Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

The Red dunes of the Kgalagadi Transfontier Park The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, (Botswana [1]), (South Africa [2]), is located in the Kalahari regions of both Botswana and South Africa and came into being as the official merger of the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana and the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa. The park offers a majestic and infinite desert landscape with migrating herds of wildebeest, gemsbok, springbok and eland, cunning predators like lion, cheetah and leopard and unending red dunes with unique flora and a diversity of epic proportions is what draws the visitor to this ancient land of the Kalahari Desert. Understand History Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park The Kgalagadi tribes-people with the local Khoe-inhabitants of the desert were the first humans to inhabit this desolate desert habitat. Although they were nomadic, the name stayed. The name Kalahari was derived from the Kgalagadi word Makgadikgadi, meaning great thirstland or saltpans. The first Afrikaans/Dutch speaking settlers in the area came to trade with the people living in the Kalahari. The Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa was established in 1931 and the Gemsbok National Park in Botswana was established in 1938. These parks shared a common border. Since 1948 there has been informal cooperation agreements between conservation agencies in Botswana and South Africa to ensure the wellbeing of animals in both parks and to control development in the area. The two parks were officially combined in 1999 and on 12 May 2000 the new Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park was formally opened by South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki and Botswana's President Festus Mogae and was the first Transfrontier park in Africa. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Communities Some of the original inhbitants of this wilderness area still live around and within the Park. Mier Community The Mier (the Afrikaans word for ant) community of the Kalahari mainly originated more than 150 years ago settled across an large area that reached up to the Orange River and into the German West Africa (later South West Africa and presently Namibia) and Bechuanaland (presently Botswana). They mainly farmed with sheep, goats and cattle in the hardveld south of the Kalahari dunes. Khomani Community The Khoe-speaking community of Southern Africa is not one tribe but a collective of different peoples with different languages and cultural practices. They are united by their experience of being hunters and gatherers in the Kalahari Desert. Today there are about 100 000 Khoe speaking people in these parts. They live in small, scattered pockets in the urban and rural areas of Angola, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. In March 1999, they had a portion of their territory restored by the government of South Africa. This land included a large area in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park forming the Ae!Hai Kalahari Heritage Park. Landscape The total land area of the park is in the order of 38 000 square km, with 28 400 square km of the park located in Botswana and the rest in South Africa. The Kalahari is a semi-arid wilderness with bright red sand dunes and covers most of Botswana and reaches into Namibia, South Africa and other African countries as well. The landscape typically consists of saltpans, open plains to flat bushveld which becomes more dense towards the south. It is a huge area of unspoilt desert and bushveld with small vegetation-covered red dunes, grasslands, scrub bush and woodlands. The Kgalagadi's pans and rivers are bordered by high dunes. The pans fill up with water during the rainy season and contain nutrient-rich soils, and salts. The name Kgalagadi means the great thirst in Tswana. Flora and fauna Ground Squirrel Social Weaver Nest The Kgalagadi is best known for unique desert-adapted mammals, birds, reptiles and rodents, especially the black maned Kalahari lions and gemsbok. Other animals include the endangered wild dog, leopard, giraffe, blue wildebeest, brown hyena, eland, aardvark, bat-eared foxes, pangolin and meerkat. Kgalagadi is a fascinating stop for birdwatchers and apart from migrating flamingos and pelicans, this is an excellent area for raptors, with over 50 recorded species. Bateleur, Pygmy falcons, Sociable weavers and Vultures (White-backed and Lappet-faced) are common. Flora included the water-holding