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The Kalahari stretches into Namibia & Botswana. Kalahari Tours & Travel also wants you to experience the beauty of these remote and unspoilt countries. Below you'll find a description of the National Parks and Nature Reserves we visit during our tours.
Discover Botswana
Botswana is a unique tourist destination. It is relatively unexploited and unexplored, offering majestic scenery and wildlife. Botswana is diverse and different from any other tourist destination in Africa. It is big, roughly the size of France, covering 581,000 km². Most of the vast landscape is uninhabited and undisturbed. A huge variety of game, birds and fish live in this magical, unspoilt wilderness. Game viewing is not over exploited. The visitor in a 4x4 vehicle often feels that he's alone, part of nature in the vast plains and under cobalt blue skies that stretch to the horizon. A great deal of Africa's game and birdlife can be found in the Okavango Delta and across the giant Kalahari. Game is not restricted to National Parks and reserves, but can roam freely between the reserves and concession areas. Botswana is also an archaeological treasure. Its history goes back to the Stone Age and beyond. History lives on through the San people (formerly known as Bushmen), who left their art in many parts of the Kalahari. Discovering Botswana is a memorable adventure, although visitors must be aware that there are hardly any facilities in some of the parks.
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
The Central Kalahari is a place where you find your soul, where the modern world recedes and you can get in touch with the earth, the sky and the space. Where you are on your own in the wilderness and the stars at night are a canopy of delight. The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is the 2nd largest conservation area in the world and covers 51,800 km². It was made famous by Mark & Delia Owens who camped in Deception Valley while they researched and wrote "Cry of the Kalahari" in the mid 80's. The roads are generally firm in the north, except in the rainy season, but sandy in the South. This is 4x4 territory and there are no facilities whatsoever except a few primitive designated campsites. There are gemsbok, eland, wildebeest, springbok, tsesebe and steenbok. Predators encompasses lion, brown hyena, cheetah, leopard and the African wild cat. The reserve is home to many raptor species.
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
The 37 000 square km Kgalagadi Trans Frontier Park is one of the world’s largest conservation area’s. The park is sanctuary to herds of gemsbok, springbok, blue wildebeest and red hartebeest. The Park is well known for good sightings of lion and cheetah and is a bird watcher’s paradise with more than 20 larger raptor species. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is the first declared transfrontier park in Africa and links the Gemsbok National Park with the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park. The South African side comprises 9591 km², with a further 28 400 km² on the Botswana side. The Kalahari is a semi arid region with an average rainfall from 150mm to 350mm a year. To survive the long dry spells, animals need large areas to move in to find suitable vegetation. Winter in the Kalahari is cool & dry from May to August, followed by a warm, dry season from September to October. November to April is the hot season with occasional scattered thundershowers. The Botswana side offers camping at Two Rivers, Rooiputs & Polentswa. There is also a selection of 4x4 trails available: Mabuasehube Trail and Kaa Game Viewing trail. For further information see our 4x4 tours.
Makgadikgadi Pans
The Makgadikgadi Pans cover an area of over 12,000 km² and incorporate a whole series of pans, the two main ones being Sowa Pan in the east and Ntwetwe Pan in the west. Believed to be the largest salt pan in the world, Makgadikgadi was once part of an enormous inland lake which covered much of northern Botswana some half a million years ago. There are ancient shorelines around the perimeter with pebbles polished by those long ago waves. Astronauts circling the earth and looking down on Botswana can clearly see the outline of the original lake. Makgadikgadi is known for its rich birdlife in the wet season and is an important breeding ground for flamingo's and pelicans.
Makgadikgadi Pans National Park
Makgadigadi Pans National Park covers an area of 4144 km² and incorporates the northwestern corner of the Ntwetwe Pan. Here you'll find open grasslands, shimmering pans, groves of palm trees, and lush riverine forest along the Boteti River. Vast herds of wildebeest and zebra migrate from the grasslands in the east to Boteti River as the pans dry up. Other game species to be seen here are elephont, white rhino, firaffe, gemsbok, kudu, springbok and impala. Predators are lion, cheetah, brown hyena and jackal.
Nxai Pan National Park
Nxai Pan National Park, some 2,100 km² in extent, is a combination of dry pans, grassland and thick bush, with clumps of mopane, acacia and baobab trees. The pans in this park also formed part of the ancient vast inland lake. If the rains have been good, the game congregates at the pans near the entrance and at Kgama-Kgama Pan. Lions are often seen at the edges of these pans. The man made waterhole also attracts game, especially in the early morning and late evening. Large herds of springbok, gemsbok, wildebeest, zebra and eland use this area as breeding ground. When young are being born, predators such as lion, cheetah, wild dog, spotted hyena and jackal are plentiful. There are usually large herds of giraffe and other species include impala, elephant, kudu, red hartebeest, brown hyena and bat eared foxes.
