Kubu Island (Ga’nnyo) is a dry granite rock island in the Makgadikgadi Pan located area of Botswana. The island lies a few kilometers away from Orapa and Letlhakane mining towns and can be accessed through Mmatshumo in the Boteti district. The entire island is a national monument, and is regarded as a sacred site by the indigenous people of the area.
The name “Kubu” in the Setswana language means “hippopotamus”, probably the name dates back to the time when the great lake, that was supposedly inhabited by hippos, was present; but the true name of the island is Lekhubu, which is gotten from Lekhubung, that, always in Setswana, means “rocky ridge”.
On Kubu Island there are some twisted baobab trees that are estimated to be 3,000 or 4,000 years old; they are really impressive not only for their size but also because they seem to have so much to tell about the history of this island.
Some scholars have found that these baobabs have had a huge growth over a certain period of their life, some 1,500 years ago, this suggests that, even with the Makgadikgadi Lake has dried up 10,000 years ago, at that time there was water again; Subsequently, these marvellous giants have slowed down their growth, because of the lack of water.
Kubu Island is surrounded by the unlimited white expanse of salt of the Sua Pan, on sunny days the blue sky seems infinite and the pan is of almost blinding white, while, when the sun is set over the pan, the warm light shines on the island and its majestic baobabs; at night, when the moon shines in the sky, the white of the expanse of salt reflects such a lot its light that there are shadows as if there was the sun, a surreal atmosphere.
Many rocks of Kubu Island seem white, in fact they are covered with fossil guano, this shows that in bygone days, when there was the Makgadikgadi Lake, this island was used by herons and other aquatic birds as a nesting place.
It is accessible by 4 wheel drive vehicle and has basic camping facilities. The campsite is run for the sake of the local population. Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson tell of the island as “just about the most astonishing place I’ve ever been” on the Botswana Special episode.