Planet Baobab

Approximately 200km (124 miles) east of Maun you’ll find a huge aardvark statue at the side of the road. Its elongated nose points to a dirt track, at the end of which you’ll find Planet Baobab. The village of Gweta, which can be visited on a cultural tour, is close by and the eerily desiccated Makgadikgadi Pan salt flats are a 45-minute drive away.

The land surrounding ‘PB’ is parched and puckered. Elephants tear down trees that grow above shoulder-height but a sturdy fence means they can’t do any damage to the 13 huge baobabs – some of them more than 4,000 years old – that stand sentinel around camp. The traditional thatched Bakalanga and Baobab huts – each with eye-catching toothpaste-blue doors – are pristinely kept and painted in bright, cheery designs. Flashes of vibrant Afro-chic textiles and clever upcycling, like the beer bottle chandeliers in the main bar area, add to the quirky and comfortable feel.

You won’t want for anything here. At the lodge’s heart you’ll find the well-stocked central ‘shebeen’ – dotted with cow-hide stools and black and white photos of beauty queens and politicians. It’s a lively space that can turn raucous when the overlanders roll into town (at quieter times it’s the best place to pick up Wi-Fi, although there is a charge).

The well-kept, family-friendly pool – with lots of shady places in which to loll – is the largest in the Kalahari and a local spa therapist can be booked for in-room treatments. The activities here are impressive, too. In the dry season you can quad bike across the Makgadikgadi salt pans and sleep under the stars, while in green season, day-trips into the National Park offer views of the spectacular 75,000-strong zebra migration.

The 18 traditional huts are unfussy but neatly done, with thatched roofs, cow-dung walls (smarter than it sounds), free-standing fans and stone beds covered with mosquito nets. Each comes with an en-suite bathroom with powerful shower (they’re not solar-heated so water is always warm) and decorative touches such as art made using the pigment of nearby termite mounds and enamel plates traditional to the Kalanga tribe. There are in-room safes but only a couple of charging points, which don’t accommodate international plugs.

Food is simple and the menu is not extensive, but the offering is sound. Light dishes include grilled chicken salads and garlic mushrooms and there’s a separate childrens’ menu for smaller tummies. Vegetable curries, local T-bone steaks and Botswanan beef burgers are on offer for dinner and hot breakfasts are cooked to order and served alongside cereals, yogurt and toast.

Twin rooms from BWP995 (£73) in low season; and from BWP1245 (£92) in high season, including dinner and breakfast. Wi-Fi charged at BWP30 (£2.20) for 30 minutes.

The huts are wheelchair accessible.

Children of all ages are welcome and there are three family huts.