Kgalagadi

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is in the far north of South Africa, at the meeting place of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. It's the kind of place where the first thing that springs to mind is a dry, almost lifeless desert. How wrong assumptions can be though, at times, after a summer of excellent rains the area can be a green paradise, with lush grasslands, full waterholes and abundant wildlife. I just love roads like these, where you won’t see another car for hours, exactly my kind of road trip. This one started with a long 1000km trip north from our home on the Garden Route coast, through the Northern Cape with a one night stopover at Augrabies Falls.

Into The Kgalagadi

The main gate to the Kgalagadi is at Twee Rivieren, which serves as the administrative centre at the southern point of the park, about 250km north of Upington. There is a rest camp with fuel and a basic shop, it’s advisable to stock up on firewood if you plan to braai, also fuel, which is not always available deeper into the park, and lastly let your tyre pressure down, because from here it’s sand and gravel driving.

The name Kgalagadi is derived from the San word for "land of great thirst". Water is scarce and only the very toughest survive. It's not a big 5 game reserve, animals that require abundant water like elephants, buffalo, rhino and zebra can't survive in this harsh, dry and unforgiving environment. But massive black maned Kalahari lions, shy leopards and swift cheetahs, the main big cat predators in the park, have a bountiful choice of antelope from which to choose their next potential meal.

Video Says it Best

This is wild and untamed Africa, no paved roads, mobile phone or internet reception. It's remote and hard to reach, the Kgalagadi is no Kruger Park. It's truly one of Africa's last great wilderness areas, and for those who make the effort to go there, it's SO worth it!

Next the long road through Namibia, via Keetmanshoop and Seeheim to Luderitz: Read about it here.