Lake Ngami lies at the southern edge of the Okavango Delta system in northwestern Botswana. It was the first major geographical feature that David Livingstone reached on his explorations in 1849, and for a time it was famous in Europe — a great lake in the middle of the Kalahari. The reality is more complicated: the lake depends entirely on overflow from the Okavango, and for much of the twentieth century it was dry.
Since the late 1990s water has returned, and when full the lake attracts huge flocks of flamingos, pelicans, and other waterbirds. It is not a conventional tourist destination — there are no lodges or facilities — but for birders and travellers interested in the Okavango system beyond the delta itself, it is a fascinating and little-visited spot. Access is from Maun, about 80 kilometres to the northeast, on unpaved roads that require a 4x4.