Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

An article about Kalahari
by Hanlie Burger

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It is not easy or quick to get to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, but it is definitely worth it. It lies in the Kalahari (southern Africa) and presents the traveller with wide open spaces, beautiful red dunes as well as riverbeds with prime animal viewing. If you have ever seen one of those great wildlife pictures with a gemsbok against a red sand dune, it was very likely taken here.

Apart from the traditional camps, they have great wilderness camps with few people and no fences, looking out over waterholes for perfect game viewing (we saw leopard on more than one occasion). For some of these camps you need a 4x4. It is difficult to describe the Kgalagadi as most people associate a desert area with pretty much nothing. This cannot be further from the truth here - it is the busiest desert you have ever seen (in a very good way). Stop your vehicle on a deserted strip somewhere, sit for a few moments and the action will happen - from raptors to suricates (meerkat) to rodents and snakes - the place is buzzing. And it is perfect for big game (and small) as you can see for miles. No wonder one of the books written on the Kgalagadi is called 'The Crowded Desert'!

In summer the heat can be unbearable, so best to go in winter when the days are nice. But beware the nights - it gets very cold. You can enter the park from South Africa, Namibia or Botswana so it is perfect to combine it with a longer trip from any of these countries.

This is their official website where you can get loads of information and make bookings: http://www.sanparks.org/parks/kgalagadi/

Comments and ratings for Kalahari

Team YouPlanet - says:

Thank you Hanlie for the explanation, now it makes sense :)

Hanlie Burger says:

Hi Karin, Good Question - normally big game refers to the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino). In the case of the Kgalagadi, you will find two of these: lion and leopard. What makes the Kgalagadi special is that the sightings are so clear compared to other game reserves where you normally have a lot more vegetation. Of course, you don't have to stick with the traditional definition of big game as belonging to the Big 5 (as it has strong associations with hunting). So big game could have quite personal meanings (tall as in giraffe, or special/unusual sightings!) ...

Karin Andersson says:

Thanks for the tip. One question though: what do you mean with "...perfect for big game..."??

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