Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

one of the best park where to see animals

An arid wilderness heaving with wildlife

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) is a really special place. It is extremely arid and hot, yet the wildlife and bird life (raptors in particular) are extremely abundant.
The park basically consists of two roads that run along the two (dry) riverbeds that run through the park, the Nossob and the Auob. Along the rivers, vast views are limited because they are both surrounded by the famous red dunes of the Kalahari, but that is not an issue because the water points are all along these rivers which attracts all the wildlife, plus the dunes really are beautiful.

I gave a 5 star rating for everything and I'm tempted to warn readers that I gave these rates based on an arid savanna benchmark where seeing a lion and a few birds within a few days is a good trip but that is far from the case in the KTP as you will find loads of wildlife!

Accommodation wise, I have camped at Mabuasehube on the Botswana side which was awesome (lions came in to drink our dirty shower water and would cause shivers right down our spines as their deep calls vibrated right through us in the night)! As well as in a research camp within the park close to Twee Rivieren, this camp is unavailable to tourists so not much use in me telling you about it. I also can't really speak for the rest of the accommodation as I have never stayed at any of the other camps. I can however, recommend going as deep into the park where there are less people and you can enjoy the true essence of being out in the bush. Otherwise, it doesn't really matter because you'll want to spend every woken moment out there game viewing.

If you are reading this and on the fence about wanting to go to the Kgalagadi Tranfrontier Park, do it. You will not be disappointed.

Enjoy!

Brendon.

A great desert and wildlife experience

The KTP is full of different species and it's a great experience to see the animals in their life space. The best at the KTP is the experience of the Gharagab tented camp. We are alone on this camp and the road is a single track to the camp, a bit more difficult than the normal tracks but truly 4x4. The view is without any limit and we can have an idea of the dimensions of the Kalahari desert. Wildlife is everywhere and there is always some animals to observe.

Utterly fabulous, if you like that sort of thing

Kgalagadi is a superb place to visit at any time of the year, but November/December marks the transition from the end of the dry season as the rains can come at any point. It's hot, very hot, but worth is to see some incredible wildlife at close hand. The heat and lack of vegetation means a lot of action around the waterholes - great for predators but not so much fun for the prey. The landscape is, at times, breathtaking (if you like it dry and empty). Steer clear of the madding crowd around Twee Rivieren, head up to Mata Mata and/or Nossob for a wonderful and exciting experience but be prepared for basic accomodation.

I'm a pro wildlife photographer and I've been three times now (December, March and June). It's my favourite destination and I just love this park.

From birds to mammals to scenery, Kgalagadi has it all.

The wildlife at Kgalagadi is the main reason to go, in my opinion. You'll have a great chance of seeing lions, meerkats, eland, gemsbok, ostrich, warthogs and more. As a birder, I enjoyed seeing things like Verreaux's Eagle Owl, Secretarybird, Black-chested Snake-eagle, swallow-tailed bee-eaters and many, many more. The facilities/accommodations are excellent as well, and the park is easily accessible and well-maintained. The massive Kgalagadi Transfrontier Pakr is one of the gems in the excellent South African National Park system, and one of the few that is comparable to Kruger.

A must for nature lovers!

Never have I seen so many lion, leopard or cheetah than on my trip here. The wildlife was dramatically different to other Parks I'd visited - so a welcome change. But the roads are hellish - so take a 4x4.

The accommodation (campsite) in the park was very clean and well taken care of. We heard lions roaring near us all night one night which was very exciting. You really know that you are out in the wilderness. We saw lots of variety of animals and birds.

Different experience, no Rhinos or Elephants, but lots of animals you don't see that often in the other areas. Went there a few years back, maybe today it's a little bit more crowded since they have the tarred road now.

Rich wildlife experience in stunning wilderness setting - a quite unique unspoilt location.

Wildlife experiences were outstanding including sightings of rare mammals such as the Aardvark, Wild Cat, Brown Hyena, Bat-eared Fox, African Hedgehog and an abundance of birds. This was very much due to the knowledge and expertise of our wonderful Naturetrek naturalists whose spotting skills, knowledge and experience greatly enriched the trip. Local guides at !xaus Lodge where we stayed were equally good. It was a privilege to stay in such a remote, 'close to nature' environment.