Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

I visited Kgalagadi on my self drive route from Cape Town to Maun last April. Visiting the park is a must for nature lovers. Being such a remote place and so little visited, it offers you the feeling of really being "in the wild". Staff both in the South Africa and the Botswana sides were really helpful and friendly.

Known as the "Kgalagadi" by the Khomani San (Bushman), as well as all the visitors to this park that is part of San Parks. The Kgalagadi has a beauty that presents true nature and sometimes in it's harshest form to visitors visiting this park that spans from South Africa into Botswana. The chalet's are well equipped, modern and clean. The camps like Twee Rivieren and Nossob are a pleasure to visit and maintained quite well. In this park predator sightings are quite frequent as well as many birds and raptor photos are great. Also the antelope species, gemsbok (oryx), eland, springbok and many more can be seen. Due to the harsh and dry nature conditions, one will not see elephant or rhino unless this area has enough rain to sustain them. This is a photographers dream park and the iKaus lodge between the dunes within the Kgalagadi is a dream lodge to visit. At this lodge, you walk with the Bushman and learn about nature.

Wow. Just wow. One of the earlier parks on our overland from Cape Town to Addis, this park might have been peerless. The freedom of a self-drive park (they all were for us, but there was a greater feeling of freedom here, considering the density of wildlife) is unforgettable. We had lions with cubs pass within 20ft of us. Curious giraffes eyeing us up close. An engorged massive snake dragging its bulk across the road. Three cheetahs loping into the desert on a hunt. A black-maned Kalahari lion resting in the tall grass. He was HUGE. And more. At night we watched jackals feed on moth hordes attracted by the lights. You can hear the jackals checking the fences at the campgrounds (unlike Chobe's unfenced wilderness spots) for ways in - keep your stuff packed away. This place is something greater - though a bit of a drive to get to.

As far as animal viewing is concerned, you really can’t go wrong in southern Africa. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is absolutely massive and chock full of superlative wildlife. The list would be shorter if I mentioned what we didn’t see! Plenty of zebras, gazelles, gnus, lions and springbok, as well as hartebeest. We even managed to score a cheetah mum with cubs. Just super! The park itself is really gorgeous, those red rolling dunes glowing a crimson red as the sun starts to set. The amazing thing about the Kgalagadi is that there are still plenty of indigenous communities who live here, which gives it a very unique feel, especially when compared to other parks where the only things you see is other 4WDs packed with tourists. We entered from Botswana with our own truck, so didn’t need to stop at any of the lodges; we did take advantage of the free bush campsites, at least to replenish our fresh water supplies. I’m sure all the lodges would be very nice to stay in, but I do recommend organizing a bush-camp trip here if you’re game. Falling asleep in a tent to the sounds of howling hyenas is just mind-blowing. This would have to be one of the last unspoilt parks in Africa and experiencing it sans the luxury of mod-cons is a superb way to really absorb this unique corner of the continent. You really don’t need a ranger to ‘guide’ you around the Kgalagadi, the animals just about jump on your bonnet so if you’ve ever dreamt of flying to Africa, renting a 4WD and going off into the endless savannah...this would be my top pick.

The vastness of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier stirs the feeling of isolated semi-desert life. But your first game sightings will prove otherwise. The Kalahari lions, impressive gemsbok herds, cheetahs, leopards, and giraffes scatter this mega conservation park stretching across South African deep into Botswana. Visiting this park you are spoilt with true wildlife and unspoilt African nature. In true African style, visiting Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park during peak summer season will greet you with hot (sometimes extremely hot) and long summer days. The dry Nossob and Auob riverbeds are two excellent places where game viewing is guaranteed. As predators and prey gather here, you are likely to find yourself viewing a lion gang making a killing. The park’s main roads offer self-drive accessibility to the riverbeds. The Twee Rivieren rest camp is located on the banks of the dry Nossob river, and is favored for its facilities (including electricity and the park’s only restaurant) and its proximity to the Northern Cape town of Upington. Nossob and Auob are also good spots for birdwatching. But birdwatching at Kgalagadi is much more than the average birder’s expectations – the birds of prey circling the sky, catching snakes, rabbits and other small mammals are not a sight often seen! For the more off-the-beaten-track traveler, opt for staying at one of the Kgalagadi Wilderness camp areas. The number of visitors are restricted to eight people per camp and lends a more intense atmosphere of desert isolation between the Kalahari dunes. Be sure to stock up on your choice of food and other supplies; the small shops at Twee Rivieren, Nossob and Mata Mata rest camps only offer basic and limited supplies. Water supply available for drinking and cooking purposes are safe, but many travelers prefer bringing their own supply as the water is salty. Gear up for a visit to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, stay at least for a couple of days and you will be left in awe of the Kalahari’s beauty.

If your idea of heaven is to completely shrug off the material world and get into the middle of nowhere, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is just what you have been looking for - no cell phones, no crowds, just you and nature! This unique conservation area borders South Africa, Botswana and Namibia and is home to the fantastic Kalahari black-maned lion, among other wonders. This is a very dry region and the lack of vegetation makes game viewing really easy - all you have to do is find a suitable waterhole and wait...the game will come to you! If you have the time, an excellent option is to drive through the Park from South Africa to Namibia, spending at least two nights in the reserve. I would suggest spending your first night at Twee Rivieren Camp on the S A border (you will need to go through immigration control here - DO NOT neglect to have your papers stamped here, otherwise you will have difficulties leaving at the Namibia Border!) After your overnight stay at Twee Rivieren, (where there is a floodlit waterhole for night viewing and photos)you can take a slow drive to Mata-Mata camp - this takes about 2.5 hours - make sure you have plenty of drinking water - there are no shops enroute! The Kalahari (Kgalagadi)is a unique experience and not to be missed. Mata-Mata camp has had a revamp since my visit and the new chalets are reportedly very nice indeed. Do take everything you need with you if possible - the shops at the camps stock basics but you may not find what you need and prices are inflated.