Crossing Boundaries
Amongst the red and yellow-brown sands of the Kalahari, lies the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park was proclaimed a conservation area in 1931, and together with the Kalahari Gemsbok Park and the neighboring Gemsbok National Park in Botswana, this park covers an area of 3.6 million hectares. This is one of the largest conservation areas of its kind and magnitude in the world. Due to the sparse vegetation and dry river beds, these parks are focused on protecting the migrating Gemsbok. The Kgalagadi Park provides the nature lover and eager photographer the most spectacular photographic opportunities between predator and prey. For the bird enthusiast, there is guaranteed to be some excitement, especially if your main interest is birds of prey.
Each area of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park attracts different bird species according to the location, vegetation and water supply. With approximately 280 different species to be seen, only 92 are resident, while a great number of species are vagrant, migratory or nomadic. Birds that can be seen at the Kgalagadi Park range from Snake Eagles, Martial Eagles, Bateleurs, Pearl-spotted Owlets and many more birds of prey and seed eating birds.
Amongst the ground troops, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Parks has a variety of animals and this makes the Kgalagadi Park a premium mammal viewing destination. Not only will you see Blue Wildebeest, Springbok, Eland, Gemsbok and others, but you might get the chance to view cheetah, leopard, hyena and the black-maned lion!
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park provides the outdoor enthusiast so many activities, it will be difficult to try and only stay for a weekend. There are day and night game drives, various 4×4 trails and day walks. The Kgalagadi Park have laundry and ironing facilities, swimming pools, barbecue areas, restaurants, shops, hides at waterholes and you are even able to fill up your petrol tank.
As with their wildlife, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park also provides a big range of accommodation, depending on what it is you are looking for from your stay. There are three traditional restcamps, Twee Rivieren, Nassob Restcamp and Mata Mata Restcamp. These areas have chalets, park homes, caravans, cottages and camping facilities, with lots of little luxuries, such as power points and barbecue areas. The Wilderness Camps at the Kgalagadi Park all vary in facilities. The Kalahari Tent Camp, Grootkolk and Bitterpan, are NOT FENCED and tourist assistants are on duty at all times. Here your accommodation will have gas and solar lighting, and waterholes are available to cool off in. The last three camps can be described as exclusive camps, not only because guest need to provide their own drinking water and firewood, but due to their locations, namely Kieliekrankie, Urikaruus and Gharagab Wilderness camps also have gas and heating facilities.
