Kgalagadi National Park in the Kalahari

The vast Kalahari Desert is a land of desert red dunes, endless horizons and huge skies. The magnificent Kgalagadi National Park offers superb wildlife. Here desert-adapted black-maned Kalahari lions and cheetah hunt the plains game.

Kgalagadi means ‘land of thirst’ and this hauntingly beautiful region has a special appeal all of its own. The park is a trans-frontier park combining South Africa and Botswana. This covers a vast eco-system relatively free of human influence. So the park facilitates the seasonal migration of wildlife in search of water, and free-roaming predators between the two countries.

In the heat of the day, desert-adapted black-maned Kalahari lions shelter beneath shady bushes, and leopards take refuge in the branches of camelthorn trees. It is also home to cheetah, hyena and immense herds of springbok, gemsbok, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest and eland.

The open terrain of the Kgalagadi National Park is heaven for wildlife photographers. And particular specials of the park are meerkats, the black-maned Kalahari Lions, birds of prey and sociable weaver birds. These busy little birds construct huge communal nests all over the reserve.

Accommodation is limited in the Park. You can choose between the various rest camps of Twee Rivieren, Nossob, Mata Mata and the Kalahari Tented Camp. But you'll need to book far in advance for the peak winter months. Or why not stay !Xaus Lodge which offers interaction with the bushmen people as well as game-viewing. Alternatively you can stay at one or both of the Te Shebube Lodges. Technically these are in Botswana side. But you won't need to go through border control as the park straddles two countries. You will need a 4x4 to be able to drive there however.