Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Botswana is a vast wilderness area spanning across South Africa and Botswana, covering approximately 38,000 square kilometers of pristine Botswana landscape. This remarkable conservation area is renowned for its impressive red sand dunes, sparse vegetation, and exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities, particularly for big cats including the famous black-maned Kalahari lions, cheetahs, and leopards. The park represents one of Africa's largest wilderness areas and offers visitors an authentic desert safari experience with dramatic landscapes and incredible stargazing opportunities. The park's unique ecosystem supports a diverse array of desert-adapted wildlife including gemsbok (oryx), springbok, eland, meerkats, and over 200 bird species. The landscape is characterized by two main river valleys - the Auob and Nossob - which, despite being dry for most of the year, create natural corridors that concentrate wildlife and provide excellent game viewing opportunities. Visitors can experience the raw beauty of the Kalahari through self-drive safaris, guided tours, and overnight stays in various accommodation options ranging from camping to luxury lodges.

Dining options within the park are limited to the restaurants and shops at the three main rest camps: Twee Rivieren, Mata Mata, and Nossob. These facilities offer basic meals, snacks, and essential supplies, though the selection can be limited and prices are higher than outside the park. Most visitors opt for self-catering, and all camps have communal kitchen facilities and braai (barbecue) areas. It's highly recommended to bring most of your food supplies from Upington or other towns before entering the park. The camp shops stock basic groceries, canned goods, and beverages, but fresh produce is limited. Many lodges outside the park gates offer full-board packages with traditional South African cuisine and game meat specialties.

The best time to visit Botswana is during the dry winter months from May to September when temperatures are more comfortable (10-25°C), wildlife concentrates around waterholes, and there's minimal rainfall. This period offers excellent game viewing opportunities and clear skies for stargazing. Summer months (October-March) can be extremely hot with temperatures exceeding 40°C, but this is when the park transforms with green vegetation after rains, migratory birds arrive, and many animals give birth. The shoulder seasons of April and October offer good compromises with moderate temperatures and decent wildlife viewing, though October can still be quite hot.