Follow in the Tracks of Clarkson, May, and Hammond and Experience the 'Most Astonishing Place on Earth': The Ultimate Makgadikgadi Salt Pan Sleep-Out Adventure with Desert & Delta Safaris

"The most astonishing place I have been." – Jeremy Clarkson. 

“I'll never forget setting foot on there” – Richard Hammond on visiting Kubu Island on the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans.  

UK adventurers can now experience Botswana's breathtaking Makgadikgadi salt pans with Desert & Delta Safaris – as seen on Amazon's The Grand Tour. Jeremy Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond took viewers back to Botswana's awe-inspiring Makgadikgadi salt pans for their last-ever episode. 

Desert & Delta Safaris exclusive Salt Pan Sleep-Out invites travellers to explore the same vast, untouched landscapes as seen on The Grand Tour. The Makgadikgadi, the world's largest collection of salt pans, is an ethereal wilderness where light and sound pollution don't exist, making it the ultimate escape from modern life. Famed for its desolate beauty and vast, untouched landscapes, the Makgadikgadi adventure Clarkson, May, and Hammond fell in love with can be replicated with Desert & Delta Safaris, which offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for guests to sleep under the same star-studded skies that left Clarkson himself in awe. 

Every year from 15th June to 31st October, this complimentary Sleep-Out adventure is available for those booking three nights or more at the luxury Leroo La Tau Lodge. Guests will be guided to this breathtaking landscape, where the only roof over their heads will be a sky full of stars– a dream for stargazers and thrill-seekers alike, in one of the last truly remote places on Earth. This fully guided adventure by Desert & Delta Safaris ensures every guest is taken care of and comfort remains paramount. From the moment the Desert & Delta Safaris team sets up the camp, to the moment they pack it away, everything is taken care of, leaving the salt pans pristine and untouched. 

But the adventure doesn't stop there, and this isn't the only way to experience the Makgadikgadi adventure Clarkson, May, and Hammond fell in love with. 

For fans of The Grand Tour and Top Gear, this is an opportunity to follow in the tracks of Clarkson, May, and Hammond. Guests can explore Kubu Island, a location made famous by the trio in both the 2007 Top Gear Botswana Special and the last episode of The Grand Tour. For those seeking even more adrenaline, Desert & Delta Safaris offers the chance to traverse the salt pans by helicopter – and for the truly adventurous, an open-door helicopter ride can be arranged, echoing the 'Makgadikgadi Style' experience, a phrase coined by Clarkson, May, and Hammond – where they famously crossed the salt flats with no doors on their cars. 

Kubu Island is an ancient volcanic island covered in the mystical Baobab trees and offers another perspective on the vastness of the Makgadikgadi, a place where time seems to stand still. 

This is not just an adventure, it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, combining raw nature with the luxury and exclusivity for which Desert & Delta is renowned. Whether you're a fan of the show or simply looking for an extraordinary escape from everyday life, Desert & Delta Safaris' Salt Pan Sleep-Out is an experience like no other.  

With Botswana becoming an increasingly sought-after destination for UK travellers, this is the perfect moment to discover one of Africa's most remote and captivating landscapes, with regular flights connecting from London to Botswana and with the season limited to just a few months each year, now is the perfect time to discover one of Africa's most remote and captivating landscapes with Desert & Delta Safaris. 

For more information or to book your Salt Pan Sleep-Out, Kubu Island, and helicopter adventure, visit www.desertdelta.com.

A 3-night stay at Leroo La Tau between 15th June – 31st October 2025 (the salt pans Sleep-Out season) is priced at $1,240.00 pppn on an all-inclusive basis and includes a sleep-out on the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans for one of the nights when staying 3-nights or more. Helicopter transfers to the salt pans sleep-out start with extensions to Kubu Island are available for $1530.00 pp (minimum 2). 

ABOUT DESERT & DELTA SAFARIS

One of the original safari operators in Botswana, founded in 1982, The nine Desert & Delta Safaris camps are set in prime locations in northern Botswana's famous game reserves, national parks & wilderness concessions with one just across the Chobe River in Namibia's Eastern Zambezi Region. Together these luxurious lodges offer an outstandingly diverse safari experience whilst providing the personalised service and attention to detail for which Desert & Delta Safaris is known. Guests are immersed in a safari experience that develops an understanding of the animals, people, and geography of this magnificent country. 

At the heart of the company is developing the human potential of tourism in Botswana. The Desert & Delta Safaris CARES philosophy is the foundation on which Desert & Delta Safaris is built, highlighting its core values in developing human potential and building a sustainable tourism model. They employ approximately 320 staff members within the nine safari lodges and all the guides are recruited from nearby communities. The company places a strong focus on training through a highly successful skills development programme as well as focusing on healthcare, environmental responsibility, and equality.