tsamma, a melon like creeper and the distinctive massive camel-thorn trees which can be found in any of the river beds. See also African flora and fauna for more information on these or any other wildlife you may encounter during your visit. Climate In summer (October to April), the temperature in the Kgalagadi climbs up to 40 degrees Celsius and sometimes higher. The annual rainfall is rarely more than 100 mm, and some years it even stays below 50 mm. Typically this is the time of the iconic Kalahari thunderstorms. In winter (June to August), the temperatures lie around 25 degrees Celsius. This results in the air ibeing dry and very clear days can be expected. The nights are extremely cold. Winter is also the best time for animal viewing. Because of the drought, the game is forced to come to the waterholes in the riverbeds. Orientation There are large sections of the park totally isolated and not reachable without 4x4. The South African side of the park is wedged in between the two main (mostly dry) rivers the Nossob (meaning dark clay) and the Auob (meaning bitter water) which have their sources in the Anas Mountains near Windhoek, Namibia. Mata-Mata is 2,5 hrs drive from Twee Rivieren. Nossob is 3,5 hrs drive from Twee Rivieren. Both these routes follow the riverbeds. Get in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park You may enter the park from either country and even use the park as a transit between Botswana and South Africa, provided that your documentation (passport, visa etc) is in order. The Twee Rivieren (South African side) and Two Rivers (Botswana side) gates act as border posts. Hired cars may be collected at Twee Rivieren provided that an advance booking is made with a car hiring company. By car From Botswana Drive from Gaborone for about 550km until Tsabong. From there travel for about 310km on gravel road. This road is negotiable by 4 x 2 vehicles during the dry season and 4 x 4 vehicles during the wet season. The alternative route is to travel from Gaborone to Hukuntsi on tarred road for 565km followed by approximately 110km of sand road which is negotiable by 4 x 4 vehicles only. From South Africa The park is situated approximately 250 km from Upington in the far northern Cape and 904 km from Johannesburg. Visitors driving from Gauteng or Mpumalanga have a choice of two routes, either via Upington on a newly tarred road or via Kuruman, Hotazel and Vanzylrus (+/- 340 km gravel). By plane Easiest way to get to the Kgalagadi is to fly to Upington [3] and then hire a car and drive yourself to the park. Car rental available on Upington Airport include Avis [4], Budget [5], Tempest [6], Hertz [7] and Imperial [8]. Three flights daily from both Cape Town and Johannesburg on SAA [9]. Light aircraft may land on a tarred runway at Twee Rivieren. Prior permission must be obtained from the Park. Fees/Permits South African Citizens and Residents (with ID) will have to fork out R40 per person, per day. SADC Nationals (with passport) pay R80 per person, per day (children R40)and then the Standard Conservation Fee for Foreign Visitors: R160 per adult / R80 per child, per day. Alternatively a Wildcard can be bought, both for SADC Nationals and International visitors. Depending on the duration of the stay that can be cheaper. More info and the current rates can be found at this site, the card itself can be bought at the gate. Get around Map of Kgalagadi Transfontier Park You can freely explore the whole park, regardless of what country your entered from. Provided that you exit at the same gate that you entered from, you do not even need to carry a passport. No roads in the park are paved, all have gravel surfaces. 4x4 vehicles are needed in the Botswana parts of the park. Please note that all roads in the park have gravel surfaces and can get badly corrugated at times. When driving from one rest camp to the other, travelers should depart with traveling times in mind to ensure arrival before sunset as no traveling is allowed in the park after dark. Also note that gate times in the park are strictly adhered to and you may be fined when arriving late in the camp. Gate Hours January to February 06:00 – 19:30 March 06:30 – 19:00 April 07:00 – 18:30 May 07:00 – 18:00 June and July 07:30 – 18:00 August 07:00 – 18:30 September 06:30 – 18:30 October 06:00 – 19:00 November and December 05:30 – 19:30 See Meerkat Kgalgadi Museum. Open an hour after park gates and closes an hour before. Entrance is free.  edit Meerkat. The meerkat is especially fascinating to watch and you could easily do so for hours. There is a gang of them at the Twee Rivieren Visitors Centre. These little rascals are so entertaining that they even star in their own TV show, the highly acclaimed Animal Planet[10] program Meerkat Manor  edit Do Self drive game viewing.  