Moremi Game Reserve
Moremi Game Reserve is defenitely one of the best game reserves within Botswana, offering the visitor a magnificent variety in landscape and marvellous wildlife all year round. Birdwatchers will be amazed! Best game viewing is during the dry season between June and November, when seasonal pans dry out and wildlife concentrates around permanent water resources. Moremi covers a third of the Okavango delta and it includes the Mopane Tongue and a patchwork of lagoons, flooded pans, plains and forests. Moremi was the first Wildlife Sanctuary that was created by an African tribe, the BaTawana tribe. It encompasses 4872 km² . You can see large herds of antelope including red lechwe and the rare sitatunga, elephants and buffalo's. Not far behind are the ubiquitous predators, lions, cheetahs and leopards.
Chobe National Park
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Chobe Riverfront is renowned for its game throughout the year. The herds of elephant are among the largest in the world (estimated at 45,000). Huge prides of lions trail the game. Over 450 species of birds have been identified here. The skies are alive with birds of prey and the waters full of herons and waders. The rare African skimmer shoots across the water displaying its acrobatic fishing skills. Hippos and crocodiles lurk on the river edges. Chobe National Park covers 11,700 km². The vegetation varies from the tropical Linyanti swamp to the severe desert-like landscape of Savuti, from lush flood plain grassland to deep sands and woodlands. The animal migrations are dramatic. Zebra and wildebeest migrate in huge herds, eating the Savuti grasses on their way. Other big game animals and the ubiquitous lions follow them as the wet season ends at the beginning of the year. Then the plains heat up in the scorching sun and the animals retreat north under the dramatic sunsets as night approaches.
NORTHERN CAPE - NAMIBIA & BOTSWANA TOURS
TOUR S – 14 DAY Northern Cape, Namibia & Botswana Wildlife Tour
This tour covers Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Etosha National Park, Mahango - & Caprivi Game Reserves, Mudumu -, Chobe -, Zambezi -, Vic Falls - & Marakele National Parks. This tour covers various wildlife parks in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana and Vic Falls in Zimbabwe. Malaria area!
Chalet/Lodge or camping.
TOUR T – 17 DAY Northern Cape, Namibia & Botswana Wildlife Tour
The pristine wildlife areas of the Okavango River & Delta including Moremi Game Reserve are added to TOUR S to offer a tour, which is a very rewarding Southern Africa wildlife safari, covering South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. Malaria area!
Chalet/Lodge or camping.
Tour U – 20 DAY Namibia & Botswana Deserts and Wildlife Tour
Deserts and Wildlife. This tour covers the desert Parks Ai-Ais – Richtersveld, Namib Naukluft, Skeleton Coast and the Wildlife Parks Etosha, Mahango, Mudumu, Chobe, Zambezi, Vic Falls & Marakele. Malaria area Chalet or camping
SOUTH AFRICA & BOTSWANA TOURS
TOUR V – 15 DAY South Africa & Botswana Wildlife Tour
This tour starts and end in Johannesburg and covers Pilansberg Game Reserve, Mapangubwe - & Marakele National Parks in South Africa, Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Makgadigadi Pans National Park, Moremi Game Reserve & Chobe National Park in Botswana and Zambezi - & Vic Falls National Parks in Zimbabwe. This is a complete tour of the major wildlife Parks in Botswana and northwest South Africa. Malaria area!
Chalet/Lodge or camping
TOUR W – 17 DAY Botswana Camping Adventure Tour (Kgalagadi – Vic Falls)
This popular adventurous camping tour runs from the South African Kalahari Desert into Botswana covering the following Parks: Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Kaa Kalahari Concession, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Makgadigadi Pans National Park, Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe -, Zambezi -, Vic Falls -, & Marakele National Parks. This camping safari is a real wildlife and nature experience. Malaria area!
Camping only.
TOUR X – 11 DAY Central Botswana & Northern South Africa Wildlife Tour
This tour starts and ends in Johannesburg and covers Pilansberg Game Reserve & Marakele National Parks in South Africa and Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Makgadigadi Pans National Park & Nxai Pan National Park in Central Botswana. This tour offers the client with limited time an opportunity to experience the excellent wildlife and scenery of Central Botswana parks and the Parks in Northwest South Africa . Malaria area! Chalet/Lodge and/or camping
TOUR Y – 14 DAY Central Botswana & Northern South Africa Wildlife Tour
This tour starts and ends in Johannesburg and covers Pilansberg Game Reserve, Marakele & Mapangubwe National Parks in South Africa and Khama Rhino Sanctuary, Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Makgadigadi Pans National Park & Nxai Pan National Park in Central Botswana. Except for three nights, clients overnight two nights per park, which ensures an in depth experience of the excellent wildlife and scenery of Central Botswana Parks and the Parks in Northwest South Africa. Malaria area!
Chalet/Lodge and/or camping
For our standard Northern Cape - Namibia & Botswana Tours go to tours S, T & U and for South Africa & Botswana Tours go to tours V, W, X & Y in the menu above. For reservations and departures please contact us and we will forward you the detailed information.
KALAHARI TOURS & TRAVEL
Physical Address:
12 Mazurkadraai Upington 8801
PO Box 113, Upington
8800
TEL/FAX: + 27 (0) 54 3380375
CELL: + 27 (0) 82 4935041
EMAIL: dantes@kalahari-tours.co.za
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