Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

You got to see it at least once in your lifetime - put it on your "wildlife bucket list"

A completely unique, unrivalled experience!

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) is a long way from civilisation, but the trip is definitely worth it.

We stayed for approx. 10 days and in that time we saw a stunning selection of animals and birds, ranging from cheetahs, leopards and lions to springbok, wildebeest and tiny field mice.

The weather during our stay was just about right. Being winter in the desert, it did get cold at night (about -6 degrees Celsius), but temperatures reached 25-30 C during the day.

We stayed only in the three main camps of Twee Rivieren, Mata Mata and Nossob. The accommodation was comfortable, well equipped and clean. However, remember that the shops only have the bare essentials, so it is advised to take all supplies with you.

Of course, the highlights of the trip are always what you see not necessarily where you stay. Suffice it to say that you never know what is around the corner, but you can almost guarantee that every day will produce at least one stunning sighting - be it a cheetah kill, hyenas tending to their cubs, honey badgers foraging or bat-eared foxed frolicking in the dusk light.

The other sight that must be experienced is the African night sky. With no light pollution, the high altitude and clean air, the view of our universe is unbelievable. Look up at night and you will see satellites, falling stars and with some help from binoculars even some planets such as Saturn.

I can only recommend the KTP. I will definitely be returning in the future, hopefully many more times.

Escape to the beach.. without the water

Kgalagadi, pronounced by making a "k" sound followed by 2 successive throat clearings, is the real Kalahari. Real as in the small trees and bush on the nearest town on the map, a town called Hotazel, are replaced by sand. So much sand that Sand Surfing is a local sport. The temps while we were there were just over 40C during the day, a hint of sun, but luckily the nights cooled off to the low 20's- desert living at its finest.

Along with the day drives where all the animals are fast asleep by the watering holes in the rarity that is the shade, the Kgalagadi comes alive in the night time. with only 1 night in the park, to the night drive we went.

The best way to make friends when stuck in a confined space? Beer. Between a dozen people 'stuck' in the moving elevator that was the open topped Land Rover for our night drive, we were the guys dragging a cooler of beer onto the bakkie (bakkie = truck in the SA). 15 minutes in, the whole drive was friends. Sadly this was about the same time we got away from the camp and back into park. While the temperatures fell the animals rose. The bakkie was equipped with a few spotlights, so we took turns spotting the animals. Over the course of the drive, of all the animals we saw, by far the most exciting was an African Wild Cat. More rare than lions, the african wild cat was out hunting alone, had a moment in the spotlight, and was gone.

From the beachless dunes, to the black maned lion, to the beers with paap 'n vleis, the Kgalagadi was an excellent escape from anything resembling a cookie-cutter holiday package and the memories I walked away with won't be found in any other park in Africa.

Klaar

A park experience beyond your Wildest dreams

I loved my trip to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park - it exceeded every expectation. I was able to see lions, cheetahs, giraffes, gemsboks, springboks, blue wildebeests, red hartebeests, sociable weavers, crowned plovers, fiscal shrikes, brubrus, African drongos, tawny eagles, meerkats - and so much more. As a child, I dreamed of being close to wild lions; at the Kgalagadi, this dream came true - two lions were only feet from our vehicle!

My group arranged to stay at a barracks in the middle of the park - don't worry there was a fence - which means we were surrounded by the sounds of the night. A sight I will never forget is seeing the Kgalagadi yawning open around us as the sun rose. This location also gave us the opportunity to rise early and to view parts of the park before other tourists could reach them.

The services provided at the main points of entry were more than enough to meet the needs of the average visitor - clean bathrooms, postcards for sale, and even ice cream! There is nothing like a cool treat in the heat of the Kgalagadi.

I cherish my memories from the trip and look forward to returning to such a beautiful place one day soon.

Like the remoteness and you can have the animals sittings to yourself