Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is found in the North Western portion of South Africa on the border with Namibia. The park was an amalgamation of the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa (proclaimed in 1931) and the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park comprises an area of over 3,6 million hectares – one of very few conservation areas of this magnitude left in the world.

This is an area of red dunes and scrub which disappear into the distance, and where herds of gemsbok, springbok, and blue wildebeest who follow the rains, stay near to water sources and feed off the grasslands. Under shady camel thorn trees you will often find huge black-mane lions resting up during the heat of the day. The dunes make for perfect vantage points for leopard, cheetah and many raptors that follow the 2 dry river watercourses of the Auob & Nossob. This area is a photographer’s paradise, especially for the avid birder when it comes to the variety of raptors found there.

The Kgalagadi is not very car friendly due to the sandy conditions and corrugations that form on the roads. The Park does make every effort to maintain these roads requesting visitors to reduce their tyre air pressures so as to make their ride more pleasant.

There are 3 main camps in the Park, namely Twee Rivieren (main camp), Nossob and Mata Mata. These 3 camps provide most of the basic essentials like a small shop, fuel with resident rangers and staff. There are two border posts open allowing visitors to travel onwards into Botswana (via Twee Rivieren) and Namibia (via Mata Mata). There are restaurant facilities at Twee Rivieren only.

Fairly recently the park built 6 Wilderness Camps which are in remote parts of the park. For some of these camps a 4x4 vehicle is required to reach them. These camps are very small offering no facilities apart from the tents, log cabins or dune chalets that have been built there. So the visitor has to be self sufficient bringing in their own food and drink. A resident ranger is found at all these camps.