edit 4 x 4 Routes, ☎ +27 (0)54 561-2000 (fax: +27 (0)54 561-2005). R500, priced per vehicle with 5 occupants (Additional day conservation levy of R30.00 per person. Bookings is made at Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park).  edit Game drives, Twee Rivieren and Nossob camps. sunset and night. Maximum of 20 people per gamedrive. Adults - R110.00 and Children - R55.00.  edit Holiday programs, Twee Rivieren camp. Slide shows and lectures  edit Day walks, All three major camps.  edit Game watching. Let the wildlife come to you and spend a day next to the more than 120 waterholes in the dry riverbeds  edit Locate a mob of meerkats and follow their frenetic foraging and vigil antics in the dunes Have brunch at one of the many picnic spots and get indimidated by the complete silence of the Kalahari Say hello to the visitors in the chalet/ rondawel next to you and share stories of your day's sightings over a fire and some 'skaap tjops' (lamb cutlets). Buy No real shopping in this remote desert area but look out for little San/ Bushman children selling seed-jewelery near the Twee Rivieren Gate. The three shops at the main camps Twee Rivieren, Mata Mata and Nossob offer some curios like ostrich eggs, some coffee table books and field guides, but they are mostly overpriced. Use the shops to buy your daily food like bread, meat, milk, eggs and anyhting else you might need in the middle of nowhere. Kalahari Safaris, ☎ +27(0)824350007, [11]. Specializes in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (3 -10days) and Augrabies falls national park safaris. Contact us for more details. pieter@kalaharisafaris.co.za  edit Kgalagadi Travel & Tours, ☎ +27(0)824350007, [12]. Kgalagadi Travel & Tours specializes in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park tours. We do small group and private tours. Contact us for more details: info@kalaharisafaritours.co.za  edit Eat The Kgalagadi offer no real unique food but do try the main camp shops for some ostrich steak or springbok biltong. A must try for your Braai (BBQ) at night is the delicious Karoo lamb cutlets which is a South African classic. If you feel at a loss, just ask around at night in any of the camps. Every local South African sitting around their campfire with a beer will be more than willing to give you a taste of their pap and boerewors (Maize porridge and Sausage). Drink Make sure you drink loads of water and keep emergency water in your vehicle. This desert is extremely harsh. Tap Water is safe to drink, but is often very salty and not good for making coffee or tea. Bottles of still water can be bought at any shop. Sleep This article or section does not match our manual of style or needs other editing. Please plunge forward, give it your attention and help it improve! Suggested fixes: None specified. Please use the article's talk page to ask questions if you are not sure why this tag was added and whether it is safe to remove it. Typical restroom Lodging South Africa Luxury Camps !Xaus Lodge “A place to experience, not merely observe.” !Xaus Lodge’s isolation allows you to experience the unspoiled splendour of the vast, arid Kgalagadi Park. Crafted to blend into the landscape, this 24 bed thatched luxury lodge, owned by the ‡Khomani San and Mier communities, overlooks a large salt pan. Relax on the viewing deck and observe the animals at the waterhole below, cool off in the plunge pool or browse through the curio shop. Join our guides on a morning wilderness walk through the dunes. ‘Listen’ to the sun set on an early evening drive or enjoy an after-dinner game-drive, with the accompanying desert sounds. ‘Touch’ the stars as you gaze at the splendour of the night sky. Meet the Bushmen, legendary hunter-gatherers, at work in the serenity of their craft village and marvel at the tastes of the Mier’s unique culinary offerings. And then, fulfilled in spirit recall the words of Laurens van der Post: “This ancient African land seen through the eyes of the Bushmen is mystical, magical and spiritual” For reservations and more information contact: •info@tfpd.co.za •Transfrontier Parks Destinations •+27 21 701 7860 (office) •+27 79 771 1418 (Marichen) or •+27 83 703 7979 (Brenda) www.xauslodge.co.za Traditional Rest Camps Huts at Mata Mata Huts at Twee Rivieren Kieliekrankie lodged in the dunes with tsammas growing