

Extras

Disabled access: In Place
Laundry facilities: A laundry service is included at Elephant Pan. Laundry is collected in the morning and usually returned the same day, weather permitting. Washing powder is provided in the room for guests to wash their smalls, which will not be handled by the staff.
Money: There is a digital safe in each tent. No exchange facilities are offered.
Accepted payment on location: Visa and Mastercard are accepted, as are cash payments in US dollars, euros, GB sterling, South African rand and Botswana pula.