Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | Kalahari

"Semi-desert landscapes, magical sunrises and sunsets, and the varied wildlife and birds are just some of the highlights you can expect, but the opportunity to see the magnificent black-maned lions is a rare safari experience indeed!"

Kalahari Lions | Kgalagadi

Tour highlights:

• Savannah grasslands and spectacular pans of the Mabuasehube region
• Magnificent black-maned Kalahari lions and other predators
• Hardy antelope, including gemsbok, eland, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest, springbok and steenbok
• Excellent birding, including many species of large raptor
• Secluded campsites and bush-camps

Our tour starts in Upington where we meet you at the airport, travelling from here to a campsite near the town of Kuruman. Next morning we enter Botswana at McCarthy’s Rest and travel via Tsabong to the Mabuasehube region of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP). Straddling the border between South Africa and Botswana, the KTP is one of the largest conservation areas in the world, and the first co-managed wildlife reserve in Southern Africa.

The campsites of Mabuasehube overlook the pans and are characterised by basic facilities and a lack of fences, enhancing the feeling of being at one with nature. We then travel west along a 4x4 Wilderness Trail towards Nossob Camp on the South African side of the Park, spending one night at a remote bush-camp near a scenic pan. After two nights at Nossob, we travel southwards towards Twee Rivieren, camping in the dunes on the Botswana side of the Park. The last night of the tour is spent on a guest farm near Upington.

Semi-desert savannah landscapes, magical sunrises and sunsets, and the varied wildlife and birds are just some of the highlights. Keep a lookout for a variety of large antelope, including gemsbok (oryx), perhaps the most distinctive and hardy of the Park's inhabitants. The opportunity to encounter the famed black-maned Kalahari lions of this region, together with a variety of other predators that include hyena, cheetah, leopard, and jackal, adds to the excitement of this safari tour that is geared towards anyone who loves nature and the solitude of remote wilderness areas!

Important notes:

• Non-malaria area, but consult your doctor or travel clinic for advice
• Passports are required for entry to Botswana; depending on nationality, visas may be required
• A single soft bag (maximum 60 litre volume) plus small day-pack only is permitted
• A canvas ground tent with groundsheet, mosquito netting and flysheet is provided, together with a camp-bed and foam mattress
• Bring your own sleeping bag and pillow, or ask us to provide these freshly-laundered items for you at a nominal charge
• Breakfast, snack-lunch and dinner is provided daily
• Soft drinks and bottled water included

Check our tour schedule for set departure tour dates, or contact us with your preferred travel dates, and for further information.

The Mabuasehube area was amazing: green grasslands, pans filled with water, and lions right near our camp on one of the nights...! The fenced camp and green Nossob river bed on the SA side was an interesting contrast. It's best to go with someone who knows the region well, and Chris and Karen's knowledge of the general area, trees, wildlife and 'smaller crawlers' ensured that we had a most informative and enjoyable tour. We highly recommend travelling with them!

Ivor & Pauline Peters

Information

Tour cost includes:

• Transport in 4x4 vehicle with tour guide
• Accommodation & camping costs
• Camping equipment
• Park & reserve entrance & conservation fees
• Meals as specified
• Bottled water & soft drinks

Fitness level:

Guests should be reasonably fit to cope with the climatic, travelling and camping elements of the tour

Essentials:

Light cotton clothing, warm jacket or jersey, light rain jacket, wide-brimmed hat, sunblock, open shoes, sturdy closed shoes (eg. hiking boots)

Recommended:

Sunglasses, binoculars, camera equipment, anti-bug spray

Distance:

1,800 km Upington to Mabuasehube, then to Nossob and return to Upington