Clever hut design at Urikaruus Map of Twee Rivieren Camp Mata Mata This camp is nestled on the banks of the mostly dry Auob River on the western border of the Park. The camp borders Namibia and is surrounded by thorny Kalahari dune bushveld. Giraffe are a favourite sight. The camp has a reception, swimming pool, shop and fuel facilities. Accommodation prices Camping with power point: R110,00 Park Home: R275,00 Chalet: R395,00 Family Chalet: R660,00 Nossob Nossob Rest Camp is situated within the dry riverbed of the Nossob and is surrounded by huge Camel-Thorn Trees and is famous for its sightings of Lion and Cheetah. The camp has a reception, swimming pool, predator information centre, shop and fuel facilities.Nossob is about 3,5 hrs drive from Twee Rivieren. Accommodation prices Camping with power point: R110,00 Chalet: R400,00 Guest House: R785,00 Family Cottage: R630,00 Twee Rivieren Twee Rivieren is the Kgalagadi's administrative headquarters and by far the largest rest camp. Situated on the banks of the dry Nossob riverbed, the activities and facilities are diverse, as are the animals and plants found both within the camp and in the surrounding areas. Twee Rivieren has a reception, shop, fuel, restaurant, information centre and swimming pool. This is the only camp with 24 hrs electricity and cell phone reception. Accommodation prices Camping with power point: R110,00 Camping without power point: R90,00 Family Cottage Type 1: R450,00 Family Cottage Type 2:R520,00 Family Cottage Type 3: R395,00 Family Chalet: R630,00 Wilderness Camps To create a real wilderness experience none of these camps are fenced and a Tourism Assistant is on duty at all times. Bitterpan High above the red sand dunes sits this 'camp on poles' overlooking a waterhole. Bitterpan is situated halfway on the new 4x4 route through the dunes from Nossob to Mata-Mata and the Kalahari Tent Camp. It is on a ONE-WAY route starting from Nossob. Accommodation prices Reed Cabins Sleeps 2: R600,00 Gharagab This charming camp is located in the far northern region of the park and has elevated views of Kalahari dunes and the Acacia woodlands. Situated 164 km (four hours) drive north of Nossob on the road to Unions End. The camp is unfenced, and there is a tourism assistant on duty. Accommodation prices Log Cabins Sleep 2: R660,00 Grootkolk A quite and unassuming little camp tucked away in the dunes, overlooking a waterhole, 20 km from Union’s End where the three countries South Africa, Botswana and Namibia meet. Grootkolk is 6 hours drive from Twee Rivieren and 2,5 hours from Nossob. Accommodation prices Desert Cabins Sleeps 2: R660,00 Kalahari Tented Camp Situated up on a sand dune, overlooking a waterhole in the dry bed of the ancient Auob River, the Kalahari Tent Camp is a unique and novel way of staying over in the Kalahari. This camp has 15 desert tents with rustic finishes using wood, sand and canvas exteriors. The tent camp is 3 km from the Mata-Mata Rest Camp where Kalahari Tent Camp residents can refuel and get basic supplies at the shop. Accommodation prices Desert Tent: R690,00 Family Desert Tent: R690,00 Honeymoon Desert Tent: R820,00 Kieliekrankie An absolute unique and breathtaking camp sitsuated high on the dunes overlooking a small waterholes with regular sightings of brown hyena. The beautifully designed camp sits comfortably in the dunes and feels part of the environment. Look out for the patch of tsammas growing on the doorstep of hut 2. A unbelievably tranquil experience. Accommodation prices Dune Cabins Sleeps 2: R660,00 Urikaruus A small and very special camp with elevated walkways between the huts. This enables game to literally walk underneath you. this creates an earie feeling if late at nights hyenas are scavenging right underneath you. Awesome sunsets are on display every late afternoon from you balcony. Accommodation prices Riverside Cabins Sleeps 2: R660,00 Botswana Camping is the only way to spend a night on the Botswana side of the park. Bookings can be done by phoning the Botswana side of the Park on + 267 318 0774. Bosobogolo Pan Kaa Khiding Pan 4 campsites with pit latrines and small waterhole. Leshaloago 1 campsite with pit latrine and 1 campsite without. Small waterhole. Mabuasehube Pan This area is situated in the extreme east of the national park. A number of individual campsites overlooking the pan, some of which have small waterholes. Some have picnic tables. Monamodi Mpaathutlwa Campsites with pit latrines and a small waterhole. Polentswa This site is ituated in the northern section of the NossobValley. 3 undeveloped campsites. Rooiputs This camping site is situated 25 km up the Nossob River Valley from the entrance gate. 6 individual campsites. Presently no facilities available. People with disabilities Accommodation: One chalet at Twee Rivieren, one reed-cabin at Bitterpan, one sand-cabin at Grootkolk and two desert tents at Kalahari Tented Camp have ramps and accessible ablutions with roll-in showers. All these units have certain access flaws. The SA-government has instructed the park to upgrade all fasilities to include wheelchair access. There is also an accessible ablution block (roll-in shower) at Nossob Camp for campers, while accessible camping ablutions were added to Twee Rivieren in 2005. Mata-Mata has an accessible public toilet. Access Attractions: The park’s appeal is certainly its wilderness. Not a lot facilities exist for all guests. The predator centre and hide at Nossob and the information centre at Twee Rivieren are all accessible. Backcountry Stay safe It is important to check with Park Head Offices on the state of the Parks roads. Sometime in the rainy season (October to February) flash floods and mud can make travelling in a 2x4 vehicle almost impossible. Botswana Telephone: + 267 318 0774 Fax: +267 318 0775 Email: dwnp@gov.bw Post: Dept. of Wildlife and National Parks – Botswana, P O Box 131, Gabarone,Botswana. South Africa Telephone:+ 27 (0) 54 561 2000 Fax: + 27 (0) 54 561 2005 For obvious reasons no pets are allowed in the Park. Firearms must be declared at the gate where they will be sealed. The seal will be broken upon departure. Watch out for scorpions in the summer. Always check your shoes every morning before putting them on. If you breakdown, stay in your vehicle. it is the safest place. Do NOT try and walk to the next camp. Lions don't really distinguish between human and wildebeest! This is a low risk malaria but do consult your chemist. Get out There are a lot of options of things to do in and around the Kalahari area. Augrabies National Park [13] When South Africa’s largest river, the Orange is in flood, Augrabies is the sixth largest waterfall in the world. The Khoi people called it 'Aukoerebis', the place of the Great Noise, referring to the Orange River thundering downwards for 60 metres in a spectacular waterfall. Orange River Wine Cellar [14] Yipm you can even do a wine tasting on this world-standard wine farm just outside Upington. The wineries are all located in close proximity to the Gariep (Orange) River, and stretch over a distance of more than 350 kilometres, from Kakamas in the west to Keimoes, Upington, Grootdrink and, finally, Groblershoop Wine Cellars in the north-east. The head-office of ORWC are situated at the Upington Winery. Give them a call on (054) 337 8800 if you want to visit. Witsand Nature Reserve [15] Home of the famous Brulsand or Roaring Sands of the Kalahari. Under the right conditions, these dunes create an fascinating rumble when step on or disturbed. Few reserves or National parks in the Northern Cape are as scenic as Witsand Nature Reserve. Witsand has flowing white dunes – twenty to sixty metres high – surrounded by the red Kalahari sand, Acacia bush and the Langberg Mountain range. Witsand Nature Reserve is teeming with bird life, including the Namaqua sandgrouse, sociable weaver and Africa’s smallest raptor the pygmy falcon. Witsand is also a favourite duneboarding venue. Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park [16] The harsh Richtersveld nurtures 30% of all South Africa’s succulent species among which the famous halfmens (half man plant). Rugged and shap edged ravines, high mountains and a stark landscape form South Africa’s largest (160.000 ha) mountain desert park. With less than 50mm of rain annually, you could spot leopards, lizards, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, brown hyena, klipspringer, ground squirrel and meerkat. The park is jointly managed by South African National Parks and the Richtersveld community. Recently the Richtersveld National Park in South Africa was joined with the Ai-Ais Hot Springs Game Park (Fish River Canyon) in Namibia, to form the immense Ai-Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park. Other accommodation outside the park also include Springbokpan [17], the beautiful Motsi and Tarkuni in the Tswalu Reserve [18]. Many Hotels, Guesthouses and B&B are available in Upington, Kakamas and Keimoes. This is a usable article. It has information about the park, for getting in, about a few attractions, and about accommodations in the park. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!